Once upon a time Liam O'Toole, a poor farmer, walked into his house after a long day's work. He took his wife, Colleen, in his arms. "Darling wife," said Liam, "we may be poor, but we shan't always be! I have a good feeling about that!"
"Ah, to be sure," Colleen said to her husband, for she had confidence in him and was certain that life on their little farm in County Mayo would get easier. Most of all, Colleen hoped that one day they would have a child. Nothing would bring her more joy.
Now Patrick O'Toole, Liam's father, looked up and grinned at his son. "And what do you think will bring this change, my son?" he asked. Patrick had grown old and no longer could work the farm, so he and his wife, Meghan, lived with their son and daughter-in-law.
"I'm not certain, Father," Liam said, "but I've a good feeling."
Patrick laughed. "So, do ye think you'll find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow?" That, of course, was exactly what Patrick had always dreamed.
"Could be," Liam answered.
Liam's mother, Meghan, only smiled. She was dreaming, too, as always she dreamed of just one thing: that the eyesight she had lost 10 years earlier would return. She longed one day to see again the sweeping moors of County Mayo and the warm blue eyes of her beloved son.
Liam knew his family's wishes, and he too wished for just one thing: to make each of them happy. Every day when he set off to work, he was determined to do just that -- to find a way to make everyone's wish come true.
One day he was hard at work in the potato fields when suddenly he heard footsteps behind him. He turned quickly to find a beautiful deer just a few feet away. She was looking intently at him.
Liam's mouth began to water. How lovely it would be to offer his family a fine meal, something tastier and more substantial than potatoes and peas. He looked down at the ground and saw his hatchet there. He quickly bent and reached for it, prepared to strike.
Still the deer did not move.
Liam raised the hatchet overhead, but just as he was about to bring it down upon her neck, the animal spoke.
"Don't kill me," she said.
Liam dropped the hatchet instantly. The deer's voice sounded just as a deer's voice would sound. It was lyrical, soft and gentle. He couldn't possibly hurt this creature. So he gritted his teeth.
"Why not?" he asked, and his hands began to tremble.
"If you spare me," the deer replied, "I'll grant you any wish. I promise you that. Come back tomorrow to this same spot, and I shall be here. If you have a wish, I'll grant that wish. If you have no wish, you can kill me."
Now Liam had no real desire to kill the deer, and besides, he thought, why not? Stranger things had happened in this part of the world. He'd heard tales.
"All right, then," he said, and the deer slowly turned and ambled away into the woods.
That night Liam told the family of the magical deer.
"Ah," said Patrick O'Toole, "well, son, don't be a fool. Think how happy we would all be if you wished for a big pot of gold!"
"Not gold," Meghan cried. "Think how nice it would be if your old Ma could see again. Think of that! Let's not be greedy."
"Ah," Colleen said, "it would be good to have some gold and kind of you, Patrick, to wish for Ma's eyesight, but nothing in the world is worth more than a wee little baby. Think how happy a baby would make our whole family!"
Liam nodded as he listened to each wish. He tried to imagine life with a big pot of gold and with a wee little baby and with his mother able to see again. Every wish seemed right and good.
All night long he tossed and turned, thinking of each of the wishes. If only he had more than one!
When morning dawned, Liam dressed quickly, and before the others were awake, he hurried out to the potato field. Sure enough, just as she had promised, there stood the deer.
"Have you a wish, Liam O'Toole?" she asked him.
"I do indeed," Liam answered.
"And what is your wish then?" asked the deer. "It shall be granted the moment you ask."
Liam took a deep breath, and as he spoke he smiled. "I wish my ma could see my wee little baby rocking in a cradle made of solid gold," he said. And then thanking the deer, and giving her a little caress on the cheek, he raced home to see if his wish had come true.
As Liam flung open the cottage door, he saw that, sure enough, his wish had been granted. His wife rocked a wee little baby in a gold cradle as his mother looked on, beaming with delight. And the family lived happily ever after.
Readers who want to hear their favorite story on the second audiobook CD for "Tell Me a Story," soon to begin production, should send their suggestions by e-mail to kellsmom@ca.rr.com. Those selected will receive a free copy of the first CD, "Tell Me a Story: Timeless Folktales" (www.mythsandtales.com).
