"ST. PATRICK'S DAY JUBILEE - SATURDAY, MARCH 17th!"

The banner across main street had been up since the beginning of the month, and already the local business were bedecked in green, gold, silver, and burnished hardwood. Indeed it was a time for celebration and revelry, but to others the holiday struck a nerve...and one business seemed to rebel against all of the shamrocks and cartoony cutouts of leprechauns....

"The Burnished Shillelagh: Second Hand Clothes and Curious"

"I dunno why that crazy old man insists on not making his sign correct," Maynard chuckled, adjusting his glasses on his snout, "it should be Curios or Curiosities...." The lizard shook his head. "At least the guy knows his stuff when it comes to Irish things..."

"Well I guess that proves that this will be one hell of a festival then huh guys?" The black and white wolf poked his head out from the map to catch a glimpse of the town. "Now only if we could find out where we are..." The Fox grinned.

"Well, looks like we're in Shanteray...they're known for their Irish Festivals..."

"Indeed we are, Boyos..." The quartet looked over to spot a lanky human leaning against the door to the Secondhand Store. "Lookin' to partake in this weekend's festivities, are we?" Bouqard nodded, his eyes brightening.

"Indeed, good Irish Sir!" The skunk bowed, putting on his best accent. "Tis a pleasure to meet someone of genuine Emerald Isle descent..." The human's eyes seemed to glimmer slightly as he smirked.

"Indeed...and a horrid accent that is....be careful, lest you find yeself unable to get rid of it....Irish catches, y'know?" He gave each of the boys a practiced gaze.

"So...since we on the subject of races and national origin...I see all of ye are Soniqians...very animated folk ye be..." He smiled, though it didn't seem entirely welcoming. "Usually ye wear shoes...but th'wolfen seems the only one fancyin' 'em...." The wolf blushed a bit as the topic of his sneakers came up. "What can I say? I love my sneakers, heh. Plus I can't stand walking around barefoot like the rest of my pals here." Fox shoved Crisps playfully.

"That's 'cuz you're the freaky one of the group!" He laughed and patted his friend on the shoulder. "Seriously, guy, to each their own...but I like my bare paws on the open road...just feels more real...but maybe Boque, and 'Nard and I are the more freaky ones..." He winked and the other two shoeless Soniqians snickered. The human shook his head.

"That may be right for you....but Woflie here and I know better...shoes make th' man..." He looked down to Crisps and grinned slyly. "Ain't I right, Boy'o?" The wolf just chuckled along, not wary of that sly smile.

"You got the right, heh. Shoes are what it's all about!"

"Indeedy Indeedy..." The human nodded and then pushed himself away from the door jamb. "So, boy'os, are ye stayin' th' weekend for the Irish Festival..." He strolled over to the

furry quartet and grinned a bit. "Many folk 'round these parts tell tales of strange happenin's in and about town here....talk of floating green beers, disappearing corned beef and cabbage....and especially those fellas whom they pin th' blame on..." He took a deep sigh before exhaling out the last word: "Leprechauns..." He cocked his head to the

youths. "Ye DO believe in them, right?"

---

Fox blinked at the man and couldn't help but to laugh...

"Really? Leprechauns...those little green twerps that run around and hide those pots of gold?" The human frowned a bit.

"Don't forget all thee kids are after their Lucky Charms!!" Boquard snickered in addition, and Maynard simply shook his head, pushing up his glasses.

"Really, Leprechauns are fictitious....fake as three dollar bill...or a fair election..."

"I agree with Maynard. Those are just old folk tales. Anyone who believes in those little green midgets needs to step back into the real world." The wolf chuckled some more at the

thought of leprechauns actually being real. "And even if they were real, I mean c'mon. What are they gonna do? Kick are shins?" The human's eyes flared a bit, bright

green.

"I would say if they ARE real, then ye best pay yer respects...for what I've heard, those 'little green midgets' are magical and capricious..." His eyes narrowed, "and very easily offended...so if I were you, Sneaker Boy’o...I would hold yer tongue when yer 'round

here...your enjoyment might become most...unpleasant..." His grin returned, though it seemed more forced. "But this is just me prattlin' about...perhaps 'cuz of all the overdoin' of it..." He sighed. "But, if ye are goin' t'stay in town for the fun...why not look th' part?" He

bowed and motioned to the inside of his store. "I've got plenty o' costume pieces that would make ye look like th' tallest leprachauns in th' land...and let me tell ye...those who take a purchase from me'shop....they ALWAYS place high in the Spirit Contest Awards..." He

grinned brightly. "Th' first place prize fer a group is three gold coins....tradable for $500 caaaash..." Everyone's eyes flared up at the sound of the cash prize though the wolf didn't seem that interested.

"As good as that cash prize sounds, that isn't really my thing. I don't really feel

up for dressing like a green dork just to get some booze money." The human chuckled.

