Darby O'Gill and the Good People

Written a century ago, Darby O’Gill and the Good People recounts scampish Darby O’Gill’s wild, improbable adventures with fairies, leprechauns, ghosts, a banshee, a headless coachman, and his friend Brian Connors, the irrepressible King of the Fairies. Then there’s Darby’s shrewish wife Bridget, along with their six children and brave Fr. Cassidy, their parish priest.

In one story, Fr. Cassidy accuses the king of being a friend of Satan, provoking a lively debate between the king and the crusty old priest. Ultimately they discover, as all true Irishmen do, that more unites than divides them: “I came yer inemy,” says Fr. Cassidy, “but I’m convarted. I’ll go back yer friend.” You’ll also hear (among other interesting things) the rest of the story of the war in heaven between the good and bad angels and how it brought the fairies to Ireland, where they live in mischief today.

Newly illustrated by Ted Schluenderfritz.