"Ah, to be sure," Colleen said to her husband, for she had confidence in him and was certain that life on their little farm in County Mayo would get easier. Most of all, Colleen hoped that one day they would have a child. Nothing would bring her more joy.
Now Patrick O'Toole, Liam's father, looked up and grinned at his son. "And what do you think will bring this change, my son?" he asked. Patrick had grown old and no longer could work the farm, so he and his wife, Meghan, lived with their son and daughter-in-law.
"I'm not certain, Father," Liam said, "but I've a good feeling."
Patrick laughed. "So, do ye think you'll find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow?" That, of course, was exactly what Patrick had always dreamed.
"Could be," Liam answered.
Liam's mother, Meghan, only smiled. She was dreaming, too, as always she dreamed of just one thing: that the eyesight she had lost 10 years earlier would return. She longed one day to see again the sweeping moors of County Mayo and the warm blue eyes of her beloved son.
Liam knew his family's wishes, and he too wished for just one thing: to make each of them happy. Every day when he set off to work, he was determined to do just that -- to find a way to make everyone's wish come true.
One day he was hard at work in the potato fields when suddenly he heard footsteps behind him. He turned quickly to find a beautiful deer just a few feet away. She was looking intently at him.
Liam's mouth began to water. How lovely it would be to offer his family a fine meal, something tastier and more substantial than potatoes and peas. He looked down at the ground and saw his hatchet there. He quickly bent and reached for it, prepared to strike.
Still the deer did not move.
Liam raised the hatchet overhead, but just as he was about to bring it down upon her neck, the animal spoke.
"Don't kill me," she said.
Liam dropped the hatchet instantly. The deer's voice sounded just as a deer's voice would sound. It was lyrical, soft and gentle. He couldn't possibly hurt this creature. So he gritted his teeth.
"Why not?" he asked, and his hands began to tremble.
"If you spare me," the deer replied, "I'll grant you any wish. I promise you that. Come back tomorrow to this same spot, and I shall be here. If you have a wish, I'll grant that wish. If you have no wish, you can kill me."
Now Liam had no real desire to kill the deer, and besides, he thought, why not? Stranger things had happened in this part of the world. He'd heard tales.
"All right, then," he said, and the deer slowly turned and ambled away into the woods.
That night Liam told the family of the magical deer.
"Ah," said Patrick O'Toole, "well, son, don't be a fool. Think how happy we would all be if you wished for a big pot of gold!"
"Not gold," Meghan cried. "Think how nice it would be if your old Ma could see again. Think of that! Let's not be greedy."
"Ah," Colleen said, "it would be good to have some gold and kind of you, Patrick, to wish for Ma's eyesight, but nothing in the world is worth more than a wee little baby. Think how happy a baby would make our whole family!"
Liam nodded as he listened to each wish. He tried to imagine life with a big pot of gold and with a wee little baby and with his mother able to see again. Every wish seemed right and good.
All night long he tossed and turned, thinking of each of the wishes. If only he had more than one!
When morning dawned, Liam dressed quickly, and before the others were awake, he hurried out to the potato field. Sure enough, just as she had promised, there stood the deer.
"Have you a wish, Liam O'Toole?" she asked him.
"I do indeed," Liam answered.
"And what is your wish then?" asked the deer. "It shall be granted the moment you ask."
Liam took a deep breath, and as he spoke he smiled. "I wish my ma could see my wee little baby rocking in a cradle made of solid gold," he said. And then thanking the deer, and giving her a little caress on the cheek, he raced home to see if his wish had come true.
As Liam flung open the cottage door, he saw that, sure enough, his wish had been granted. His wife rocked a wee little baby in a gold cradle as his mother looked on, beaming with delight. And the family lived happily ever after.
Readers who want to hear their favorite story on the second audiobook CD for "Tell Me a Story," soon to begin production, should send their suggestions by e-mail to kellsmom@ca.rr.com. Those selected will receive a free copy of the first CD, "Tell Me a Story: Timeless Folktales" (www.mythsandtales.com).
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