Broughall N.S. is a two teacher school near Kilcormac in Co. Offaly. Mrs. Hennessy's senior classes describe

"Gathering Acorns"

Ciarán was sure that he could smell smoke on the wind as he headed for Kildorka Woods, although when he turned round ,there was no sigh of anything suspicious. He thought it was just his imagination. As he walked on cautiously, the smell grew stronger.

Just then he felt a cold drop on the tip of his nose. It was beginning to rain. He looked up to check the evening sky and noticed a wispy spiral of smoke moving slowly as it mingled with water laden clouds. His curiosity aroused, he proceeded. Mrs Cannon and the nature table, and the acorns will just have to wait. What if there was someone in trouble. There could be a house on fire or someone trapped in a forest fire. He could rescue them and he would be a hero. He would be on t.v. and radio, he would get on the front page of the "Irish Times." Everyone would want his autograph. He might even get a medal from the president!

Just then heard a noise in the bushes. Nothing unusual about that, Kildorka wood is full of squirrels, foxes, badgers, rabbits and birds. But that it's familiar, It reminded him of something. It was getting dark and the rain was hard and slanting into his face. The smell was very strong now. He carefully parted the branches of a white thorn bush and he saw HIM. I thought that I could never get one step farther or I would fall. And then he spoke. "Hello laddie, you look as if you've just see ghost or something...

' By now Cìaran had recognised that familiar smell…it's the same tobacco Grandad Joe smokes - Murray's Yachtsman Plug. Ciarán rubbed his eyes in disbelief. A tiny little old man, wearing a green jacket, brown trousers and a tall green hat and puffing his pipe, stood in front of him.

"My name is Glasán Leiprechán, what's yours? " " I'm C...C.... C...Ciarán!" he croaked, still trembling from the shock of meeting one of little people. Bleep! Bleep! "Hang on a minute", it's my dad's mobile, said Ciarán. It was his mother looking for his father. "Hello. Ciarán is that you? What are you doing with your fathers mobile?" Eehh… I borrowed his coat. He must have left it in the pocket." "Ciarán, as I'm talking to you, come home. Your tea is ready. Bye!" "That was my mother," said Ciarán "I've to go now.

" Wait!" called Glasán, "Meet me tomorrow at sunrise. On the south bank of the river Óir." "OK" Ciaran replied "I'll be there." Ciarán went home. When he got there his mother had his tea on the table. It was his favourite, curried chicken. He gulped it down then he wet to watch t.v. His favourites programme "The Simpsons" that he had taped from the night before. Then he checked the soccer results on aertel. He wet to bed.

He slept uneasily. The next morning he woke at dawn and sneaked out to meet his new found friend. The only sound he heard as he cycled down the road was Jack Feighery's cows as they ambled towards the milking parlour and the click, click of the robotic milker at work It was light when he reached the river bank .A small body splashed about in the waters of the Óir. It was Glasán.

In the blink of an eye he was standing beside Ciarán, now fully dressed ". Well laddie you see, it is a sad story I have for ye …see that tree over yonder It has been our home for many a generation It will be chopped down before night falls. I need your help. "What could Ciarán do.

He had heard about the new air strip south of Ballybridge The power station had been in the news recently and engineers from Germany were visiting the station regularly An airstrip would make travelling faster but what about Glasán and the little people?… They would be homeless…

Unless… another chance to be a hero! "Let it rip" shouted Ciarán as he jumped on his bike and sped home. He raced in the door and he pulled Catríona out of bed. She was moaning about how it was so early in the morning. He threw her clothes at her and told her to get dressed "and quickly" he added. All the time she was asking "where are we going?" "There is no time now I'll tell you on the way" he replied.

They grabbed their bikes and went into Ballybridge to look for the rest of the Aces. They held an emergency meeting " They're going to cut down the old oak tree we were planing to build a tree house in "Ciarán told them. "Dennis, Mark, Jennifer, go to the Radio Lár Tíre and tell them about the tree. Declan, Mary, Danny, Brenda, come with Catríona and me. We've got some foresters to stop!

They cycled as fast as they could back to the tree. They could hear voices. "Quick" said Ciaran "they're in the wood" Ciarán and the Aces cycled around the tree. "Stop", shouted Ciaran, "You can't cut down that tree. It's the oldest living thing in the forest."

"Look kids said the forester, I'm only doing my job. So get out of my way." "No way" said Catriona. "She's right ",said a voice from behind them. "It's an outrage that the tree is going to be cut down; it was there long before I was born and it should be left there long after I die."

They all turned around. It was the twins Grandad Joe. "I heard about this on the radio." One by one people came from Ballybridge and they all agreed that the tree should not be cut down. "Get out of my way or I'm calling the gardai", said the forester .No one moved. When the gardai arrived they explained to the crowd that it was perfectly legal to cut down the tree.

"That's a rotten law", said a voice from up in the tree. It was Glasán. "I hoped I wouldn't have to do this but you're just too stubborn", he said . He muttered something then raised his hands in the air.

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