The Shamrogues

by Patrick Meehan

  The Shamrogues

  Second Challenge

  Patrick Meehan

  &

  Niall Spratt

  Orpen Press

  Lonsdale House

  Avoca Ave

  Blackrock

  Co. Dublin

  Ireland

  e-mail: info@orpenpress.com

  www.orpenpress.com

  First published 1991, reprinted 1991.

  © Patrick Meehan and Niall Spratt, 2012

  Illustrations © Eamonn Elliot and Martin O’Grady

  ISBN: 978-1-871305-58-6

  ePub ISBN: 978-1-871305-73-9

  Kindle ISBN: 978-1-871305-74-6

  A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior, written permission of the publisher.

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

  For Eamonn Elliott

  About the Shamrogues…

  In the previous children’s novel called The Shamrogues: First Challenge, a band of five tiny creatures were called upon to save our floundering environment. If you have read it, you will know that they were, long ago, originally five different types of stone. Caffa, high druid of Ireland, had been commanded to give up his great power and vast knowledge of Nature’s ways. Calling a council of druids, he magically brought the stones to life and gave them the accumulated wisdom of ages past. Whisking them away to the ancient mound of Newgrange on the banks of the River Boyne, he gave the created creatures their names and duties.

  The quartzite whitish stone became Trom, The Wise One, and leader of the group. The yellow stone he named Croga, The Brave, who protects the others. Then there is Sona, The Optimist, who is of pink granite and is always happy. Caffa called the piece of Connemara marble Glic, The Smart One. And, finally, the piece of blue Liscannor stone became Gorum, The Thinker, who must always consider things before any of his companions undertake a task.

  After further instructions, Caffa turned them back to stone and concealed them in a hidden chamber in Newgrange. Then the old Druid left a message, in the form of a magic spell, on a nearby Ogham stone.

  Fifteen hundred years later (nowadays!), three children, Conor, Sinéad and Niamh, come across the Ogham stone. With the message deciphered, they go to Newgrange on the morning of the winter solstice and chant the magic spell. Amazed, they watch as the five tiny creatures emerge from the mound. This was the start of the Shamrogue’s magical mission to help save our ailing Planet Earth. Having completed three tasks in the first exciting novel, the Shamrogues are now back to tackle more environmental problems with their very own special brand of Magical Mayhem!

  Contents

  Chapter One: Tree Planting

  Chapter Two: Discovery

  Chapter Three: The Rock and Bone Man

  Chapter Four: Rogue Rhymes

  Chapter Five: Fly by Night

  Chapter Six: Greedy Fools

  Chapter Seven: Battle Stations!

  Chapter Eight: Magical Mayhem!

  Chapter Nine: Magical Dawn

  Chapter Ten: Croga’s Boast

  Chapter Eleven: Parting Gifts

  Chapter Twelve: Bon Voyage!

  Chapter Thirteen: Onward…Ho!

  Chapter Fourteen: The New-Killer

  Chapter Fifteen: Mystical Chamber

  Epilogue

  About the Book

  Chapter One

  Tree Planting

  The huge passage grave of Newgrange was bathed in glorious sunshine that sometimes accompanies the months of spring. But, deep inside the monument, the secret chamber where the Shamrogues lived was dark and gloomy. Trom, leader of the small band of five magical creatures, stroked his long white beard and listened anxiously for sounds that would herald the return of two of his followers. He looked at Gorum and Croga who had remained with him and noted their calmness. They were both enjoying a deep sleep!

  “It’s always the same with me,” he reflected. “I worry too much when Sona and Glic are out and about. But they can be such mischievous rascals when they’re in each other’s company.”

  Just then, the welcome noise of tiny pebble feet running through the long tunnel that led from outside broke into his thoughts. Trom breathed a sigh of relief and waited as a single word was chanted over and over again: “PICNIC…PICNIC…PICNIC…”

  The boisterous echoes approached and filled the hollowness of the stone chamber.

  Gorum and Croga awoke confused and wondered what all the commotion was. They rubbed their eyes and blinked with surprised expressions at one another and then at Trom.

  “It’s just our young wanderers returning,” he said. “I think they’ve learned a new word.”

  Glic and Sona arrived to join the others. “PICNIC…PICNIC…PICNIC…” they continued and tussled playfully before breaking into roars of laughter.

  “Harump!” Trom commanded to quieten the pair.

  Sudden silence followed, and the two appeared a little downcast. They shuffled uneasily, but said nothing to interrupt their leader. “Harump!” was his word for “Stop and settle down.” He eyed them from beneath raised bushy eyebrows that were as white as his beard. Shamrogues can see perfectly even in pitch darkness, such is their power.

  “Now,” Trom went on in slightly stern tones. “What does all this fuss mean? And who or what is PICNIC…?”

  “We’ve been with our friends, Niamh, Sinéad and Conor,” said Sona. “The children are going on an outing with their parents to plant an oak tree. They want to replace the one that was blown down in the big storm last year. Remember? They found the Ogham stone under the torn-up roots in the crater. The stone that summoned us from the past? Well, they’re going to plant it in a nearby forest and they want us to go along. Niamh said we can travel in her rucksack, like we did before when we visited the big city. The new tree will also mark Sinéad’s birthday; she’s ten years of age today.”