"Seriously, I doubt any of you are old enough to drink," he shook his head. "But ye all seem

like th' travelin' sort, and that kinda scratch prolly don't come easy for ye...havin' those extra funds would give ye a little bit of wiggle room, right?" He nods. "Besides...I 'ave everythin' ye would be needin' to pull off very respectable leprechauns...or at th' very least ye'd

appear genuine...from the hats to th' belts...right on down to th' shoes." He looked to Crisp and smiled. "I know at least one of 'ye would be interested in those..." The wolf blushed again when shoes came to be a topic of discussion.

"Wh...what? Don't be ridiculous. Plus, even if I were interested, I doubt there'd be anything in my size." The shopkeep grinned.

"Actually, Boy-o...you look like you would fit into them perfectly...ye be of average size for a giant leprechaun anyway...and I've got the suits and garters, th' belts and hats....and I'll even throw some sneezery powder if ye want tae cause some mischief...really get into character..." The human strolled toward the inside of the shop. "Tis yer choice, though...could be a load of fun and ye are the youthful types...cause yer trouble and skip town ye can, really..."

"Hmm..." While the prize money wasn't really of interest to the wolf, the mischief aspect seemed to strike some curiosity in the wolf. "Well...I guess there's no harm in taking a

look..."

---

The wolf followed the rest of the group into the shop. The place was crammed with all manners of old clothing and paraphernalia, from green suits, plaids, hats, scarves, and

even shoes of all sorts.

"Right this way, laddies..." He led the quartet to the far corner of the space, and motioned to a collection of vibrant green and black suits, with all the necessary accessories. "These be my pride n'joy...and reasonably priced, to boot. There's everything ye could want in four leprechaun costumes...and for you, Wolfie...as I promised..." He pulled down an oak box and swung the lid open...Resting on a bed of black silk were a pair of well-made, brilliant green shoes. The insides were a velvety pine green to contrast. "These are th' most comfortable shoes I've got in th' store, cushion-aire padding for optimum support n' shock-absorbin' foam to allow ye to keep goin' n' goin' for as long as ye like till ye want t'skip town..." The wolf took the emerald green shoes out of the box and looked them over. Embarrassingly enough, he doesn't seem to notice a slight bulge starting to poke itself from his shorts.

"These are definitely the greenest shoes I ever did see..." The shopkeeper grinned.

"Well, they ARE genuine leprechaun shoes from th' Emerald Isle itself, after all." He

pointed to them. "Ye just don't get this sort o'quality in the 'Mericas, boy'o..." He gently took them out of the box. "Now regardless of what ye believe now, I think ye be a believer when ye actually try 'em on...I think for th' occasion, ye be fallin' in love with 'em."

"I'd BUY those for you if you try 'em on!" Fox snickered, "And do one of them dumb Irish jigs...you could 'audition' for your part in the St. Patrick's Day Party or something!"

"Yeah...go for it!" Boquard snickered, even Maynard seemed to be loosening up.

"When in Rome...or Dublin in this case...do as the Dubliners Do?" The wolf hestitated for a bit before finally giving into the peer pressure of his friends and the shopkeep.

"Oh alright you guys." The wolf sat down on a bench and unlaced his sneakers before stopping. "Hey shopkeep, are you sure those shoes are even my size?" The shopkeeper crouched down and patted Crisps on the shoulder.

"Well, let's find out..." He took one of the shoes and easily slipped it onto the wolf's left foot, and smiled. "Lookin' good so far, boyo..." He then put the second shoe on with as

little trouble. To Crisps' surprise, the shoes fit perfectly. "I suppose the leprechauns that made them used their magic to ensure a proper wearing..." The wolf blushed some more while the shopkeep put the emerald green shoes on Crisp. The former slight bulge started to become more of a tent. Though he didn't quite seem to mind whilst he looked down at the bright green shoes on his paws. He angled them every which way he could to see how they looked from all sides.

"Wow! You weren't kidding...these are some comfy shoes!" The shopkeeper nodded enthusiastically. "Yes Indeedy...they certainly are...why they be travelin' shoes also, best pair you could ever own when ye are vagabonding!"

"So are you gonna do that dance or are you gonna buy your costume, Crispy?" Fox laughed. "Do It!!" Boquard and Maynard also rooted him on.

"Ye may as well break them in, boy'o..." The shopkeeper smirked...none of youths realized he was gritting his teeth...

"Oh fine guys, if it will get you guys to be quiet for five seconds." Crisp stood up in his new green footwear, totally unaware of how to perform an Irish jig, but he figured something was better than nothing. He tapped his feet a couple times before letting his legs takeover. The wolf thought he was just doing random leg crossing and foot tapping, but he hadn't noticed that his feet seemed to be leading him the whole time. After about a minute of dancing he stopped to catch his breath. A small bead of sweat trickled down the side of his head.

---

"I knew you had it in you!!" Fox laughed and slapped the wolf on the back. "Hell, we may as well paint you green and call you O'Crispy!" Maynard nodded and shoved his glasses back on his snout.

"Exemplary Footwork, Crisps O'Wolfene!" Bouqard simply applauded along with the shopkeep.

