"Two hundred and nine, two hundred and ten, two hundred and eleven..."
Creeping up behind Seville, Mason leaned over her brother's shoulder to ask, "What are you doing?"
"I'm just... Awww... MOUSES! You made me lose count, Mason. One, two, three..."
"Lose count of what? What are those things? They look like gold coins."
"That's 'cause they are gold coins," Seville explained, excitedly. "Darn it. I've lost count again. One, two, three..."
Mason chuckled while turning to leave. "Gold coins. What will he think of next?"
"But they ARE gold coins," declared Seville, standing up on all four paws. He gently bit down on one of the coins and held it out for his sister to see. "Look, my fangs made marks. That means it's real gold, for sure. MOUSES!"
"Let me see that," and Mason grabbed the coin out of Seville's paw. "Oh my mouses, Sivvers. It is real. Where the heck did you find a stash of gold coins? Have you been holding out on us regarding those nip futures or something?"
"Nope," Seville replied smugly. "Come on, guess again. Bet you can't!"
"You haven't... You haven't... You haven't gone into business with the Weasel Syndicate, have you?" Mason asked hesitantly. "I know they're constantly offering get-rich schemes, full of promise and everything, but the weasels are really nasty little varmints, Seville."
"Me doing business with weasels? NEVER. Have a little faith in your brother, Mason. Besides, I learned my lesson 'bout working with them last time. MOUSES!"
"Then where did you...?"
"I found the whole lot of these coins out in the backyard this morning," and Seville grinned from ear to ear, making himself look like the Cheshire Cat. "There there were, sitting in a pot, waiting for me to find them."
"In our backyard?" Mason asked incredulously.
"Yup, right there at the end of the rainbow. If you remember, it was raining this morning and then the sun came out and then there was a rainbow. I was super lucky to discover that its end was right here in our backyard. Very fortuitous, indeed."
"Fortui...?"
"It means," Seville began to explain.
"I KNOW WHAT IT MEANS. Just didn't know you knew what it meant, is all. Besides, I'm not entirely sure that that is how you should describe it. Fortuitous, I mean."
"Mason, I have no idea what you're talking about. All I know for sure is that I need to count up these coins and that once again, I've lost my place. One, two, three..."
"Seville, did you ever wonder how that pot of gold came to be in our backyard?"
"Nope," Seville answered. "I did tell you 'bout the rainbow, right? Mason, it's a well-known fact that pots of gold can be found at the ends of rainbows. Didn't you learn anything in school?"
Mason bit her lip, resisting the urge to smack her brother upside of the head. "Seville, I think that maybe that pot of gold might belong to someone. Pots of gold don't just materialize at the ends of rainbows."
"Actually, they do," explained Seville. "At least I think they do. They must. How else did this particular pot of gold end up at the end of one in our backyard? Mason, do I have to explain everything to you?"
"But," began Mason. "But what if this particular pot of gold did belong to someone?"
"Finders keepers, Mason. It's the law of the jungle, you know. The fact that we don't actually live in a jungle is irrelevant. Fact is, I found the gold and the gold, therefore, is mine. MOUSES!"
"Or perhaps it is his," and Mason pointed to a face peering in through a window.
The two cats stood motionless, staring at the face in the window. The face in the window stared right back at the two cats before gazing down at the pot of gold coins sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor.
"Ummm..." murmured Mason.
"Oh boy," whispered Seville.
"Uh... Um..." Mason stammered.
"That there is a leprechaun," Seville stated in a very low voice.
"A very angry leprechaun, by the looks of it," added Mason.
"An EXTREMELY angry leprechaun who is looking for the marmalade cat who stole his pot of gold," yelled the leprechaun as he opened the back door and marched into the kitchen.
"Excuse me, Mr. Leprechaun sir, but uh... But I'd just like to point out that although I do have a few hints of ginger in my fur, here and there, technically I'm cream. Seville's the marmalade cat around here," and Mason pointed a paw at her brother.
"Way to go, sis," Seville hissed under his breath. "Thanks for having my back."
The leprechaun glared at Seville with beady eyes. "Exactly what do you think you're doing with my pot of gold there, you orange ball of fur."
"I was uh... I was um..." Seville swallowed, hard. "I was... I was merely counting the coins... Making sure they were all still... Ummm... You know, keeping them in safe keeping for you, for your return."
"What happened to finders keepers?" Mason whispered into Seville's ear.
"Finders keepers applies to peeps, other cats and weasels," Seville hissed. "Leprechauns are a whole different kettle of fish."
"Mr Leprechaun," Mason coughed nervously but stood up firmly on all four paws. "It seems to me that we have a bit of a dilemma at paw. Legend has it that if a cat can catch a leprechaun, said leprechaun has to reveal his pot of gold to said cat. Now my brother here might actually be the true owner of this pot of gold. He could make a case that as he found your gold and now we have apparently caught you..."
"He did no such thing!" the leprechaun cried. "He never caught me. I only have to reveal my gold if you catch me..."
And with that, Mason swiped at the leprechaun and caught hold of his jacket with a claw. "Like this?" she asked, holding him up like a cat would hold a rat.
The leprechaun struggled, trying to free himself.
"Not so mean looking now, are you," Mason said and added, "Might I say, you're a very little leprechaun to have such a big pot of gold."
"Let me go! LET ME GO!" and the leprechaun continued to struggle.
"I think you should let him go," Seville told Mason. "Look how red his face is getting. If he was angry before I don't know what he's gonna be..."
"I'll tell you what," and Mason lowered the leprechaun onto the floor, still holding onto him with a claw. I'll exchange your freedom for your pot of gold."