  “And the picnic,” Glic said impatiently. “They’re going to have a meal out in the open, and that’s what they call it… a picnic. It’s a wonderful idea on a day such as this. The weather is beautiful and mild… and… and…”

  Trom raised a hand. “Slow down, can’t you?”

  “Yes,” Gorum insisted. “Trips such as this are not to be undertaken lightly. We have to consider everything first.”

  Gorum was always cautious and even a little nervous when it came to trying out new things. He never failed to advise the others whenever he thought the occasion suited his words of wisdom.

  Croga spoke for the first time since Glic and Sona had entered the chamber. “There’s no need to be such an old worrier, Gorum,” she said. “The idea doesn’t sound at all bad to me. We’ve been cooped up here for ages and could do with a break.” Croga adjusted the large bow in her red hair before standing and stretching to her full height of twelve centimetres. Folding her arms, she tapped the toe of one of her pebble feet on the hard ground and looked at the others in turn.

  “I’m inclined to agree with Croga,” Trom said. And then, not wanting to hurt Gorum’s feelings, he added, “Of course, we will have to take the usual care as suggested. It makes very good sense.”

  “Hooray,” Sona said, beaming as she always did when she heard happy news.

  “PICNIC… PICNIC…” Glic chimed. “Now we
can visit the marvellous forest that the children told us about! We’ll all have great fun.”

  Gorum got to his feet. “Hmm. I suppose it is a good idea to replace that ancient oak, for there can never be enough trees. Well, we need to make plans. Where do we meet the children, for starters?”

  “Behind their barn at noon,” Sona said.

  “Right,” Trom announced. “Let’s get going then.”

  A little while later, the Shamrogues stepped from the gap between the massive kerbstones that surround Newgrange and made their way across the lush green fields to meet Niamh, Sinéad and Conor. The children were overjoyed to see Trom lead the merry group of tiny creatures to their planned meeting place.

  “We could have used some of our magic to transport us here,” Trom explained on greeting the children. “But the weather is so fine and it is probably better we keep our powers at full strength in case we should be forced to use them at short notice.”

  Niamh, who was still only eight, put her rucksack on the soft earth to allow them to climb inside. The Shamrogues settled in at the bottom and made themselves as comfortable as they could.

  “Our father was given the tree sapling by a friendly forestry worker,” she explained as they went to her father’s car. “We’re going to bring it to Coillduff Forest. It’s not very far away. We hope it grows to be the mightiest oak in the whole country.”

  “Shush,” Sinéad warned as she saw their mother and father come out of the house. “No talking until we’re safely in the forest.”

  “Yes,” Conor whispered. “And remember, you Shamrogues can turn back into stones if you have to.”

  The three children sat into the back seat of the car, Niamh holding the rucksack on her knees in the middle. She smiled happily as they took off down the driveway. Going on yet another adventure was a very pleasing experience indeed.

  Coillduff Forest came into view around a curve of the roadway and the children felt the excitement take hold of them in earnest. The valley they entered was wild and beautiful, the trees dressing the hillsides in a green mantle. Already the fresh perfume of new growth wafted into the car through an open window. Niamh realised the Shamrogues were wriggling with anticipation to get out.

  About halfway along the valley, Mr Kelly turned onto a woodland track that snaked uphill, deep into the very heart of the forest.

  “Stop fussing with that rucksack, Niamh,” her mother said, looking over her shoulder. “You’re always the one to carry extra baggage. What in heaven’s name have you brought along? I packed a hamper for all the family.”

  “We just brought a rug, Mam,” Sinead said. “And Niamh brought some stones to hold it in place, in case there’s a breeze blowing about.”

  Her mother smiled. “Well, aren’t you the right pair to be lugging stuff around, and the whole forest floor littered with stones. I made sure to bring the picnic rug along with me, so you needn’t have bothered. Well, here we are.”

  Conor nudged Niamh to keep quiet. There had already been enough said.

  They drove into a wide open clearing which was grassy and secluded, but where the sun shone brilliantly. It was a wonderful place to stop, with the hardwood trees all round preventing even the slightest breeze from disturbing the sweet smell lingering there.

  “Let’s have a quick look around,” Sinead said. “It’s so nice here.” Niamh carried the rucksack on her back. When the children were out of earshot of their parents, she promised she would let the Shamrogues out soon.

  “About time,” Glic grumbled. “The inside of this bag is most uncomfortable.”

  “Hmff,” Trom snorted. “We can wait a little while longer if need be.”

  No sooner had Trom spoken than their mother called the children. “OK, why don’t you lay out the rug you brought, and then you can help me with the picnic things.”

  “Let’s perform our tree planting ceremony first,” their father said, taking a spade from the boot of the car. The oak sapling followed next, its roots embedded in a ball of damp clay and wrapped in canvas.