"Ye were an old pro at that...I would say you should give the leprechauns some due respect for putting ye in the spirit of the holiday." He smiled to Crisp and patted him on the shoulder. "So if ye meet a real leprechaun, ye know how to show the due to him...a dance is usually the finest form of respect to the wee folk...who like to frolic..." His eyes looked away and he because distant. "Respect...tis very important to them y'know..." He nodded to Crisp and his friends. Crisp sat back down and took of the emerald green shoes and put them back into the box before slipping his paws back into his red sneakers.

"Well I can't really respect something that isn't real, can I? Like I said before, Leprechauns are just old folk tales. Something parents tell their kids. If you want to believe in that stuff, all the power to ya. Though, in the end, they're all just stupid folk tales." The shopkeeper nodded and placed the box into a large sack with the costumes.

"Well, I suppose you have your point of view then...all of you do...the curse and blessing of youth I suppose..." He handed the bag over to Fox. "Well, ye all best be in costume Saturday, so ye can take that $500 prize...and you'll get free food n' drink because you came gussied up..."

---

<<Oak Tree Inn and Tavern>>

<<About An Hour Later>>

Fox strolled into the place, grinning. "Well, that crazy store owner wasn't kidding," He looked back to his friends, and then turned back to admire the warm, polished wood and brass of the old-fashioned tavern. "I can't wait to get some food in me..." Boquard nodded in agreement.

"And they're even offering free appetizers and beers for anyone dressed in green!" Maynard shook his head and sighed a bit.

"Seems the inhabitants in this establishment take the traditions of the fantasy world entirely too seriously..." Fox blinked and then snickered.

"I can always rely on you to use way-too big words to describe a simple situation..."

"I think what he's trying to say is that these inhabitants listen to fairy tales way too much." The wolf walked in shortly after his friends and plopped himself on the bed. "But main that shopkeeper was freaky. Going on about leprechauns and shoes." Fox nodded.

"Yeah, tell me about it...creeee-pee..." He looked down at the bag holding the footwear. "It's weird though, you seemed to be very comfortable in the things." He chuckled. "Guess we can keep 'em after all the festivities are over, or just sell 'em off in the next town or so...can't believe he let us have all of this leprechaun stuff for just 10 bucks..." Checking his wallet he grinned. "Means we came out about a hundred ahead," He looked to Maynard and chuckled. "Great distraction with the whole 'are we lizards Irish' thing..." He waggled his fingers. "Gave Boquard the perfect chance to do a little REAL magic..." The skunk shrugged a bit, smirking.

"When the guy keeps his big bills right on top, it's easy to swipe one." He chuckled a little. "Was VERY tempted to snag another one or two, but didn't want to push my luck..." He snorted. "Wouldn't want to have a curse thrown on me or anything..." The wolf rolled his eyes.

"Oh c'mon guys," He sat up from the bed. "Don't tell me that creepy shopkeepers stories

got to ya? It's all just mumbo jumbo. We haven't even been here that long and already the superstitions are rubbing off on you guys." Fox looked over to Crisps and laughs.

"All of that Irish Crap? Not a chance!" He flopped down on another bed and grinned. "But still, we have our ethics...the crazy bastard deserved to have a 'fee' taken from him for talling those creepy tales to his customers...I figured 25 bucks each was a fair price...besides, we don't want to run anyone to the poorhouse, just take what we need to be, yaknow, pretty comfortable." Boquard settled into the worn green leather chair and sighed a bit.

"I think we got enough to keep going for another month, given our take and our jobs back in Durndee." He pulled out his wallet and nodded. "Yeah, about $900 for the four of us...if we keep snagging deals like this we can stretch it out to maybe a month and a half..."

"Unless, we procure that $500 prize for the Leprechaun costume competition..." Maynard grinned. "Emerald Hues upon Jade Scales, I would be undoubtedly doubly impressive to the indiginous folks."

"Maynard," Fox huffed, "Again with the big words..."

"Okay...how about Our Duds Will Make Us Kick-Ass In The Local's Eyes?"

"Count me out dudes. Like I said before, that prize sounds nice and all, but i'd rather not walk into a bar looking all green and silly. Plus doing that dance wore me out a bit. Might stop by later to see how you guys faired." The wolf laid back down on the bed before closing his eyes. Fox sighed and shook his head.

"What? You don't want to be our dancing leprechaun?" He smirked. "Figured your antics would be a hit, but you DID look a little squicked out when you were dancing and all..."

"Well, Crisps, if you don't want to join us, you could get our bags and such all packed up when we're ready to leave town...figured we won't have to do our usual gig to make some cash if we snag the top prize...Hell, even the second place win of $200 plus a free meal here is nothing to sneeze at...didn't think I'd like corned beef and cabbage...it kinda reeked..."

"You're a SKUNK, Boquard," Fox smirked, "You're SUPPOSED to stink..."

"Oh HUG YOU...." The skunk hissed back, "My parented De-Scented me at my bris." The wolf waved his hand at them.

