Kilmarny Island

KILMARNY ISLAND

Julie Hart

1 A Letter from Ireland

Brian Parker, 15, lived with his parents in a busy suburb of London. Brian’s mother, Mary, was a history teacher at his school. His father, Clive, was an art dealer. Clive bought and sold paintings, organized art exhibitions and helped artists become famous. The Parkers were very happy and they didn’t want to change anything in their lives. But one morning, during the summer holidays, Mary received a letter from Ireland and everything began to change. The family was having breakfast around the table. Mary read the letter aloud. It was from her Aunt Sarah’s housekeeper, Mrs O’Connor.

Dear Mrs Parker, A few days ago, your Aunt Sarah had an accident. She dropped a candle and it started a fire. Your aunt was OK, but there was serious damage to the rooms at the back of the house. I feel I am too old to help Sarah now. You know she can be very difficult. She was always very frightened of everything but it is much worse since the fire. Now she doesn’t want to leave the house. I’m sorry, but you must find a new housekeeper for your aunt. I’m leaving at the end of the week. Yours sincerely, Janice O’Connor

‘Oh dear!’ said Mary to her husband. ‘We must go to Ireland immediately. Aunt Sarah needs our help.’ ‘Do you mean your strange aunt on Kilmarny Island?’ asked Brian. ‘Yes, but she isn’t strange,’ said Mary. ‘She is!’ said Clive. ‘She hasn’t got any electricity in the house. She walks around with candles and oil lamps! Don’t you think that’s strange?’ Mary liked Aunt Sarah very much. She looked at Clive angrily. ‘Aunt Sarah can’t install electricity in her house,’ she explained. ‘She hasn’t got enough money.’ 2

‘Do you remember when she locked us all in the bedroom?’ laughed Clive. ‘She was protecting us,’ said Mary. ‘She thought there was a thief in the attic.’ ‘Yes, but it wasn’t a thief,’ said Clive. ‘A bird flew into the attic and it was trying to get out!’ Mary put the letter on the table. ‘I know Aunt Sarah is a little eccentric and she sometimes behaves in an unusual way,’ she said. ‘But she’s got a good heart.’ Brian was curious. ‘Why is Aunt Sarah frightened everything?’ he asked. ‘Well, she had a very bad experience when she was young,’ answered Mary. ‘When she was five, she lived in a house next to the beach. One winter, there was a storm and the sea destroyed part of the house.’ ‘Was Aunt Sarah in the house?’ Brian asked. ‘Yes,’ answered Mary. ‘Her parents were out shopping so she was alone at home, in a room upstairs.’ ‘How did she get out?’ Brian asked. ‘Nobody knows,’ answered Mary. ‘According to Aunt Sarah, a leprechaun saved her. But of course nobody believes that!’ ‘A leprechaun!’ said Brian. ‘A small old man with magic powers? But that’s just an Irish legend.’ Clive smiled. ‘Your Aunt Sarah believes in leprechauns,’ he said. ‘Anyway, why was a child of five alone in the house?’ He took the newspaper from the table and started to read. ‘So what happened to Aunt Sarah after that?’ asked Brian, curiously. ‘Well, she never really recovered from the shock,’ said Mary. ‘She’s still afraid of a lot of things. She gave me this charm bracelet when I was small – to keep me safe!’ Mary touched the bracelet on her arm and looked at the miniature figures on it. One figure was missing. Mary always wanted another figure for her bracelet, but she could never find one. Mary turned to her husband. ‘Can you take a holiday from work, Clive?’ she asked. ‘I want to go to Kilmarny Island next week.’ Clive looked at her over his newspaper. ‘OK. I’ll make some phone calls and make preparations for it,’ he said. ‘But I can’t stay in Ireland long. I’m giving a big art exhibition at the end of the month. Brian, you will come with us. You’ll have a good time on the island.’ 3

Brian wasn’t happy about the plans. It was the summer holiday and he wanted to spend time with his friends. ‘I can’t go,’ he said. ‘I’ve got other plans.’ ‘We can’t leave you alone in the house for a week,’ said Mrs Parker, firmly. Over the next few days, the Parkers prepared for their journey to Ireland. Clive had meetings with artists and made plans for his exhibition. Mary sent a letter to Aunt Sarah. Dear Aunt Sarah, I’m very sorry to hear bout the fire in your home. Clive and I are coming to help you. We’ll arrive next week with Brian. See you soon Love Mary

2 The Journey to Kilmarny Island It was a long journey to Kilmarny Island. The roads out of London were busy and the Parkers sat in traffic for a long time. Mary drove most of the way because Clive was busy on the telephone. He was talking to artists and art collectors. They drove to the airport and got on a plane to Cork, Ireland. Then, they got in a very old taxi to go to Blimey Harbour. There was a beautiful view from the window. They saw green fields and rivers, and people riding on horses and carts. After two hours in the taxi, smoke started to come out of the engine! They stopped at the side of the road. ‘What’s the problem?’ asked Clive. ‘Oh, my poor old car!’ said the taxi driver. ‘It can’t go any further. These old roads are very hard for my car.’ ‘Well, can you call us another taxi?’ asked Clive. ‘Oh, there isn’t another taxi for miles,’ said the driver. ‘But don’t worry. Jimmy’s coming soon in his cart.’

