Cissie and the Leprechaun

Welcome to another Paint Party Friday, week 19, year 2,  hosted by Eva and Kristin, and Darcy's Postcard Challenge, week 29,  where our participants are off to Ireland this week.


Cissie and all the family are feeling a bit nerved. What with starting to move, swapping flats, getting the shops ready to open by September at the latest and planning who’s going to sit where and with whom at the reception, they are all worn out. Especially the seating plans prove to be difficult, as they are afraid that when certain people get seated next to one another, it could lead to a minor major outbreak of hostilities. At last, the plans are more or less done, and they decide to reward themselves with a night out. Cissie and Thelma want to go to the Chippie. ‘Noooooooooo, we’re there every day!’ the ‘children’ shout. Queenie then says, ‘Why don’t we go to the folk song night at the Irish pub?’ Shannon and Jason like the idea, as Jason loves Guinness, and so Cissie and Thelma grudgingly agree, although this is not their idea of a night out. They get changed to go, and Cissie emerges from her bedroom wearing a rather tight, green costume, and a green hat with a green feather and a shamrock in it. They all stare open mouthed, and Cissie is gratified. Jason whispers to Shannon, ‘Bloody ‘ell! She looks like that Henry VIII statue at Madame Tussaud’s!’ Shannon answers, ‘More like an overstuffed Robin Hood from Sherwood Old People’s Club!’ and they can’t stop giggling. Queenie thinks ‘Well, how lucky that nobody knows me there!’ Thelma is, as usual, a little bit jealous that Cissie is getting all the attention, and asks, over-sweetly, ‘Is the feather from your budgie?’ ‘No, dear,’ answers Cissie, it’s from Uncle Jo’s parrot!’.

They set off for the pub. The barman manages to find them a table, and can’t take his eyes of Cissie and her green curves….She is not so fond of Guinness, but has one to be a sport, and then changes to Irish Coffee, and the more  she drinks, the happier she gets. They join in with the songs - the foggy dew, the rose of Tralee, The wearing of the green and many, many more. They eat lots of pub snacks – crisps, Scotch eggs, sausage rolls and nuts etc. and really enjoy their evening. Jason and Shannon  move to another table, where some of their mates are, and spend the evening happily singing, snogging and drinking, although Shannon only drinks coke….

They take a taxi home, as they are all rather tired, and the taxi driver is not really happy that they sing 'Whiskey in the Jar'  and ‘The Mountains of Mourne’ all the way home.   ' They must have emptied all the 

jars at the pub, as full as they are!' he mumbles.

The Mountains of Mourne

The Uragh Stone Circle

The Giants Causeway

(Photos courtesy of Wikipedia)

 Cissie is so tired, that she just falls onto her bed, fully dressed, and starts snoring straightaway….She is in Ireland, wandering down a country lane in the gloaming. Then she hears a lilting voice calling her name, and turns off into a little copse, where there is a strange tree, very ancient and gnarled, with a little door set into the trunk. ‘I wonder who lives there?’ she asks. ‘I do!’ says the same little voice. Cissie can’t see anything and goes nearer. The voice seems to be coming out of the branches, and Cissie looks and looks, but can only see a little flash of red and green,  not more. ‘Are you one of the little people?’ she asks. ‘I surely am! He answers, ‘I’m Padraic the Leprechaun, at your service, ma’am!’ ‘Well, could you come down and take a photo of me standing here?’ she asks, ‘Nobody will believe me otherwise’. ‘In Ireland everyone will believe you’, he says, ‘But I’ll take a photo for your folks back home; Londoners only believe what they see!’  
Then Cissie hears more voices, and someone is shaking her. She opens her eyes, and sees Thelma and Shannon, who are standing next to her bed. Cissie needs a few minutes to come to herself, and then tells them she dreamed she was in Ireland, and met a Leprechaun. Thelma and Shannon have a good laugh, and say that it was no wonder, considering how much she drunk the night before. ‘You probably swum over in a glass of Irish Coffee’ they jeer.
Two days later Cissie gets a postcard:

If you are wondering why Cissie looks so much thinner here, just remember - it's a dream! And in case YOU don't believe in Leprechauns, I found this illustration in a very serious book from 1885 called 'The Universe' from Mr Pouchet, and published in London by Blackie and sons....

For Paint Party Friday I am sharing a picture I painted last week, once again a Klee-imitation, painted with acrylics. It still needs a bit of work on it, as the colours are rather patchy.

And here again, with a digital restyling.

That's all for today. Have a great day, take care, and thanks a lot for visiting.