"Yeah, yeah I'll get to it." Crisps went back to resting on the bed. His feet started to slip out of his red sneakers since he had never tied them after leaving the shop. Though the wolf didn't seem to mind our notice as he his mind slowly started drift away. Fox jumped off the bed and walked over, patting Crisps on the shoulder.

"Yeah, you rest up, 'Nard, Bouq' and I are gonna go across town and check out The Golden Harp, there was a poster for a Pot o' Gold Poker tournament...maybe we'll try our luck

at that...the entry fee was already covered by the crazy dude's 'generosity'..."

"I failed to see that," Maynard admitted, looking at his glasses. "How un-astute of me...but if it's chance and skill and cards...then I'm your lounge lizard." He grinned to Fox and the skunk. "Back me up, my bretheren, tonight we clean up...I'm feeling a little Irish Scaly Luck

coming our way." The two slipped out of the room, leaving Bouqard left.

"We'll see you in a few hours, mate," The skunk replied, "just relax...turn on the tube if you get bored, or simply rest...cheers." With that, he also left, leaving the wolf alone and in the quiet as the sun began to set. Once everyone had left, the wolf continued to doze about on the bed and not have a care in the world while his friends went out and enjoying the green nightlife. While he continued to catch z's, the wolf finally slipped his socked paws out of his red sneakers, unknowingly kicking them off the bed whilst he dreamt of himself running.

After the sound of snoring could be heard from the wolf-shaped lump in the bed, the black lacquered box containing the green shoes opened up and toppled from the bag...sending the thing stumbling across the floor and knocking Crisps' sneakers far under the

bedframe....

---

<<SEVERAL HOURS LATER...>>

The sounds of crickets chirping outside was quite normal for the season and the region...but the music of several fiddles and harps was clearly out of the ordinary...below in the tavern and restaurant, the patrons were going about their business as if nothing were out of the ordinary...but the tunes wafting above their heads was clear...especially to wolfen ears. The wolf's ears perked up a little as the sound of tons of musical instruments could be heard from all over. "Oh jeez...these people sure do know how to party..." The wolf turned over on his stomach and plunged his face into the pillow, hoping to drown out the music a bit.

His efforts to block out the music only seemed to make notes more insistent...and it carried a certain eeriness to it. Gone were the modern trappings of most songs of the late 20th

and 21st centuries...the fiddles and harps and drums carried a a tune more pure, even primal. Through the chorus of the wordless ballad, the music sang of jubilation and sorrow, joy and sadness...acceptance and even hatred...it had a symmetry that few musical pieces had, and woven into it was the magic of pure emotion...which didn't cease after its ending crescendo, but simply repeated itself...but at the same time it seemed different each verse that ran its course....

Even with his face plunged into the pillow, the sound of the music still seemed to make it's way into the wolf's ears. It seemed futile to try and keep drowning out the music, the the

wolf didn't know when to give up and it just made him turn his head more and more.

The music continued and played merrily for another half hour...interspersed with the sounds of hard shoes tap dancing and keeping beat with the drums. It almost seemed like the celebration was going on all around the wolf making every attempt to sleep, ignoring the siren calls of the otherworldly songs. Just as quickly as it had begun, the music faded away, followed by the simple, tapping rhythm to stop suddenly...at the bed, the green shoes became motionless. The sound of the music fading was like a piece of heaven to the wolf's ears. "Finally...maybe now I can catch up on some rest." The wolf pulled his face from the pillow and went back to his original position of sleeping, unaware of the green shoes.

It was several hours before there was a slight commotion at the door, following by the scraping of the keys into the door's lock.

"Maynard, you are more magic than any of those guys out there!" Fox laughed happily. "I can't believe you pulled it off....you bluffed that shopkeeper out of a Royal Flush!!" He shook his head. "Luck of the Irish my ass!" The lizard grinned and looked down at the small stack of fifty dollar-bills. "Best run of luck we've had since we began our journey!"

"I would have to say so, my companions..." Maynard nodded, "But we really should give Crisps at least some of the money...he DID pick the direction to go in on the highway...so..." Boquard nodded and strolled over to the bed.

"Hey, Crispy...wake up, we got some good news..."

"Ugh...is it morning already?" The wolf rubbed his eyes as he groggily stood up from the bed. "What's with all the commotion? First it's all this music and next it's you guys bursting in the door. What about good news?” Fox exchanged looks with his friends and then with Crisps.

"Dude, it's only about one in the morning, and what are you talking about? It's quiet as a morgue in here." He shrugged. "Well, you WERE out since before sunset, so easy to lose track of time." He gave the wolf an indignant look. "Well, of COURSE we're coming back to catch some sleep, it's OUR room too....and if you're going to be all sleepy-bitchy about it, maybe we shouldn't tell you how we did!"

"Relax, Fox..." Boquard sighed, "He's had a couple of shots of Buttermint, you know how he gets." He sat down on the hide-a-bed and grinned. "Maynard and I made a killing in the Poker Tournament at that other tavern...and we got more than enough money now to even skip outta here in the morning if we wanted to."

