Part sixteen: The gremlin

• Rescue Imminent

  
  

  “I see the boat!” said Prince to Kelly excitedly, as he gazed at the distant horizon. “Maybe they spotted the smoke from the fireplace?”

  “Ring the school bell, quickly!” suggested Timothy, the good leprechaun-cobbler. “Perhaps they will hear us, even if they cannot see us, yet.”

  Kelly was ecstatic.

  “We’re going to be rescued. Maybe it’s my dad!”

  It was Tauren, the old gnome from the mine in the mountain. He had spotted smoke billowing from the chimney of the old schoolhouse. Being a dwarf, it had taken a long time for him to come down the mountain to Killarney and he still had to find a boat.

  From the boat, Tauren could still see smoke rising from the chimney, but it appeared that most of the old schoolhouse had broken up and been washed downstream. 

  “Am I too late?” Tauren asked himself. “Is this water deep enough for this boat? I am taking a risk going out there. I don’t want to be stranded, too.”

  “Oh, no,” he said, as the swift current caught his boat suddenly and almost flipped it over. Unable to control the direction of the boat, it headed downstream towards the river.

  Horrified, Kelly, Prince and Timothy watched what was happening. They realized they were not about to be rescued, as whoever was in the boat might need rescuing, too.    

  ”There are gremlins in Ireland said Timothy sadly. “But, I thought they only tampered with airplanes.”  

  “My dad will never stop looking for me, ” insisted Kelly.

  Prince remained silent.

  “If I had stayed a frog, I would be able to swim out and rescue them, too.”

  Suddenly, Timothy took on his magical, mini-leprechaun appearance and jumped up on top of the chimney. A bright light surrounded him, as he pulled off his leprechaun scarf and began waving it in the air.

  “Ship ahoy!” he hollered.

  Prince rang the school bell continuously.

  “Help!” yelled Kelly, as loud as she could.

  Suddenly, someone on the boat hoisted a white flag.

  “They have spotted us!” Timothy said, excitedly. “That boat is heading back towards the shore now, too. All is not lost.”