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Mary couldn’t understand the driver’s Irish accent. ‘What’s coming?’ she asked. ‘My friend Jimmy’s coming with his horse and cart,’ said the driver. ‘We passed him on the road an hour ago, so he’ll be here soon. He can take you to Blimey Harbour.’ ‘We’re going to ride in a horse and cart! Great!’ said Brian. ‘Can you believe this is the 21st century?’ The Parkers waited at the side of the road. Finally, Jimmy arrived with his horse and cart. There was a goat in the back. ‘Hello, Shane,’ Jimmy said to the taxi driver. ‘Isn’t it a lovely day?’ ‘Yes, it is!’ said the taxi driver. ‘Now, Jimmy, these people want to go to Blimey Harbour. Can you take them there?’ ‘OK, I’m going to Killorglin,’ Jimmy said. ‘It isn’t far from the harbour. I’ll take them there first.’ The taxi driver looked at the goat. ‘That’s a beautiful goat, Jimmy!’ he said. ‘Are you taking him to Puck Fair on Saturday?’ ‘Yes, I am,’ said Jimmy. ‘He’ll be a fine king.’ ‘What do you mean?’ asked Brian. He was very confused. ‘How can a goat be a king?’ ‘Sit next to me at the front and I’ll explain,’ said Jimmy. The taxi driver put their bags on the cart and the Parkers climbed up. Brian sat at the front next to Jimmy. Mary and Clive sat in the back of the cart with the goat. They weren’t very happy about this! ‘I hope it doesn’t move too close,’ said Mary to Clive in a quiet voice. ‘Go on, girl!’ Jimmy shouted to his old, grey horse, and they started to move slowly along the road. ‘Goats are very important animals around here,’ Jimmy started to explain to Brian. ‘Many years ago, a goat saved the people in the village of Killorglin. So now, once a year, the people of Killorglin have a fair to celebrate. They choose a goat and make it ‘King of the Village’ for a year.’ ‘How did it save the village?’ Brian wanted to know. ‘Well, in 1610, English soldiers attacked Ireland,’ explained Jimmy. ‘When the soldiers were near Killorglin, they frightened all the animals in the fields. Most of them ran to the hills, but one goat ran into the village. The people saw the frightened animal and knew there was danger. So they ran to hide. The goat saved them all.’ 5

‘So did the people choose your goat as king this year?’ asked Brian. ‘Yes, they did,’ said Jimmy, proudly. ‘And that was a very big decision!’ They travelled along the old, broken road and Mary and Clive fell from side to side in the back. Finally, they arrived at the harbour. ‘Woooooaa!’ Jimmy said to the horse and he pulled on the reins. The Parkers climbed down from the cart happily and the goat tried to jump out, too. ‘Not yet, your Majesty,’ Jimmy said to the goat. ‘Wait until we get to Killorglin.’ A ferry was waiting and the Parkers went to buy their tickets. ‘Come to the fair on Saturday,’ shouted Jimmy as he waved goodbye. ‘Oh, can we, Dad?’ asked Brian. ’It’ll be fun!’ ‘OK,’ Clive said. ‘But how will we go there?’ ‘I’ll wait for you here at eight o’clock on Saturday morning,’ shouted Jimmy. ‘See you then.’ ‘Well, this is going to be a strange holiday,’ said Clive. ‘My clothes smell of goat. When can we go back to the civilization?’

3 Kilmarny Island The Parkers were the only passengers on the ferry. ‘We don’t get many visitors on this island,’ said the ferryman. ‘Why are you going there?’ ‘We’re visiting my aunt, Sarah O’Leary,’ said Mary. ‘Oh, old Sarah!’ he laughed. ‘Everybody loves her. She’s got a good heart!’ ‘I know,’ said Mary, with a smile. ‘Is this your first time on the island?’ asked the ferryman. ‘No. We came 13 years ago. Our son, Brian, was only two then,’ said Mary. The ferryman turned to Brian. ‘I hope you won’t be bored, son,’ he said. ‘There isn’t much to do on Kilmarny Island.’ ‘Well, we can hire a car and see the island,’ said Brian. ‘Oh, there aren’t any roads or cars,’ said the ferryman. ‘There are just beaches, rocks and a pub.’