"True," Maynard replied, handing Crisps his portion of the winnings, some $1,000, "This is yours, by the way...a half-share since you sat out, but it's still substantial." The lizard flopped into the other bed. "I would say this has been a trip most fun for us all so far."

"Damn guys." The wolf flipped through the cash. "Now I'm kinda wishing I went with you guys, though it looks like someone hit the liquor a little hard, heh." The wolf finished wading through the cash and shoved it into his jacket pocket. Fox smirked back to the wolf.

"Yeah yeah...part of being Irish is gettin' drunk, right?"

"Actually, that's a very rude stereotype, Chumwayde...." The fox glared back at Maynard.

"DON'T CALL ME THAT!!" He smacked the lizard upside the head.

"Well seeing how hammered you guys got, it would be a safe bet to skip town as soon as possible. Seems like you've caused enough trouble down there...or maybe that was just fox, heh." Boquard laughed a bit. "Yeah, we can get a little wasted from time to time, but I didn't touch any drinks, neither did Maynard..."

"Maybe I splurged on a Shirley Temple..."

"That's 'cush yer a bloody fruitcake," Fox half-slurred before flopping on the sofa-bed, himself. "Shit, maybe I dish had too mush..." He chuckled a little. "I'm not bind-dunk, but still...those were goooood dinks..." Maynard sighed and shook his head.

"Acting, so not your strong suit, Fox." The fox chuckled and grinned.

"Maybe not, but it works for coin scams..." He nudged Boquard off the sofa to unfold it. "Well, my friends...I think this is a night...we're paid until Monday Morning thanks to our costumes...may as well stay the entire time, and actually enjoy ourselves since we don't have to 'work', you know?" He took some pillows out of the closet and tossed an extra one to Crisps. "Here, dude, you deserve some extra comfort...thanks for being stubborn enough to make us come here...even if you didn't know we'd come across the place...your sense of direction is pretty kick ass..." He shucked down to his birthday suit and pulled out some sweatpants, smirking at the reactions of his fellows. "Hey, we're all guys here, it's not like we've not seen one another's junks."

"STILL, you don't need to be flagellating it around...the world doesn't want to see The Wad of Chumwayde..."

"STOPPIT!!" Fox threw a pillow at Maynard, mock-glaring, "The Wad of Chumwayde is a powerful rod of magic."

"Stop...just STOP." Boquard put up his hands. "If I wanted to see and listen to a bunch of porny-banter I'd put on Skin-A-Max..."

"Heh...you're welcome guys. Now I think i'll catch back up on my sleep." As quick as the wolf got back up, the wolf plopped himself back down. And with the added pillow comfort, he quickly dozed off right away with his buried back into his pillows and

his socked paws almost dangling off the edge of the bed. As the quartet of Soniqians settled down to rest, Fox spoke up one more time.

"We're probably going to get up early to beat whatever crowds are gonna be there for the contest...you wanna sleep in and join us later, Crispy?" The wolf didn't respond as the sound of snoring was the only noise coming from him

---

<<MORNING...>>

The sun was already shining when Maynard woke up, stretching out in the sunbeam. "Just like my ancestors," he rasped out quietly, enjoying the warmth before reaching over and patting Boquard. "Get up, Stinky..." Although he did like the scent of the skunk's deodorant, he still enjoyed giving his best friend a ribbing. "We don't want to be tardy." Boquard stirred a little and batted the offending lizard away with his tail.

"Dowannago...to school..." He muttered.

"You're not in school, you're 24...." Maynard chuckled. "Come along, we need to get into our Merry Little Leprechaun gear..." He rolled back over, adding, "I suppose I'll need to get Fox outta..." He stared at the polished silver belt buckle and then looked up at the smirking vulpine. "...bed?"

"It's Foxie O'Foxman to you, laddie!" Fox quipped, pulling on his emerald plaid jacket. "So how do I look, boy'o?" He made a mocking imitation of the shopkeeper they ran across yesterday, "So, da ya ba-leeve in da lap-ra-cons now, Boiiiiii-o?" He made a crotch chop and laughed, and Boquard blinked before snickering.

"You just made yourself to be the most 'gangsta' leprechaun in the Emerald Hood."

"Let us get gussied up, then," Maynard slithered out of bed and trotted toward his bag. "Can't keep the competition waiting, right?" Fox nodded and looked back to Crisps.

"So, what are we gonna do with sleepyhead?" Boquard pulled on his black leather and green pants that went with his costume. "He want to be a party pooper about it, but we should still give him a little bit of Saint Pattie's Day spirit..." The wolf's ears perked up and down at the sounds of his friends chattering but he was too deep into his sleep to pay attention to any of it and continued to laze about in bed Fox nodded and smirked.

"Y'know that's a great idea..." He looked around into the remaining packages and then

spied the green shoes at the side of the wolf's bed. "And I got the perfect plan..." He walked over to Crisps and carefully removed his socks, shoving them far under the bed and then picked up the Leprechaun Shoes. "If I wore 'em I'd go without the stockings, too...these things are like silk inside..." Moving stealthily as his species was known for, he slowly slipped Crisp's paws into the shoes, which seemed to take to him naturally. "Ha Ha! There we go...he'll be all ready to dance another jig with us when we win that costume contest!" He turned away from the wolf, and didn't see the sinister gleam that played across the shiny surface of the shoes. "C'mon, guys! Let's hurry it up!"