The leprechaun pursed his lips together. "The legend says I do have to take you to my gold in exchange for..."
"But we already have your gold," blurted out Seville. "Got it right here," and he pointed toward the gold.
Narrowing his eyes, the leprechaun said, "But do you have my even bigger pot of gold? The pot of gold that makes this one look like a mere trifling..."
"You have an even bigger pot of gold?" gasped Seville. "Mason, do you have any idea how much nip we could get with an even bigger pot of gold? We could..."
Mason glanced over at Seville, loosening her grasp on the leprechaun for only a moment but a moment was all it took and right before their very eyes, the leprechaun and the pot of gold vanished like magic.
"Awww.... MOUSES!" Seville cried. Sitting back on his haunches he said, "legend also has it that those little green fairies are slippery and sly. Was he too slippery to hold onto, Mason? Is that why you let go?"
"Wrong kind of slippery, Seville," answered his sister. "Never pays to be too greedy, I suppose."
"Nope, never does," Seville stated. The corners of his mouth began to curl up into a smile. "But it does pay to be careless! Looky here. I happened to be sitting on this coin when the little feller and his gold disappeared." Seville bit into it. "Yup, solid gold, for sure. Nip store here I come!"
"I think you mean here we come," Mason grinned. "Come on, we can teleport over in a jiffy and get ourselves a whole gold coin's worth of really good nip."
"We sure can," agreed Seville. "And as luck would have it, we'll get it just in time for St. Patrick's Day, too. MOUSES!"
Well that is good that you were sitting on one of the coins. Good job Seville. You almost got that Leprechaun. Happy St. Patty's day to you all.
ReplyDeleteNEXT year, I'll catch him, for sure. MOUSES!
Deletetotal lee awesum st patz day storee guyz ♣♣♣♣ N ya best go two de nip store now, just in case de wee dood comez back & wantz de last bit oh coinage !!! happee st patricks day two all ♥♥♥
ReplyDeleteOh yes! Get the nip BEFORE he figures out he's missing a coin. Good idea, for sure. MOUSES!
DeleteHmm those little guys seem a bit touchy given they keep losing their gold. Now if you fancy investing in a new E-game device I've invented, I know just the princess whose looking for funds. purrs Erin (tcP)
ReplyDeleteShould have sat on some more of those coins. Could have investing in a whole bunch of things! Now tell me more 'bout this E-game... purrs.
DeleteSooooo close..........well, at least you got ONE gold coin!
ReplyDeleteThe Florida Furkids
And one is better than none, for sure! purrs
DeleteEnjoy da St. Paddy's nip!
ReplyDeleteI will! One should enjoy the nip EVERY SINGLE DAY of the year. purrs
DeleteWishing you a lovely St. Patty's Day!
ReplyDeleteAnd you too! Hope your day was great. purrs
DeleteLeprechauns are shifty beings Sivvers, you were generous to share with Sis Mason
ReplyDeleteI WAS generous, wasn't I. PURRS
DeleteAt least you wound up with SOMETHING!
ReplyDeleteAnd that's ALWAYS GOOD, for sure! purrs
DeleteFinders keepers with pots of gold and cats :) I think he owed you at least one coin for leaving his pot of gold in your yard, he was trespassing. Happy St. Patrick's Day!
ReplyDeleteLike... RENT. Hmmm... I should have charged him more, for sure. MOUSES!
DeleteYaaay got to be a great thing - lots of nip!!!!! Fabulous story!!
ReplyDeleteAnd lots of nip is ALWAYS GOOD, for sure! purrs
DeleteHope you can buy lots and lots of nip with that gold coin!
ReplyDeleteTurns out, a gold coin will buy lots of the nip, for sure. purrs
DeleteDang, I hope my Leprechaun doesn't get angry! Happy St. Patrick's Day from all of us!!!
ReplyDeleteThey appear to be rather moody creatures. One moment they're nipped on the green beer and the next... MOUSES!
DeleteHooray! At least you got some of the gold from that sneaky little leprechaun. Enjoy your nip!
ReplyDeleteSasha, Sami, & Saku
And sneaky he was! I deserved a little nip after meeting him, for sure. purrs
DeleteWell, one coin is better than NO coin, right? :)
ReplyDeleteYou got THAT right! Way better, for sure. purrs
DeleteSeville pawesome story, loved it! XOX
ReplyDeleteAwww... THANK YOU Basil. I'm super pleased you liked it 'cause I know you have a lot of adventures, too. purrs
DeleteOne gold coin is better than none Seville.
ReplyDeleteLuv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
It sure is! PURRS
DeleteThe luck of the Irish sure was with you Mason! Mouses!
ReplyDeleteIt was! Guess that's where we get our ginger furs, huh? purrs
DeleteSorry you were tricked out of the pot of gold. Good thing you had a coin left for nip.
ReplyDeleteYeah and as luck would have it, gold buys a lot of nip. MOUSES!
Deletetsk, tsk Mason. I thought you were gonna keep that Leprechaun hanging until NEXT St Patrick's day. You have lost your claw power, better start working on again Mason
ReplyDeleteYeah, had a pawdicure the other day. MOUSES!
DeleteWhat a tricky leprechaun ! But one coin is better that no coin at all, right ? Purrs
ReplyDeleteIt sure is but if I come across that little guy again, next time, I'm taking TWO coins, for sure. MOUSES!
DeleteMason, Seville, that little green guy would have been bunny stomped by my back feets if I had been there. Want me to watch with you next March? Glad to, for a piece of gold. xoxox
ReplyDeleteYes! YES!!! Next March you need to come over to my house, for sure. PURRS
Delete