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‘Do you mean there aren’t any sports clubs or cinemas?’ said Brian. ‘What am I going to do there?’ Now he was unhappy. Soon, they saw Kilmarny Island in the distance. The ferry moved slowly towards the harbour. ‘How many people live on the island now?’ asked Clive. ‘There were about 65 people the last time I counted,’ said the ferryman. ‘Oh…and one leprechaun.’ ‘There aren’t any leprechauns!’ Brian said. ‘That’s ridiculous! It’s only a legend.’ ‘Well, that’s your opinion,’ the ferryman said. ‘We believe in leprechauns. They live under the ground and people sometimes see them.’ ‘Sorry, but I agree with my son! Said Clive. ‘That’s ridiculous.’ The ferryman didn’t answer, but looked angry. Mary tried to change the subject. ‘There weren’t any pubs here 13 years ago,’ she said. ‘Do many people go there now?’ ‘Oh, yes. The pub is open all night,’ the ferryman answered. ‘People play Irish music and dance. We love the pub.’ Brian hated dancing. ‘I’m not going to a pub.’ He said. ‘Don’t worry, we won’t take you,’ said Clive. ‘You’re too young.’ ‘That’s not true. These are family pubs,’ said the ferryman. ‘People of all ages can go.’ ‘Great!’ Brian said, sarcastically. ‘I can’t wait!’ About 20 minutes later, they arrived at the island. ‘Welcome to Kilmarny Island,’ said the ferryman. ‘‘Enjoy your stay!’ The Parkers took their bags from the ferry and looked around. There weren’t any signs and they didn’t know how to go to Aunt Sarah’s house. They saw a small man sitting on a rock. He had a long, grey beard, and he wore a green jacket. ‘Excuse me, do you know Craglee House?’ asked Mary. ‘Is it near here?’ ‘Yes, follow me,’ said the small man, and he walked quickly along a path. They walked after the man, but it was difficult with all their bags. Soon, a fog appeared and they couldn’t see very far. The only thing they could see was the small man’s long, green jacket.

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4 Aunt Sarah Finally, they came to a big old house. The small didn’t wait for the Parkers to thank him. He disappeared into the fog. Mary knocked on the door but nobody answered. A window opened and somebody looked out. It was a woman of about 70 years old. She was very thin and she had long, untidy hair. Her eyes looked very frightened. ‘Aunt Sarah?’ asked Mary. The woman didn’t answer. She looked at them with a confused expression. ‘It’s Mary, your niece from England,’ said Mary. ‘We’re here to help you.’ Aunt Sarah smiled, but she still had the frightened look in her eyes. She closed the window and a few minutes later she opened the door. She pulled her visitors into the house quickly and closed the door. Mary kissed Aunt Sarah’s cheek. ‘Do you remember Clive?’ she said. ‘And this is Brian.’ ‘Oh, you’re so big! You were only two the last time I saw you,’ Aunt Sarah said to Brian. ‘And now, look at you! You’re very tall and handsome!’ ‘How are you, Aunt Sarah?’ asked Mary. ‘We were very sorry to hear about the fire!’ ‘Yes, it was terrible,’ said Aunt Sarah. ‘The fire destroyed the back of the house.’ The Parkers went to look at the damage. The area at the back of the house was black with smoke. Clive opened a door and it fell on him. ‘This door is dangerous. I’ll call a builder to come and look at it.’ Then Brian tried to find the bathroom. It was behind the house in the garden. ‘This house hasn’t got electricity and the bathroom is outside!’ he thought. ‘How does Aunt Sarah survive? More important, how are we going to survive?’ Brian returned to the house. Everybody was in the kitchen and there was a strong smell of burned food. Aunt Sarah put four plates and four forks on the table. There was a small piece of fish and some black potatoes on each plate. The fish was not cooked enough and the potatoes were hard and burned. ‘Can we have some knives, please?’ asked Brian. 8

‘No! They’re dangerous,’ said Aunt Sarah. ‘You can hurt yourself with a knife. I don’t want that.’ Brian looked down at the fish on his plate. The fish looked at Brian from the plate with its bright eye. ‘Oh, I don’t feel well,’ said Brian and he ran outside into the garden. ‘Doesn’t Brian like fish?’ asked Aunt Sarah. ‘Mrs O’Connor usually cooks the meals, but she left on Saturday. Now I must do everything myself.’ ‘Don’t worry. We’ll help you,’ said Mary. Mary and Clive pushed the terrible food around their plates with their forks. ‘Em, thank you for the meal but we’re very tired and we can’t eat,’ said Mary. ‘Perhaps we’ll have something later.’ There were three floors in the house. Aunt Sarah took Brian upstairs to a room on the second floor. ‘Be careful on the stairs,’ she said. ‘And don’t go near the window in your room. It’s dangerous.’ ‘Why is the window dangerous?’ Brian asked, surprised. ‘You can fall out,’ answered Aunt Sarah. She closed Brian’s door and accompanied Mary and Clive to the third floor. In Brian’s room, there was a long, dusty mirror, a cupboard and a bed. Brian heard something move behind him. He turned quickly, but there wasn’t anything there. A cold wind came through the open window and Brian went to close it. There wasn’t any fog outside now and he could see the rocks and the sea. A figure was walking on the rocks, but Brian couldn’t see his face. The figure sat on a rock and threw something over his shoulder into the sea. He was fishing. Suddenly, Mary and Clive knocked on Brian’s door. ‘We’re hungry,’ Clive said. ‘Let’s go and find something to eat.’ ‘There aren’t any restaurants on the island,’ Mary said. ‘But we can eat in the pub. We’ll say goodbye to Aunt Sarah and then we can go.’ They tried to find Aunt Sarah, but she wasn’t anywhere. ‘Aunt Sarah never leaves the house,’ said Mary. ‘She must be here somewhere.’ ‘Oh, come on, let’s go,’ said Clive impatiently. ‘I’m really hungry. We’ll leave her a note now and we’ll find her later.’

