The Lepracaun or Fairy Shoemaker
The Lepracaun or Fairy Shoemaker is a classic children's book by William Allingham. It tells the story of a leprechaun who lives in a small cottage in the woods and makes shoes for the fairies. He is a kind and generous shoemaker, and the fairies love him for his craftsmanship. One day, a fairy princess comes to him and asks him to make her a pair of shoes. The leprechaun agrees, and the fairy princess is so pleased with the shoes that she rewards him with a pot of gold. The leprechaun is overjoyed, and he uses the gold to buy a new cottage and to make more shoes for the fairies. The book is a charming tale of friendship, generosity, and the power of kindness.
By William Allingham · First published 1905 · Genre: Fantasy, Folklore, Children's Literature · 502 words
First lines
Little Cowboy, what have you heard, / Up on the lonely rath's green mound? / Only the plaintive yellow bird / Sighing in sultry fields around, / Chary, chary, chary, chee-ee! -- / Only the grasshopper and the bee? -- / 'Tip-tap, rip-rap, / Tick-a-tack-too! / Scarlet leather, sewn together, / This will make a shoe. / Left, right, pull it tight; / Summer days are warm; / Underground in winter, / Laughing at the storm!' / Lay your ear close to the hill. / Do you not catch the tiny clamour, / Busy click of an elfin hammer, / Voice of the Lepracaun singing shrill / As he merrily plies his trade? / He's a span / And a quarter in height. / Get him in sight, hold him tight, / And you're a made / Man!
Similar titles
- Country Sentiment A Song For Two Children by Robert Graves
- As Johnny Walked Out by Sabine Baring Gould
- Old Wichet by Sabine Baring Gould
- A Little Window Whimsey by Jean M. Snyder
- A Dream by William Allingham
- Green Broom by Sabine Baring Gould
Genres
- Fantasy — The title of the book implies a fantastical element, as leprechauns and fairies are mythical creatures.
- Folklore — The book is likely to contain elements of folklore, as it is based on the traditional stories of leprechauns and fairies.
- Children's Literature — The book is likely to be aimed at a younger audience, as it is based on traditional stories and fairy tales.
- Romance — The book may contain elements of romance, as it is likely to feature a love story between the leprechaun and the fairy shoemaker.
Tags
Poetry · bee · bird · box · brogues · chary · daughter · day · foxglove · grace · grasshopper · grows
What this Textopian page supports
The Lepracaun or Fairy Shoemaker is listed on Textopian as a short story by William Allingham, dated 1905 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: William Allingham
- Date: 1905 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fantasy, Folklore, Children's Literature, Romance
- Length: 502 words
- Structure: 1 section, 3 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Easy (6th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Lepracaun or Fairy Shoemaker by William Allingham
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph