Tell me a story…
Jamie and Nell, a wee lad and his sheepdog, up before their family, most of their town, and the sun strike out up Acorn Hill to make their own parade. Some sneer and scoff at Jamie and Nell on their journey, like Kit Kelly’s donkey and mad old Mrs. Mulligan, but there are also the kindnesses shown from Hubble the Hen Man, a warm egg, and a treasure trove at Mrs. Simms’ counter: a bottle of ginger ale, a bun with a cherry on top, two jelly beans for Nell, and a tiny Irish flag for Jamie to “wave it later on. At the parade.”
However, Jamie is quite certain that he and Nell are the parade. “Jamie sniffed. Mrs. Simms was nice. But what did she know? Wasn’t this the parade, this very minute, and him in it?” Jamie and Nell have a brave bit to go as Mrs. Simms is only the Half-Way-Up Sweetshop. Back to the journey up Acorn Hill. With determination, they make it as the sun jumps like a firecracker and the stage stands bare with a green ribbon barrier intact. Jamie boldly wishes the sun a “Happy St. Pat’s” knowing that he was not too small to make the journey. He leaves his ginger ale bottle with flag planted inside as a conquest.
The town wakes up as Jamie and Nell make the easy journey down Acorn Hill. There are smoking chimneys and milk bottles have been brought indoors. Jamie and Nell return to their house, where all still sleep soundly and curl up together. No matter what, they know they were first up Acorn Hill on St. Patrick’s Day in the Morning, the mystery of their flag will keep all wondering.
St. Patrick’s Day in the Morning, by Eve Bunting, charmingly illustrated by Jan Brett, will pull you into the hearth and home of this little Irish town. Now that the scene has been set, linger in the Emerald Isle and listen carefully to Clever Tom And The Leprechaun (retold and illustrated by Linda Shute).
Who doesn’t want to find that pot of gold? Ah, but the leprechaun is hard to find and harder to catch with a heart full of mischief, maybe Clever Tom is up to the task? “ ‘By the powers!’ thought Tom. ‘It’s a leprechaun! If I catch him and scare him, he’ll give me his gold. Since I’m a clever fellow, that should be simple. Before the sun sets, I’ll have my fortune made!’ ” Although Tom is able to catch the leprechaun and thinks he has subdued the small one, he is no match for the wits of one protecting his treasure. You will be amazed at how precisely the field of boliauns (or ragweed) surmises the futileness of Tom’s search. He may dig forever.
And what would today be without a story of St. Patrick. How exactly did St. Patrick drive the snakes out of Ireland? Well… “Patrick went up a cliff overlooking the ocean and rang a snake call on his magic bell… One by one the snakes crawled down into the sea: some became eels, some became sea serpents, and some swam all the way to the land that we call America to move in with their cousins.” A job well done, except that one snake didn’t listen. “Twined around a bush in a grassy hollow was the biggest, oldest, sneakiest snake in all of Ireland. ‘Why aren’t you off with the others?’ Asked Patrick. ‘I didn’t want to go. That ocean is a nasty, cold sort of place for an old gentleman like me, so I just stuffed some leaves in my ears so I couldn’t hear your bell. I like it here at home.’ ”
The old snake stays on and torments St. Patrick lying in wait as St. Patrick goes about his days and even surprising St. Patrick as he climbs into bed. What will St. Patrick do? How will he outsmart this sly creature? The ensuing battle makes a great tale and the storyteller’s twist by Will Hillenbrand is not to be missed. The bold and colorful illustrations by Sheila MacGill-Callahan will keep time with your heartbeat as you tip-tap-tip across the Giant's Causeway and wonder who you should route for, St. Patrick or The Last Snake in Ireland? Maybe you don’t have to decide.
Here’s hoping that your St. Patrick’s Day has been filled with sparkling sunshine, kindnesses given and received, and the gift of storytelling. The Irish do it best when they light a fire, sit by it, and share stories. The wee ones, like Jamie, learn to listen.
And, if you are in the mood to visit the Emerald Isle in a brilliant film, watch Waking Ned Devine. This wonderful film depicts the gifts of community and friendship and you are sure to roar with laughter.
Quotations in this post are from primary sources listed and pictured.