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Murphy’s Pub They walked along the path to look for the pub. Finally, they heard music and people laughing. There was a small house near the beach. It had a sign on the door.

MURPHY’S PUB Open All Night! Mary, Clive and Brian went inside. Everybody stopped talking and turned to watch them. The Parkers sat a table in the corner and ordered some sandwiches and hot chocolate. The people at the bar started talking again. Soon, they were laughing and telling jokes. There were two musicians next to the bar. One had a small instrument called a tin whistle and the other had a violin. They started playing an Irish song and the people clapped their hands. A man stood on an empty table and started to dance. People moved their feet in time to the music. A girl with long hair got up to dance, too. She was very good. Brian ate his sandwich and watched her. The sandwich and hot chocolate were delicious and he was in a much better mood now. The Parkers finished their meal. It was dark outside now and there was a loud noise on the roof of the pub. ‘It’s raining heavily,’ said Mr Parker. ‘We can’t walk home in this!’ The musicians started to play quieter music. The Parkers were very tired after their long journey and it was warm and uncomfortable in the pub. Soon, they were all asleep! ‘Wake up! You should go home and sleep in your beds,’ said the pub owner, some time later. The Parkers opened their eyes. It was the middle of the night and they saw that the pub was empty. They could hear the sound of the sea outside. ‘Sorry we stayed so long,’ Clive said to the pub owner. ‘We had a long journey here and we were very tired.’ ‘That’s OK,’ said the pub owner. ‘Our pub is open all hours. People often fall asleep here! Here’s a torch to help you find your way in the darkness.’ ‘Thank you,’ said Clive as they walked out into the cold night air. ‘Now, which way is Aunt Sarah’s house?’

6 The Writing on the Mirror Later that morning, a builder arrived from Killorglin to look at the damage to the house. He shook his head and looked very serious. 10

‘The house is dangerous,’ he said. ‘You must demolish the back of the house and rebuild it. If you don’t, the roof will fall down.’ ‘How much will it cost’’ asked Clive. ‘About £40,000,’ said the builder. Aunt Sarah is very upset. ‘Oh, what am I going to do?’ she cried. ‘I haven’t got enough money.’ ‘Don’t worry, Aunt Sarah,’ Mary said. ‘We’ll think of a solution.’ After the builder left, Clive and Mary sat with Aunt Sarah. ‘You can’t live here any more, Aunt Sarah,’ said Mary. ‘The house is too dangerous.’ ‘I suppose you’re right,’ said Sarah, ‘but where can I go? I’m so frightened! What will happen to me?’ ‘You can live with us in London,’ said Mary. Sarah’s face became white. ‘Oh, no! London is a big, frightening place!’ she said. ‘I’ll miss my home and Kilmarny Island.’ ‘Don’t worry,’ said Mary. ‘You’ll be OK. We’ll help you.’ ‘What will I do with the house?’ asked Sarah. ‘We can try to sell it if you want,’ said Clive. Sarah put her head in her hands. ‘Oh, I can’t decide anything,’ she said. ‘Sell the house if you think that’s best!’ then she walked to the door. Mary was worried about her. ‘Are you Ok, Aunt Sarah?’ she asked. ‘Where are you going?’ ‘I’m going to talk to Finikin,’ said Sarah. ‘He’ll help me.’ ‘Who’s Finikin?’ asked Clive. ‘He’s the leprechaun,’ said Aunt Sarah, and she went upstairs without another word. ‘Poor Sarah is really crazy,’ said Clive. His mobile phone was ringing in the kitchen. He went to answer it, but it stopped ringing. He couldn’t find it anywhere. ‘Where is my phone?’ he asked his wife. ‘It was on the kitchen table a few minutes ago,’ answered Mary. ‘Well, it isn’t there now,’ said Clive. ‘Did Aunt Sarah take it?’

