Fred the Elfling here and we're talking to Tiffany Clarke about Leprechauns. Tiffany is not a Leprechaun, right?

Tiffany: Right. I'm a human college student, a biology major. I'm doing some research on fairy folk and my friends thought it would good to go meet a few leprechauns.

Fred: Great, sounds fascinating. An opportunity not every college girl has. So what did you learn?

Tiffany: They pinch. They seem to like redheads.

Fred: Hmm. Ok. Did you learn anything else? Did they grant you any wishes?

Tiffany: No, and as I'm studying fairy folk, I'm learning to be careful about that story about granting wishes. If a fairy creature offers to grant you a wish it's probably meant as a favor than a wish in the sense that they will make you a giant or something. That can be valuable all the same, but it's probably a bit less dramatic than you might think. For example in one reliable story of Genii granting a 'wish' to a fisherman for gold, the Genii doesn't actually snap his fingers and produce a pile of gold, but he does tell the fisherman about a treasure which ultimately does make the fisherman quite well off, if not a billionaire.

Fred: Interesting, so what else can you tell us about leprechauns? Are they all in Ireland with pots of gold? Where should I go to find a leprechaun?

Tiffany: It may very well be talking to one now.

Fred: Where?

Tiffany: I mean you Fred.

Fred: What?!? I'm an elfling not a leprechaun.

Tiffany: What do we really know about Leprechauns? They are short humanoids with limited magical abilities. “Leprechaun” basically means small-boddied in old Irish. We tend to think of Leprechauns living in Ireland, but is there really a lot of difference between the short humanoid magical creatures that make shoes or work for Santa Clause or live in Ireland? The Leprechauns are linked to elves and the Tuatha De Danann in Irish Folklore. Elflings are also linked to the migrations of the trooping faeries. Is it really such a stretch to think that we're talking about one species here?

Fred: We don't dress alike.

Tiffany: Actually there are reports of Leprechauns wearing both Red and Green. So really they don't dress all that differently from Christmas Elves. I don't know you're part of the same species but it's highly suggestive.

Fred: Doesn't the scientific test for that involve some sort of mating ritual? That might have some promise as a pick up line.

Tiffany: I did NOT suggest that.

Fred: Great, this may have been one of the more productive interviews. I'll have to go try some of that Green beer. Till next time everyone!

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