ClassX Video Lessons Subjects Art The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day – Children’s Stories Read Aloud
It was the night before St. Patrick’s Day, and two kids, Tim and Maureen, were very busy. They decorated their room with lots of colorful streamers, rainbows, and shamrocks. Shamrocks are little green plants that are special for this holiday.
Tim and Maureen had a fun plan! They made traps using shiny gold charms and rings. They hoped to catch a leprechaun because, according to stories, leprechauns love shiny things. If they caught one, they might find his pot of gold!
After setting their traps, the kids went to bed, dreaming of finding golden coins. They were so excited about what might happen the next day!
Early the next morning, their dad shouted, “Happy St. Paddy’s!” He played a fun song on the bagpipes, and their mom made green eggs for breakfast. Everyone was in a festive mood, singing and laughing.
Suddenly, there was a loud noise from the kids’ room. Tim and Maureen ran to see what was happening. They found a big mess! It looked like a leprechaun had been there!
“Be quiet,” whispered Maureen. “He’s hiding somewhere. If we find him, we must keep looking at him, or he’ll disappear!” They followed muddy footprints around the room, under the bed, and past the closet door.
Finally, they heard giggling from one of their traps. They had caught a real leprechaun! He was tiny, with twinkling eyes and dressed in green. He held a shiny trinket in his hand.
The kids asked him where the gold was hidden. The leprechaun said, “I buried it under a rock in your backyard. It’s marked with an X.” But when Tim and Maureen went outside to dig, they realized it was a trick!
The leprechaun laughed and said, “Ha ha! I fooled you! Happy St. Paddy’s Day, and better luck next year!” Then he disappeared, leaving the kids smiling at his clever trick.
Even though they didn’t find the gold, Tim and Maureen had a fun adventure. They learned that sometimes the joy is in the journey, not just the treasure at the end!
Build Your Own Leprechaun Trap: Gather some materials like cardboard boxes, paper, glue, and shiny objects like foil or beads. Work with a friend or family member to design and build your own leprechaun trap. Think about what would attract a leprechaun and how you might catch one. After building your trap, explain to someone how it works and why you think it might be successful.
Shamrock Hunt: Go on a shamrock hunt in your backyard or a nearby park. Look for clover plants and see if you can find any with four leaves, which are considered lucky! Count how many shamrocks you find and draw a picture of the most interesting one. Discuss with a friend or family member why shamrocks are special for St. Patrick’s Day.
Imagine a Leprechaun’s Day: Write a short story or draw a comic strip about a day in the life of a leprechaun. What do they do when they are not hiding their gold? Do they have friends? What are their favorite activities? Share your story or comic with your class and see how your ideas compare with others.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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**The Night Before St. Patrick’s Day**
By Natasha Wing
Art by Amy Wummer
Twas the night before St. Patrick’s Day,
Not a creature was stirring, except him and Maureen.
They decked out the den from ceiling to floor
With streamers and rainbows and shamrocks galore.
Later, they carefully made traps with gold charms and rings.
“I bet we catch a leprechaun; they love shiny things!”
For if they caught one, so the legend told,
They’d find where he buried his big pot of gold.
They set all the traps around the room with great care,
In hopes the wee Irishman soon would be theirs.
The children then nestled all snug in their beds,
Visions of golden coins danced in their heads.
“Happy St. Paddy’s!” said Dad early the next morning,
Then he started to play bagpipes without warning.
He puffed an old Irish song; Mom dished out green eggs
And sang loudly along.
When from their bedroom there arose such a clatter,
The kids ran down the hallway to see what was the matter.
And what to their wondering eyes should appear
But a terrible mess—a leprechaun was here!
“Be quiet,” whispered Maureen, “he’s hiding somewhere.
When we find him, remember you must hold a stare,
Or if you look away, if you so much as blink,
Leprechauns vanish quick as a wink.”
The kids trailed muddy footprints back and forth across the floor,
Which led them under the bed and past the closet door.
And then inside a trap, they heard someone giggling—
A real live leprechaun; they both saw him wriggling.
His eyes, how they twinkled! His body so tiny,
His hand clasped a trinket so golden and shiny.
He was dressed in all green from his head to his toes,
And he looked like a cobbler wearing fairy-sized clothes.
The children approached him, staring straight in his eyes.
“Tell us where the gold is; don’t be tricky, no lies!”
“I buried it under a rock, smooth and hard,
It’s marked with an X right in your backyard.”
But when the kids went outside with their shovel and pick,
They instantly saw it had been a big trick.
“Ha ha! I fooled you; it’s time to disappear.
Happy St. Paddy’s Day to you, and better luck next year!”
**The End**
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This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while removing any unnecessary elements.