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‘I don’t think so,’ answered Mary. ‘She doesn’t know need a mobile phone!’ Brian was in his room. Suddenly, he had a strange feeling. Was somebody watching him? Then he saw writing in the dust on the mirror. It said, ‘Take care of Aunt Sarah! MF!’ ‘Who is MF?’ thought Brian. The window in his room was open and Brian went to close it. He looked out and he saw the small figure on the rocks again. He was walking away from the house. This time, Brian recognised him. It was the small man from the harbour. ‘Why was he in the house?’ he thought. ‘I’m going to talk to him.’ And he ran out of the house. Brian followed the man over the rocks. His eyes were on the man and he wasn’t looking at the ground. Suddenly, Brian fell into a hole. He tried to escape but it was too deep. ‘Help! Can anybody hear me?’ he shouted. But nobody heard him, and Brian started to panic. He was cold and frightened and he didn’t know what to do. Suddenly, a hand appeared and pulled his shirt. ‘Who’s there?’ Brian shouted. But nobody answered. The hand pulled him through a narrow path between the rocks and into a small cave.

7 The American Clive and Mary couldn’t find Brian or Aunt Sarah anywhere. ‘Aunt Sarah has disappeared again,’ said Clive. ‘Do you think she went for a walk?’ ‘No, I don’t think so,’ said Mary. ‘Aunt Sarah never leaves the house. Where is she hiding?’ ‘Maybe she left the house with Brian,’ said Clive. ‘Don’t worry. They can’t get lost on this small island. Everybody knows everybody here.’ A few minutes later, somebody knocked on the door. Mary answered it and was surprised to find two men outside. They were dressed like businessmen. One was a rich man from Texas, USA, called Mr Jackson. The other was an estate agent from Cork called Patrick Wilde. Mr Jackson wanted to buy the house. The estate agent asked Mary to show the American around the house, and he seemed very interested in it. ‘It’s perfect!’ he said. ‘The tourists will love it, it’s so…different! Of course, we’ll have to modernise it. I’ll put bathrooms in the house and 12

we’ll need to bring electricity. But I like the candles and oil lamps. Yes, I want this house!’ The estate agent was happy with Mr Jackson’s enthusiasm. ‘There’s some land, too,’ he explained. ‘You could build on the beach.’ ‘Great!’ said Mr Jackson. ‘We can have a souvenir shop and a café on the beach, boat tours, water-skiing…’ ‘Good. I’ll bring you the legal documents tomorrow,’ said Mr Wilde. ‘Where are you staying?’ ‘I’m staying in a room at Murphy’s Pub,’ said the American. ‘I’ll be on the island for a few days.’ Just then Mr Jackson’s phone rang and he answered it. Suddenly, his face became white. ‘Who is this… How did you know about…’ He switched off his phone quickly. ‘Is there a problem?’ asked the estate agent. ‘That was really strange,’ Mr Jackson answered. ‘Somebody phoned to warn me about this house. He said, ‘Don’t buy that house! Leave Kilmarny Island immediately and don’t return!’ He had an Irish accent.’ ‘Where did the call come from?’ asked the estate agent. ‘Check the number on your phone.’ The American looked at the number. ‘It’s 555 86036,’ he said. ‘That’s impossible!’ said Clive. ‘That’s my phone number!’ ‘Well, somebody else is using your phone,’ said the estate agent. Mr Parker was angry. ‘Brian!’ he said. ‘Wait until I get my hands on that boy!’ I’m very sorry, but my son is playing a trick on us.’ ‘Oh, kids!’ laughed the American. ‘It’s OK. I’ve got three kids at home. Don’t worry about it.’ After the men left, Clive was still angry. ‘Brian’s in big trouble!’ he said. ‘How could he do that – and with my phone?’ ‘Oh. He’s just bored,’ said Mary. ‘Don’t be angry with him. There’s nothing for him to do here.’ ‘Well, we’ll take him back to London soon,’ said Clive. ‘We’ll sell the house to Mr Jackson, and then we’ll return to England with Aunt Sarah.’ ‘Good. I can’t wait to use an indoor bathroom again,’ said Mary. They started to make plans and soon forgot all about Brian. 13

8 Michael Finikin Brian was still in the cave. There was a hole in the roof of the cave and sunlight shone into a corner. Brian saw some fishing rods, and there was something familiar on a rock. It was his father’s mobile phone. ‘Hey! That’s my dad’s phone,’ he said aloud. ‘How did it get here?’ ‘I brought it here,’ said a voice. Somebody was sitting on the rocks in the dark. Brian could see the small man with the long grey beard. ‘Who are you?’ asked Brian. ‘You keep appearing and disappearing!’ ‘I’m Michael Finikin,’ said the voice. ‘I’m a leprechaun.’ ‘That’s stupid. Leprechauns aren’t real!’ said Brian. ‘They’re just a legend!’ ‘Well, I’m real,’ said Finikin. ‘Do you think I’m a legend?’ ‘Are you the man from the harbour?’ Brian asked. ‘What were you doing at Sarah’s house? Did you write the message on the mirror? You took Dad’s phone! That’s stealing!’ ‘And you’re taking Sarah’s house from her. That’s stealing!’ said Finikin. ‘We’re not taking her house. We’re helping her to sell it,’ said Brian. ‘But Sarah doesn’t want to sell her house. She wants to stay here,’ said Finikin. He jumped from the rocks and came closer. Brian looked at his long, grey beard and green jacket. ‘If you help Sarah to stay, I’ll give you a reward,’ he said. ‘What will you give me?’ asked Brian. ‘I make things,’ Finikin said. He took a box from the rock and showed Brian some miniature figures. They were perfect, like the figures on his mother’s bracelet. ‘They’re very nice, but I can’t do anything to help,’ said Brian. ‘I don’t believe that!’ said Finikin. And he climbed over the rocks to the top of the cave and left through the hole. Brian took his father’s phone and followed Finikin outside. The small man ran towards the sea and suddenly disappeared. ‘I can’t believe this is happening,’ Brian thought. ‘Finikin is really a leprechaun. A human can’t disappear like that!’ 14