"hmm...mmm..." Crisp mumbled in his sleep unaware of the sinister footwear that now rest on his paws. His feet clicked together a few times giving a hint of what was to come.

It was nearly eleven when the sounds of the the St. Patrick's Day Parade finally woke up the slumbering wolf. The shoes on his feet quivered slightly as he began to stir....

"Oh man..." Crisp stood up from his bed and stretched his arms. "A good night's sleep finally. The wolf rubbed his eyes a bit before looking down and noticing the emerald green shoes on his feet. "Oh c'mon guys really...I told 'em before i'm not doing any dress up crap..." The wolf reached down and grabbed at the shoes to try and take them but the shoes wouldn't seem to budge even after untying the laces. "What the hell is this? Did they glue the inside of the shoes to my feet?" While the wolf kept tugging at the shoes for a bit, he glanced over and noticed it was a bit past eleven. "Oh man! I need to catch up with them!" The wolf looked back down at the emerald green shoes still on his feet. "Guess they'll have to do..." Crisp tied the laces and quickly rushed out the door. As the wolf rushed down the hall, he could hear the taps with each step he took from the shoes.

"Man...they couldn't have put something better on my feet..." The parade was in full swing and marching toward the town square as Crisps burst out of the inn's main doorway, tapping all the while. In the distance he could see Fox, Boquard, and Maynard, prancing around with a whole host of other fellows dressed up to the nines...and just as the shopkeeper had promised, the crowd was reacting most favorably to them....none of them seemed to hear the otherworldly fiddling, however...nor paid any heed to the twinkling playing across the green shoes as Crisps watched the proceeds and decided what he was going to do to his three friends for the prank played upon him...

"Oh man...am I going to put a hurting on those guys...I guess I could throw some rotten food on them. I think that'll teach'em a lesson, hehe..." As he ran toward the parade, the drum beats, and the fiddles...Crisps didn't realize that he was dancing more than actually running, his green shoes keeping perfect time regardless of how he zigged and zagged...but little did he know that they were slowly beginning to steer him in an arc. Crisp kept trying to race towards his friends but he never seemed to be making any progress towards them. "What the heck is going on? They can't be that far away..."

Without warning his shoes stopped making any forward progress...and slowly, agonizingly they began to tapple away from the parade...yet at the same time the fiddling was clear to the wolf...and his green shoes began to answer their calls...continuing their jig and pulling Crisps away from the townsfolk and his friends. Crisp took notice of what was happening to his feet. He looked down in shock as his feet were moving on their own.

"Wh...what's going!?" The wolf whined a bit as he couldn't control his feet and they were steering him away from the crowd. The wolf tried yelling and waving his hands to try and get his friends' attention, but with all the people and music around, it was a useless effort. The green shoes picked up their pace and pranced toward the edge of town, making a beeline to the thick woods that surrounded the west end of the settlement...and without so much as a short wait, the footwear danced into the thick of the trees, taking their captive wolf with them...the fiddling and drums were clearly different than the music the parade was playing...and this seemed to feed the green shoes, and in the shadows of the branches, they seems to glitter and twinkle with motes of light all their own....

While the wolf was running out of breath, the shoes just kept up the same pace they had when they first started. Crisp took notice of his surroundings and was started to grow nervous over what lie in wait in the woods. "Help! Someone help!" He kept shouting, hoping that someone would answer his calls. His cries for help were met only with a more frenzied tempo from the fiddles, and his green shoes leapt and bound, clicking their heels together as they pulled him further and further into the woods, with no signs of slowing down...their sparkling and glowing seemed to sear into Crisp's trapped feet, refreshing them but at the same time letting him experience his weariness...it was another 20 minutes of constant dancing before it looked like they had begun to travel in more straight line...and with more purpose...

"Wh...where are you guys taking me!? Get off my feet right now!" The wolf wasn't sure why he was arguing with shoes, but at this point, he was willing to try anything in order to make this madness stop. The shoes pulled him into a clearing, verdant and green with fresh grass...and carved out of a giant tree stump was a throne of sorts...Crisps found himself dancing toward the natural seat and before he could protest he was thrown into the thing...his shoes prevented him from fleeing, and they tapped impatiently as he sat there, never once did they stop moving...they seemed to be waiting for someone...or something....

The wolf desperately wanted to get away put even if he managed to get up, the shoes just plopped him back down into the stump. "What the hell do you guys want from me?" he asked the shoes.

"Why are ye talkin' to a pair of shoes, ya daft laddie?"

