Once Upon a Rainbow

In response to the St. Patrick's Day writing challenge...

Once upon a rainbow, there lived a young Irish boy named Finn MacLir. His grandma said he was a lazy boy. His sister said he was a kind brother. The village’s baker’s son’s nephew said he was a good friend. But what Finn really was will be revealed in the following tale of Finn MacLir and the Faerie folk.

The sun was shining golden on the emerald hills that day, when Finn was sent out by his grandma to fetch the sheep from the fields. As he approached the sheep-dotted field, Finn noticed a little shimmer among the rocks along the fence. Carefully, he tip-toed up to the shimmering stones, certain that an adventure awaited.

There among the stones sat a Faerie no bigger than a shamrock. Quick as a wink, Finn scooped up the wee maid in his hands, deposited her in his pouch, and scurried back to his grandma’s.

“Mahmo! Mahmo!” He called as he ran into the hut, “Look what I caught by the field.” But when he opened up his pouch, the Faerie was gone.

Grandma was not happy. Giving Finn a firm wallop to the ear, she sent him out to take in the sheep once more.

So Finn walked sadly up to the the field. Reaching the fence, he climbed over and grabbed his crook. Then he looked around for the closest sheep. To his surprise, there were no sheep to be found. Finn ran back to the stones where he had last seen the Faerie. Surely enough, a bunch of fleece had caught between them. As Finn looked intently at the stones, he could see the markings of magic marked in a pale, gold designs.

Sitting on the ground, Finn thought hard about the tales he had heard concerning the Faerie folk. All the them ended in pain and despair, so Finn made the wise choice, and left the sheep to the Faeries and went back home to his grandmother. Thus we see that Finn MacLir was a wise lad.