From the rocks, Brian had a view of the island. Two men were on the path near Aunt Sarah’s house. It was the estate agent and the American. Brian returned quickly to the house and ran inside. He gave his father the phone and started to tell his parents about Finikin. But they didn’t listen. They were too angry. ‘That was a stupid thing to do, Brian!’ Clive shouted. ‘We almost lost the sale of the house because of you.’ ‘What are you talking about, Dad?’ asked Brian. ‘I didn’t do anything.’ ‘Stop this nonsense!’ said Brian’s mother. ‘Of course it was you – you had Dad’s phone. Go and get your coat. We’re going out to eat. We’ll talk about it later.’ Brian looked at his parents, perplexed. ‘They’re both in a bad mood,’ he thought. ‘They won’t listen to anything I tell them. They certainly won’t believe I met the leprechaun!’

9 Riley The Parkers returned to Murphy’s Pub to eat, but the atmosphere was very different this time. Nobody was laughing or telling jokes that night. It was very quiet. When the Parkers walked in, everybody turned and gave them an angry look. Mr Jackson was there. He went to the bar and asked for a drink. ‘I’m not serving you!’ said the man behind the bar. ‘You’re not welcome here.’ ‘Go back to the United States!’ said another man. ‘We’re very private people. We don’t want tourists and souvenir shops here. They’ll destroy our island!’ Mr Jackson’s face was red. He took his coat and left the pub. ‘Oh, dear!’ said Clive. ‘We’re selling the house to Mr Jackson. Maybe we should leave, too. Come on.’ He took his coat and walked to the door, but a big man with a red beard stood in front of him. ‘My name’s Riley,’ the man said. ‘You’re not going anywhere. Not until we talk.’ Clive returned to the table and Riley sat opposite him. ‘We don’t want any trouble!’ said Riley. ‘We just want to protect our island. The men here are fishermen. That’s how they support their families. They catch fish in the sea, and collect shellfish from the rocks. Right now, there are enough fish for everybody and we’ve got a quiet, clean island. But tourists will change all that. They’ll throw rubbish in the sea and walk

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over the rocks. The island will be dirty and noisy and there won’t be any fish. We don’t want that! We like our simple island.’ ‘I can understand that!’ said Clive. He tried to smile. Mary felt very uncomfortable. She put her hand on Clive’s arm. ‘Maybe we should find a nice quiet family to buy the house, dear,’ she said to him. Riley gave a big smile. ‘Yes, maybe you should,’ he said. ‘Or just leave old Sarah in her house. She loves it.’ The man behind the bar took three glasses from a shelf. ‘Well, that’s final,’ he said. ‘There won’t be any tourists on this island. Let’s celebrate. Free drinks for everybody!’ Suddenly, the pub came to life. A musician started to play a violin and everybody started talking. Riley took his glass and raised it in the air. ‘Let’s drink to our quiet little island,’ he said. ‘To Kilmarny Island!’ everybody said at the same time. ‘Hey, that reminds me of a joke,’ Riley said to the Parkers. ‘A man called Paddy wanted to sell his house, so he called an estate agent. The estate agent wrote an advertisement and put it in the newspaper. When Paddy read the advertisement, he was amazed. ‘Is this all true?’ he asked the estate agent. ‘Yes, it is,’ said the estate agent. ‘Why do you ask?’ ‘Well,’ answered Paddy, ‘if my house is so wonderful, maybe I won’t sell it!’ Everybody laughed, including the Parkers. They all moved their feet to the music and people started dancing. The Irish pub was a very happy place. The Parkers stayed there until one o’clock in the morning. That night, they all slept very well.

10 The Fire At 10 o’clock in the morning, somebody knocked on the door. It was Mr Jackson, the estate agent and a lawyer. Aunt Sarah’s window was open upstairs. She was listening to the conversation. ‘Good morning!’ said the lawyer. ‘I’ve got the legal documents for the sale of the house.’ ‘Come inside,’ said Clive. ‘We’ll talk in the living room.’

