One day, a week before St. Patrick's Day Grace Ingalls who is 4 years old is outside in the back of her house in a little field just playing in the grass when a little guy that is no taller than Grace's knee comes up to her and asks, "How are you today?"

Grace answers, "Oh, I'm doing fine and how are you? I never seen you before you sure are small."

The little guy answers, "I'm Patrick O'Malley, the leprechaun."

Grace replies, "A leprechaun? I heard of leprechauns before but never seen one. You are kind of cute." Then as Grace plays with the leprechaun's long ears she says, "I love your ears!"

Patrick O'Malley just giggles a little and says, "That tickles!"

Grace and the leprechaun sits down in the grass and begins to chat some more than Grace asks, "Patrick O'Malley, I like that name. What are you doing here in Walnut Grove?"

The little leprechaun answers, "Grace, you can call me O'Malley." Then he smiles and says, I'm here to give you some St. Patrick's Day cheer and happiness but I have to warn you my cousin Simon O'Brien doesn't like anything to do with St. Patrick's Day. No green, no four leaf clovers, not anything. He thinks it's all a bunch of nonsense and every year he tries to ruin it."

Grace answers, "Oh no, O'Malley he doesn't sound like a lot of fun. I hope he doesn't show up around here!"

O'Malley answers, "If he does we have to do something to stop him."

Meanwhile in Town the older children are outside at recess/lunch. Some of the kids are playing 2 a cat, others are sitting down and eating their lunch. Cassandra and James Ingalls are eating together and out of nowhere while Cassandra is eating her peanut butter sandwich Simon O'Brien snatches her green cupcake. She goes for her sack lunch to get her green icing cupcake and it's not there she asks her brother, "James did you see my cupcake it isn't here?"

James answers, "No I haven't. Oh wait mine is missing also."

They both look up and see Nancy Olsen eating a green icing cupcake and Cassandra says, "James look Nancy has our cupcakes."

Cassandra gets up and starts yelling at Nancy, "YOU THIEF, that's ours!'

Nancy yells back, "WHAT my mom made this it isn't yours!"

Cassandra replies, "WELL, my brother and I just had one just like that and now they are both gone."

Nancy answers, "WELL, I didn't take them!"

Nancy and Cassandra begin fighting and pushing each other.

In a few minutes the whole playground is filled with children fighting because they are blaming each other for taking their lunches. Over at the schoolhouse under the steps that no one notices is Simon O'Brien the mean and hateful leprechaun that doesn't like Saint Patrick's Day is laughing, 'heee, haaa, heee, haaa!'

As Laura Wilder the schoolteacher is coming out of the school to see what all the commotion is about the leprechaun steps out from under the steps and makes her trip and then runs behind the schoolhouse without being seen. Laura gets up and looks around to see what made her trip but sees nothing. Then the leprechaun looks around the schoolhouse and begins laughing again 'heee, haaa, heee, haaa!'

Mrs. Wilder breaks up all the fighting and asks, "What is going on? Why are all of you fighting?"

Cassandra answers, "Nancy took my cupcake."

Nancy replies, "NO I didn't!"

Willie says, Albert took my green candy apple."

Albert asks, "Why would I want your candy apple?"

Laura being a little confused says, "I don't know what is going on here but it's time to go back to school. We will take care of this later."

The leprechaun, Simon O'Brien is still behind the schoolhouse giggling and laughing, ''Heee, Haaa, Heee, Haaa, they didn't see me! Heee, Haaa."

After school all the children go home and tell their parents what happened at lunch and at the Ingalls' place Grace mentions, "It had to be Simon O'Brien."

Caroline Ingalls, her ma asks, "Grace who's Simon O'Brien?"

Grace answers, "Ma, it's Patrick O'Malley's cousin, the leprechaun I met today. O'Malley says his cousin O'Brien is a mean and hateful leprechaun who doesn't like Saint Patrick's day and every year he tries to ruin it."

Mrs. Ingalls just smiles at Grace and says, "Grace there are no such things as leprechauns." Then they have supper and go to bed.

Grace while laying in bed thinks to herself, "I'm going to have to talk to O'Malley tomorrow and see how we can stop that evil cousin of his."

What will Simon O'Brien, the mean leprechaun do next and how will Patrick O' Malley and Grace stop him?

To Be Continued