---

The voice was higher-pitched, but instantly recognizable..."And I want you...because ye were the boy'o who caused this bit o'trouble in th' first place..." Walking out from behind the tallest oak tree was the shopkeeper from the old clothing store...though he looked about half his former size, and his ears were tipped to higher points, like that of an elf. "So...ye' be wantin' to change yer mind about respectin' the wee folk yet?" He smirked vilely. "Cuz dependin' on how much of a smart arse ye wantin' to be...that'll determine how long ye will be punished for yer thievery and general disrepectin'..."

"Wh..what are you talking about? What did I do to you? What did you do to me!?" The wolf was getting a little hysterical after the ordeal he had been put through The shopkeeper sneered and clapped his hands, causing a wooden easel to appear out of nowhere, the green shoes tappled in approval to this.

"Where to begin, Boy'o....well, let me show ye some visual aids..." He rapped on the blank pad of paper and with a wavering motion it began to show an animated short...only it was Crisp and his friends being featured.... "Well, once upon a time, this wolfen lad decided to steer his mates in the direction of our fair little town of Shanteray...knowing full well they would most likely get into some form of mischief or another..." He leaned on the easel, which impossibly held up his weight. "Mischief that is best left to the likes of the Little People...but of course, the little-minded pay no respect...mostly they are travelers from far-off lands...well, that'd be YOU." The shopkeep patted the board and it flashed to yesterday's first encounter.

"You and your little friends were jokin' about us wee folk...and not giving any of the legend their due...which is a slight to me especially, because I am the local Chanter...and well, tis my duty to make believers outta the non-believin'...."

"Alright, alright! I believe! I believe in everything about leprechauns and what they do! Now please get these damned things off my feet!" The wolf yelled as he wanted to get his

paws free. His pleas were met with a sinister snickering.

"Well, if it were simply that easy, boy, we would have been done with this and you would have gone along on yer merry way..." He walked on over and leaned on the throne, staring at the worried wolf. "But tis not that simple...not anymore.....you see while you were 'humoring' me and your pallies, they had stolen from me...I believe the skunk said he 'showed me mercy'...but then he and his little lizard boyfriend cleaned me out in a game of poker, you see...and th' funds they stole...well, if I had them I could have at least been not nearly as embarrassed...and then all of the disrespect and merrymaking at my expense..." He clutched the side of the chair until his knuckles turned white.

"Well...I was going to zap all of ye with some sort of whammy or what not...but really...I have something else planned for that trio...as for you, Sneaker-Boy....I feel that these are a trade-up...and ye shall be wearin' 'em for a good long while..." Crisps' green shoes began to tap excitedly of their own volition...

"Please! Just take these shoes off! I'll do whatever you want! Just stop the dancing!" The wolf kept pleading with the leprechaun, all the while the shoes were tapping away The shopkeeper tapped his chin for a few moments and then smirked at the wolf.

"No, I think not...you need to experience a little bit of folly for your actions and words..." He

stepped back and bade the wolf to rise...his green shoes pulling him out of the throne as he began to dance in place. "I sentence you, Mr. Crisps Wolfene, to The Wearin' of the Grin

Shoes...till a time I deem necessary to remove them...when I believe you've done your penance proper..." He rapped the easel and it disappeared in a puff of gold smoke. "If ye aim to circumvent this punishment, it is within your right to do so...criminals escape from their jails on a sadly frequent basis....just be bearin' in mind that if yer not a goooood little wolfen, then the grin will become ye...and yer woes will not be caused by a pair of shoes..."

"Wh...what do you mean? I don't understand! Just please take of these shoes!" The wolf kept trying to plead with the leprechaun even while the shoes were dancing him away from the throne. The imp tsked and shook his head.

---

"Understand this...if ye remove those shoes before it's time to be removin' them...then you're going to be in far worse trouble...and I won't remove 'em until it's time!" He laughed happily and began to stroll off in the opposite direction as Crisps began to dance toward an even thicker part of the woods, the twinkling from his green shoes provided brief flashes of light. The wolf continued to dance deeper and deeper into the woods against his will. Beads of sweat started to trickle down the side as the wolf was getting more and more exhausted with every tap step. He was losing sight of the village as the brush began to cover up the light coming from the village. "Man...I've got to think of someway to get these shoes off...otherwise I'm going to dance myself to death!"

The shoes refused to listen, however, and continued to carry Crisps further and further out...the village was nowhere to be found...and despite the rough footing the green shoes pranced and tapped over all rubble and manner of obstacles...keeping the wolf firmly on the path to who-knows-where...

"Ye may remove them, but the cost will be high, boy'o...for if ye shun the grin before its time, the grin becomes you forever..." The shopkeeper's words drifted back to Crisp's ears...but there was an air of warning to them...

"He's got to be bluffing...he may be a leprechaun, but I don't know what else he can to do me at this point...plus he'll be more focused on my friends to notice I'm not in these cursed green things..." Crisp tried to figure how he could get himself out of the shoes but all the terrain the shoes were taking him over was making it difficult for him to concentrate. That's when the idea hit him...if he could find a downhill slope or just even a hill for that matter, he could use the slope to produce enough force to kick the shoes off...even though he had trouble tugging them off before, he was sure he could kick harder than he could tug. First thing he had to do was try and get the shoes to take him to a hill. "Oh man...I'm so tired...the only thing that'd make this worse is having to dance uphill..."