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Aunt Sarah was very worried. ‘Those people want to buy my house!’ she said. ‘Oh, why did I agree to sell it? I don’t want to leave! Finikin, where are you? I need your help!’ She went into Brian’s bedroom and opened the cupboard door. At the back of the cupboard there was a small door. Aunt Sarah opened the door, took a candle and went into a secret passage. This was her secret place, and she was happy there. She was trembling as she lit the candle and it fell from her hand. It started a fire in the passage. Sarah looked at the flames but couldn’t move. She was hypnotised by the fire. Brian entered his bedroom and could smell smoke immediately. What was happening? The smell wasn’t outside his room – it was inside. Smoke was coming from under the cupboard door. He opened the cupboard and looked carefully. To his surprise, there was another door at the back of the cupboard. Brian opened it and saw the secret passage! Brian heard coughing. It was Aunt Sarah. ‘Don’t worry, I’m coming, Aunt Sarah,’ he shouted. He put a towel over his face and went into the passage. It was full of smoke but there wasn’t any fire. There was a wet blanket and a candle on the ground. He saw a green jacket. It was burned. ‘I know this jacket,’ thought Brian. ‘It belongs to Finikin.’ Soon, Brian came to a small room at the end of the passage. Aunt Sarah was in the room. Her face and hands were black with smoke and her clothes were burned. ‘Are you Ok, Aunt Sarah?’ asked Brian. ‘Oh, yes, I’m fine,’ said Sarah. ‘I’m so sorry, dear. I nearly burned the house down again!’ ‘What happened?’ asked Brian. ‘I was in the passage and the candle fell from my hand,’ said Sarah. ‘A fire started and I couldn’t move. But Finikin arrived in time to save me. Dear Finikin! He always knows when I’m in trouble. He brought a wet blanket and extinguished the fire. He’s a wonderful friend!’ There were a lot of paintings in the small room. They were views of the island from the house. A small man with a grey beard and a green jacket appeared in some of the paintings. ‘That’s Finikin!’ said Brian. ‘Did you paint these, Aunt Sarah?’ ‘Yes, I did,’ said Sarah, proudly. ‘Do you like them?’ ‘They’re incredible,’ said Brian. ‘You must show them to Dad. He buys and sells paintings.’ 17

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Clive and Mary were in the living room with Mr Jackson, the lawyer and the estate agent. ‘I’m sorry, but we’ve decided not to sell the house to you,’ Clive said. Mr Jackson was very angry. ‘But you can’t do that. You must sell!’ he said. ‘A promise is a promise!’ ‘But we didn’t promise you anything,’ said Clive. ‘The islanders don’t want tourists on Kilmarny Island. You heard them yesterday in the pub. We can’t sell the house to you.’ Mr Jackson’s face was very red. He took his hat and coat and walked out of the house angrily. The estate agent and the lawyer followed him.

11 Sarah’s Paintings Suddenly, Clive’s phone rang. It was an artist from London. ‘What? The paintings aren’t ready yet? Clive shouted angrily. ‘But the exhibition is next week! You never have anything ready on time!’ He switched off the phone. ‘Some artists are so unreliable!’ he said to his wife. ‘They never keep their promises.’ Suddenly, Mary smelt smoke. ‘Is something burning?’ she said. ‘Let’s look upstairs.’ They ran up the stairs to Brian’s room. The cupboard door was open and they saw the secret passage in it. ‘The secret passage!’ said Mary. ‘So it’s here! My mother once told me about it, but I could never find it!’ They ran into the passage and found Brian and Sarah in the room at the end of it. ‘Are you OK?’ asked Mary. ‘Why do you disappear to this place, Aunt Sarah? And what’s that smell? What happened? Did you start another fire?’ Brian tried to calm his mother. ‘It’s OK, Mum,’ he said. ‘There’s no fire anymore.’ Then Clive noticed the paintings. ‘Who did these?’ he asked Sarah. ‘The artist’s name isn’t on them.’ ‘They’re Aunt Sarah’s,’ Brian said. ‘She painted them.’ ‘Really?’ said Clive, amazed. ‘They’re good. Very good! You’re a real artist, Aunt Sarah!’ 18

Mary looked at a painting of a young girl with a yellow dress and a flower in her hair. She couldn’t believe it! ‘That’s me when I was a child!’ she said, surprised. ‘I didn’t know you could paint, Aunt Sarah. Do you want to sell some of your paintings? Clive can put them in his exhibition.’ ‘Can I make enough money to repair the house?’ asked Aunt Sarah. ‘I don’t think so,’ said Clive. ‘But we can try.’ The family left the smoky room through another passage. It ended in another cupboard at the back of the hall. Craglee House was certainly a very interesting place! *

