The next day a clear bright sunny Saturday in March the Ingalls' family was doing chores. Albert and James are helping their Pa in the fields. Carrie and Cassandra are helping their Ma with washing and cleaning. Grace is in the back playing again in the field and she sees Patrick 'O Malley, skipping along joyfully and Grace goes up to him and says, ''O Malley, 'O Malley, I believe that mean cousin of yours Simon O'Brien is in Town doing mean stuff. Yesterday he took everyone lunches at School and made my sister Laura trip off the School steps. What can we do to stop him?"

Patrick O'Malley and Grace sits down in the grass and begins chatting and thinking as Patrick says, "Grace he can be a tricky one. Sometimes people can even mistake him for me because we look alike."

"Oh," Grace replies, "But you are not mean like he is!"

Patrick O'Malley says, "Thank you, Grace and you are a nice sweet little girl."

Meanwhile in Town some of the ladies are doing their wash. Mrs. Olsen is putting her clothes up to dry and out of nowhere a little green person who Mrs. Olsen didn't see pulls her green gown down and then Simon the leprechaun runs away as Mrs. Olsen bends down to pick up her gown and says to herself, "WHAT? Just look at my gown it's all dirty." Harriet than goes back inside to rewash the gown and says to Nels, "Just look at this I'm going to have to rewash it, it fell in the dirt. I don't know what happened it seems like something pulled it right out from under me."

At the Garvey's, Mr. Garvey is just coming back from being at the Oleson's Mercantile buying his wife a new green dress for her to wear to the St. Patrick's Day picnic and parade this coming Friday. Mr. Garvey tells his wife, "Mrs. Olsen sure was mad this morning."

Mrs. Garvey replies, "That's nothing new, but what happened now?"

Mr. Garvey answers, "Oh she dropped her laundry in the dirt and claimed something pulled it from under her."

After a minute Mr. Garvey says, "I got you a present," Then he holds out the green drass to show her, "You can wear this on Friday."

Mrs. Garvey hugs her husband and says "Jonathan, thank you it's beautiful." Then Mrs. Garvey looks at the dress again and says, "Look, how did that rip at the bottom get there?"

Mr. Garvey answers, "I'm not sure."

Over in some bushes the mean leprechaun, Simon O'Brien is laughing "Heee, Haaa, Heee, Haaa, she doesn't have a dress to wear to the silly picnic, Heee, Haaa!"

The following week Monday -Thursday is Spring break at School and they all are preparing for the St. Patrick's Day parade and picnic on Friday. Also that mean ole leprechaun, Simon O'Brien is doing things to everyone to make them mad. Laura Ingalls was just taking a walk at the lake one day when she fell in (or pushed in) and got her dress all covered in green seaweed and she goes home and says to Almanzo, "Just look at me!"

Almanzo asks, "What happened Beth?"

"I don't know," she answers. "I felt a push and I fell in the lake but didn't see anyone. It's strange Almanzo, just like I tripped the other day at School."

Almanzo replies, "That is strange! Beth let me help you change."

At the Ingalls' place Grace is mentioning how she is looking forward to the parade and picnic that will take place in just two days as Charles says to Grace, "Sweetie, everyone is so mad in Town from things that are happening, we may not even have a celebration."

"Oh Pa, No celebration?" Grace cries a little tear and then says, "It's that mean leprechaun my friend O'Malley and I want to stop!"

Albert looks over at Grace, "Grace there is no mean or even nice leprechaun that is just silly!"

Grace answers, "Yes there is. I haven't seen the mean one but I have seen the very very nice one, Patrick O'Malley."

"Oh Grace," Albert says politely.

The Ingalls family goes to bed wondering about the leprechauns that Grace keeps talking about. Grace is laying in her bed and hoping that something can be done so they can all have a fun and enjoyable time on Friday at the picnic and parade.

Will Patrick O'Malley be able to help the Town of Walnut Grove to have the parade and picnic and enjoy Saint Patrick's Day?

To Be Continued