“Listen,” said Seumas, “let me be the Leprecaun, and you be the two children, and I will ask you our names.” So they did that. The next day the Leprecaun came again. He sat down beside the children and, as before, he was silent for a little time. “Are you not going to ask us our names, sir?” said Seumas. His sister smoothed out her dress shyly. “My name, sir, is Brigid Beg,” said she. “Did you ever play Jackstones?” said the Leprecaun. “No, sir,” replied Seumas. “I’ll teach you how to play Jackstones,” said the Leprecaun, and he picked up some pine cones and taught the children that game. “Did you ever play Ball in the Decker?” “No, sir,” said Seumas. “Did you ever play ‘I can make a nail with my ree-ro-raddy-O, I can make a nail with my ree-ro-ray’?” “No, sir,” replied Seumas. “It’s a nice game,” said the Leprecaun, “and so is Capon-the-back, and Twenty-four yards on the Billy-goat’s Tail, and Towns, and Relievo, and Leap-frog. I’ll teach you all these games,” said the Leprecaun, “and I’ll teach you how to play Knifey, and Hole-and-taw, and Horneys and Robbers. “Leap-frog is the best one to start with, so I’ll teach it to you at once. Let you bend down like this, Breedeen, and you bend down like that a good distance away, Seumas. Now I jump over Breedeen’s back, and then I run and jump over Seumaseen’s back like this, and then I run ahead again and I bend down. Now, Breedeen, you jump over your brother, and then you jump over me, and run a good bit on and bend down again. Now, Seumas, it’s your turn; you jump over me and then over your sister, and then you run on and bend down again and I jump.” “This is a fine game, sir,” said Seumas. “It is, a vic vig,—keep in your head,” said the Leprecaun. “That’s a good jump, you couldn’t beat that jump, Seumas.” “I can jump better than Brigid already,” replied Seumas, “and I’ll jump as well as you do when I get more practice—keep in your head, sir.” Almost without noticing it they had passed through the edge of the wood, and were playing into a rough field which was cumbered with big, grey rocks. It was the very last field in sight, and behind it the rough, heather-packed mountain sloped distantly away to the skyline. There was a raggedy blackberry hedge all round the field, and there were long, tough, haggard-looking plants growing in clumps here and there. Near a corner of this field there was a broad, low tree, and as they played they came near and nearer to it. The Leprecaun gave a back very close to the tree. Seumas ran and jumped and slid down a hole at the side of the tree. Then Brigid ran and jumped and slid down the same hole. “Dear me!” said Brigid, and she flashed out of sight. The Leprecaun cracked his fingers and rubbed one leg against the other, and then he also dived into the hole and disappeared from view.