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On Saturday morning, the Parkers were ready to meet Jimmy and go to Puck Fair. They took the ferry to the harbour on the mainland. Jimmy was waiting for them with his horse and cart to take them to Killorglin. There were a lot of cars on the roads. They were all going to Puck Fair – it was obviously a very popular event. At the fair there were horse rides, games and concerts. People were selling food, clothes and souvenirs. While Clive was sitting at a table, drinking a glass of beer, Mary went to look at the souvenirs. She found a box full of miniature figures and tried to find one for her bracelet. But none of them were the right size. Brian went on a horse ride around the village. When he returned, there was a lot of excitement. It was time to put the crown on the ‘Goat King of Killorglin’. Jimmy walked proudly through the crowd with his goat. Jimmy pulled it onto a platform but the animal wasn’t at all happy about this important ceremony. Everybody watched in silence as a man with a suit came onto the platform. He was carrying a gold crown. The man lifted the crown slowly and put it on the goat’s head. Suddenly, everybody started to applaud and shout. ‘Long Live the King of Killorglin!’ The ceremony was over and Killorglin had a new goat king. Jimmy couldn’t stop smiling! There was a lot of dancing, music and noise. Then Jimmy took the King of Killorglin home, and drove the Parkers to the harbour on his horse and cart. They got on the last ferry to Kilmarny Island. The Parkers were beginning to enjoy their stay in Ireland. Clive and Mary went for a lot of walks on the beach. They enjoyed the peace and tranquillity and Clive decided to switch off his phone and relax. Brian was happy, too. He met some boys on the island and they lent him a fishing rod. They showed him the best places to catch fish, and Mary cooked the fish for dinner.

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In the evenings, the family went to the pub. Mary loved the Irish dancing and she learned some new dance steps every night. On Saturday night, there was a dance competition, and Mary won! She was very proud. Slowly, the Parkers were falling in love with Kilmarny Island. London seemed like a different planet to them.

12 Moving to Ireland The Parkers still tried to sell Aunt Sarah’s house. But every time Clive put a FOR SALE sign on the house, somebody came and took it down. They couldn’t understand it. ‘Do you think Aunt Sarah is taking the signs down?’ Clive asked his wife. ‘No, they’re too high,’ said Mary. ‘Sarah’s frightened of high places.’ Of course, Brian knew who was really responsible – it was Finikin. He knew Aunt Sarah must stay in her house. Clive returned to England to organise his art exhibition and he took home some of Aunt Sarah’s best paintings with him, and returned a week later with some very good news. ‘Your paintings were a great success!’ he told Sarah. ‘An art collector wants to buy them for £30,000, and he wants more.’ Aunt Sarah was very happy. ‘That will pay for the builders to start work on the house,’ she said. ‘Now I don’t have to leave!’ ‘Yes, it’s a start,’ said Clive. ‘And you can make more money at the next exhibition. Then you can put electricity and a modern bathroom in the house, too. We can get you a TV.’ ‘I’ll have everything I need then,’ Sarah said. ‘Please stay here, too. I’ll be very lonely when you leave.’ ‘I’m sorry, we can’t stay, Aunt Sarah,’ said Mary. ‘Clive and I must return to work, and Brian has got school. He misses his friends and his sports club.’ Clive didn’t put any more FOR SALE signs up in the garden and builders came to start work on the house. Mary advertised for a new housekeeper, but nobody was interested. ‘What are we going to do?’ Mary asked her husband. ‘We can’t leave Sarah alone.’ ‘Can’t we stay on the island and take care of Aunt Sarah?’ asked Brian. ‘I want to live here.’

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Mary and Clive looked at each other. ‘Well… I’m tired of the traffic in London,’ said Clive. ‘And with Internet and e-mail, I can do my work from here. What do you think, Mary?’ ‘Well, there’ll be electricity and two bathrooms in the house soon,’ said Mary. ‘And maybe I can get a teaching job in the school in Killorglin.’ ‘I’m starting to make some friends here,’ said Brian. ‘All I need now is my computer… and TV… and all my discs.’ ‘OK. We’ll tell Sarah,’ said Clive. ‘Then I’ll go to London to prepare everything.’ ‘You know, Clive,’ said Mary. ‘I really think we’re doing the right thing.’ Sarah was very happy about the Parkers’ decision. The builders finished the work on the house, and they moved all their things into it. Brian started to go to the secondary school in Killorglin, and Mary got a job at the same school. Sarah felt safer with the Parkers there. She started to go outside to paint, and she was very happy with her new paintings. Clive was very happy, too. He travelled to London once a month to sell Sarah’s paintings. And what about Finikin? Well, Brian never saw him again. His work was over. Aunt Sarah didn’t need anybody to protect her any more – she had her family with her now. But Finikin was very grateful to the Parkers for helping his friend. So one morning, Mary found a beautiful new figure on her bracelet. It was a miniature leprechaun with a long, grey beard – and it fitted perfectly on her bracelet! And when Brian opened the cupboard in his room, he found a beautiful fishing rod, with a message on it: Leprechauns always keep their promises. ‘Wow… my own fishing rod,’ he said. ‘That’s the only thing I didn’t have. Thanks, Finikin, you really did keep your promise!’

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