  “There’s no sense in distressing this plant any further. Let’s get it into the ground, and then we can have our picnic beside it.”

  Their father chose a suitable spot where the tree would have the best possible chance of growing, and stuck the tip of the spade into the ground. He quickly dug a hole that was both wide and deep enough to take the rootball, and then removed the canvas wrapping. Having teased out the roots, he smiled and said to Sinéad, “You’d better have the pleasure of the final planting.”

  As Sinéad put the finishing touches to the earth at the base of the tree, her mother began to sing “Happy Birthday”. They all joined in and the clearing echoed with their voices.

  Sinéad felt a little embarrassed as she stood and listened to the song in the centre of the great forest.

  “Now we have finished with the tree planting and the singing, we can start our picnic,” their mother said. “Niamh, take that rucksack off and sit down for goodness sake.”

  Niamh did as she was told. Conor and Sinéad watched, concern written on their faces and their hearts pounding. Should anything go wrong on this day of all days? But then, what could possibly happen?

  Their mother produced a birthday cake that was a surprise to all of them — and with ten candles too! As she was about to place it on the rug, a sudden movement in the rucksack gave her a start and almost made her drop the cake. She gasped, eyes wide in amazement, as a bluish coloured stone rolled from the bag and into the middle of the rug.

  “Goodness!” she exclaimed as her husband came to join the party carrying a tray of sweets and other goodies.

  “What’s the matter, dear?” the children’s father asked.

  Their mother laid the cake down and picked up the stone. “This just rolled out of Niamh’s rucksack. Perhaps a small animal crept in while we weren’t looking.”

  The three children were filled with panic in case their parents might find out their secret, but they needn’t have worried in the least.

  “There’s just four coloured stones in here,” said their father. “I can see why Niamh likes them so much. They’re very pretty.” He grinned at the children. “Must have been the sloping ground that caused the stone to move. You might as well put these on the corners, just in case the rug decides to slip away in the same fashion.”

  He handed the bag to them and the Shamrogues, using their stone disguises, were taken out into the daylight.

  As he put the yellow stone down, who was in reality Croga, Conor could have sworn he saw a tiny arm emerge. But just as quickly it disappeared into the stone again and he swallowed a big gulp of air and shook his head with relief. A large glass of sparkling lemonade helped him get his breath back and the picnic was underway at last.

  As they enjoyed the feast, something lovely happened: a pair of red deer silently entered the clearing without noticing the happy family until they were quite close. The children were overawed by the beauty of the animals. There was a long moment while both humans and deer stared at one another. Blinking their eyes gracefully, the animals stopped grazing, turned and sauntered away into the forest once more.

  The children’s father watched the deer go out of sight before speaking. “Two females, or does as they’re called. There’s probably a large stag nearby, though he would be nowhere near as large as the Irish Elk who used to live long ago. They had massive antlers that could measure as much as three and a half metres across. Unfortunately, they are no longer to be seen, because they’re now extinct.”

  “The Shamrogues would have seen them,” Niamh thought.

  “Would you mind if we went exploring a little further into the forest,” Conor asked their parents. “We won’t go too far.”

  “That’s not a bad idea,” their father agreed. “And I want to put some mesh around our young sapling. There are many animals that eat plants before they get established, including the deer we’ve just seen, not to mention rabbits, goats or straying sheep. S
o, go on, and be back in an hour.”

  “Oh, we wouldn’t want to be left behind!” Sinéad joked.

  “I’ll just bring the rug and the stones in case we want to sit down for a while,” Niamh said, packing the rucksack in a hurry. There was no time to be wasted if the Shamrogues were going to enjoy a walk in the forest. As she placed Trom inside, he popped an eye open and winked at her. “What a lovely day it’s turning out to be,” she thought.

  Chapter Two

  Discovery

  Conor, Niamh and Sinéad followed a well-beaten track and were soon a fair bit away from the clearing. Gazing around to check they were completely alone, they scanned the tall trees and thick undergrowth. When they were certain that no prying eyes were watching, they let the Shamrogues out of the rucksack and onto the stump of a stricken elm tree that had been cut down because of a disease that had also blighted many others.

  Glic immediately stooped and rubbed a hand over the decaying timber. “Plants are a specialty of mine,” he said. “Had we come to this forest when this tree was still standing, I may have been able to save it. But now time has passed and I am powerless to help. Perhaps I might come across another one!” For someone who was usually giddy, he sounded sad.

  “Not to worry,” Trom said in a low voice. “The day is young yet. I’m sure we will meet many others you can be of aid to. Now, children, where shall we go from here?”

  Niamh answered for the others. “Well, we don’t have a lot of time, so we can’t afford to get lost. Let’s follow this trail further.”

  “Wonderful suggestion,” Sona said and leaped to the ground. Her tiny body was almost lost in the deep pile of decayed leaves that had turned to powdery loam on the forest floor. “Soft as whispers,” she said, getting to her feet and brushing herself down.

  The other Shamrogues followed in turn and stood at ankle height beside the three children. The forest canopy was far above their heads.

  “We could carry you, if you like,” Conor offered.