BY ELLA PERCIVAL

 

A classic, Paddy’s Pot of Gold takes me straight back to family holidays driving through County Cork with the whole family enthralled by the genius story-teller and magic-tale-weaver that is Dick King Smith. A tale of friendship, adventure and sadness and a perfect read for St Patrick’s Day.

It’s probably at least 10 years since I last listened to this audiobook (available through Worcestershire Libraries and sadly out of print elsewhere) but a flick through its pages brings the story flooding back. Just less than 100 pages or a few hours of in-car listening, it is a story that can be read, or heard, over and over without getting old.

The friendship and adventures of the amusing and quite adult character of Paddy (who is – of course – a leprechaun), and Brigid, the young daughter of a traditional farming family, is the driving force of the story. Set on a farmyard, as much of King-Smith’s stories are, it tells of kindness, animals and magic. The Irish lilt in which the story is written (and read) brings to life the 174 year-old Patrick Victorious Wellington Right Handed O’Reilly (PVWRH O’Reilly for short and Paddy to his friends) and, as the two battle foxes and financial ruin, they learn a lot of life, adventure and friendship but the question remains – where is Paddy’s pot of gold?

In his oh-so-elegant way King-Smith brings us onto serious subjects ranging from the history of Ireland, the importance of friendship and the loss of a loved one. It is this that struck my parents when listening to Dick King-Smith with us – the beautiful balance of fantasy and real life. “It’s like life”, according to my mother. And it really is – sadness and reality as well as fantasy and the unexpected. It captures what is true not just of childhood, but of growing up. Paddy’s is a story for children and adults alike. It’s not simply a story to put down but one to learn from, to relish and to listen to countless times until you, like Brigid, have to grow up.

 

This book was published by Puffin and is available to buy for £7.20 from Amazon.co.uk. It can also be borrowed from The Hive as well as other Worcestershire libraries. Click here to check availability and check it out.