As if responding to his wish, the green shoes began to prance upward along a steeper slope...though his legs burned, the footwear forced him to endure as they kept on dancing and continuing their festive journey. Things were going as planned for the wolf. He had to endure the walk for as long as he could until the shoes got him to the top and down the other side. Before long Crisps had danced to the summit of the hill, and his shoes remained dancing in place...taunting him as they jauntered along and around the summit...almost as if daring him to make the move he was planning....

"Alright," Crisp thought to himself. "Here goes nothing." Crisp let the shoes lead him slightly downhill before he decided to make his move. When the shoes had him life his right leg, that's when the young wolf decided he had to lift his right leg voluntarily along with the magic animating his cursed footwear. With this, he created enough force and kicked the right shoe clear off his paw and sent it flying into the brush. He had only a split second to act before the other shoe caught on to his plan so he quickly kicked his other leg as hard as he could and this sent the other shoe flying into the brush as well. The wolf kicked so fiercely that he spun himself down into the ground. When he regained composure, he looked down and saw that he could see his black and white paws again.

"Oh man...finally! Take that, you leprechaun! Now I gotta get back to my friends and warn them of that shopkeeper." The cruel imp smirked when he watched the wolf massaging his sore toes and paw pads...

"No No...Take THIS..." The leprechaun's voice taunted before it became ominous...

"Tis not wise to escape your punishment early, boy-o..." With terrifying speed and without any warning he pulled out a tiny sling and launched a glowing green peasack at his victim's paws...and upon exploding in a fine metallic green powder.

"What the!?!" Before the wolf could react, the dust was all over his paws. He was coughing and rubbing his eyes, trying to get a better view of things. "Wh...what did you do," he said while still trying to regain his coordinates. Crisps' assailant grinned evilly.

"I tried to warn ye, boy'o....I gave you a fair chance t' take yer punishment and be done with it...but alas...ye decided ye was above the law of the Wee Folk...and ye didn't heed my advice...for when you free yerself from the wearin' o' th' grin befere th' grin is done with ye...the grin becomes ye..." The leprechaun smiled wickedly as the wolfoid's paw pads slowly took on a silvery, metallic sheen, and his fur grew glossier and turned the shades finely-polished emerald, the new fur hues spreading a few inches until it came midway up his shins. Warmth and a near electric pulse coursed through his metallic paw-pads, which slid themselves into a position where they began to merrily tap of their own volition, sparkling subtlety.

"Ne'r again will ye resist the siren call of the music of aerie, and wher'ever they hear th' music's lure so shall they go...as will ye, fer the grin becomes ye...forev'r n' ev'r..." The imp held up the fiddle looped to his belt and smiled. "Now come 'long, silly boy-o...ye may as well entertain me for me troubles...." And he began to play his fiddle....

Crisp had just finished rubbing dust from his eyes and clearing his throat when he felt his feet start to tap all by themselves. He looked down in horror as to what had happened to his paws.

"N...no...oh no!" the wolf yelled in fright. The sensation was horrifically different...and this time Crisps' emerald paws started to tap and shuffle as they began to dance along side the leprechaun as he pranced about, playing his fiddle. Though he could still feel his pads as soft, they tapped and pattered as if they were made of steel and silver. Whatever magic had been used, however, made his paws seem particularly energetic, and their comfort pulsed up the wolf's legs...but it hardly provided any peace, for they rendered his legs tireless...and his paws continued to dance, following the Wee Folk who now had direly enchanted him....

"H...help! Someone help!" The wolf tried crying for help again though he was running out of breath again. He was thinking that this was it for him. Doomed to dance the rest of his life to the music of this horrible creature. The shopkeeper continued his jig and his song, meandering through the woods for hours before finally coming to the edge of town, it was late in the evening, and Crisps saw that the emerald glow from his paws were enough to see by...the leprechaun stopped playing, and like a wind-up toy ending its gears, Crisps' paws slowly stopped dancing, their emerald and silver coloration fading back to his natural fur and paw pads.

"Now I'm not entirely without mercy...as long as you hear no music, your paws will remain your own...but as soon as they hear the siren call of the music, they WILL be obedient to the tune...and ye will have no choice but to follow with them to the source." He grinned evilly.

"Also, ye might not want to be wearin' any shoes anymore...your paws will not like that...and will prance about feverishly to escape their confines, and then flee away with you..."

He placed his fiddle in his pocket and sighed.

"If the Wee Folk feel your penace is over, then they will allow the spell to fade...and maybe in a century of two you'll be rid...but Grin tends to last forever, especially with the shot I gave ye..." The wolf collapsed to the ground. While his paws still seemed to remain in good shape, the rest of his body was exhausted. He was panting heavily and was greatly tired.

"Please...no more...just...get rid of this curse..." Crisp used what little strength to try and plead for forgiveness before blacking out...

<<CHAPTER TWO>>