THE
BRADLEY BEACH LEPRECHAUN
TOLD
TO W. E. MAY IN 1967
BY
MY GREAT GRANDMOTHER FLORENCE MCCALL
The story of The
Bradley Beach Leprechaun It is said that every Leprechaun has a pot
of gold, hidden deep in the land. The story of the leprechaun in
Bradley Beach dates back to the time before the borough was founded.
It was said that the McCall family and the Wallace family were having
a get together at the home of Mrs. Wallace in the north end of Ocean
Park. The McCall children were outside playing when the oldest boy
said did you see that, about this time the oldest Wallace boy came
out to play and said John I think that was the local leprechaun was
he clad in a red or green coat. John the oldest McCall boy said yes I
think he was a old man with a red coat on but he was very small and
looked to be partaking in some mischief. John said lets find him and
James agreed so before their parents could stop them they were off to
find the wee person at the beach. The boys leading the rest of the
children down to Cooks beach where the story turns scarey they find a
small hole the size of a small child near the pines at the most
westerly end of the beach. John and James each have a beach shovel
with them and the younger children each have a pail. James starts to
dig around the hole and John says I think my sister could fit down
that hole but his little sister is scared of the dark and runs home.
John and James are sure that the hole leads to the place where the
leprechaun buried his pot of gold so they keep digging and digging
till they have a hole the size of a small pool but they still did not
find the pot of gold. Now their little sister gets home and tells the
elders about what is going on Mr. Wallace and Mrs McCall head to the
beach only to find the children walking up cook avenue tired and
dirty, Alonzo Wallace says to his oldest son what have you done this
time. I have told you that there is no sough thing as a leprechaun
and now you have taken our guests children and have them believing in
the story of the leprechaun at the beach.
Many years later
Bradley Beach is now a small little seashore community with many
tales of buried treasurer the story most know is that of the
famous pirate
Captain Kidd buried treasure which some think is still buried here
today. But in my family the story of The Bradley Beach Leprechaun
still holds true in our minds and hopefully the minds of many more
generations of McCall, Wallace ,Malchow and May families. So each
year on the same day about the same time with a shovel and a couple
of pail the descendents of McCall’s and The Wallace's would meet at
Cooks beach now known as Newark Avenue beach and search for the pot
of gold left by The Bradley Beach Leprechaun. Today not many show up
and we all know that someday the only thing remaining about The
Bradley Beach Leprechaun will be the folk tale and stories.
 |
The Bradley Beach
Leprechaun
|
My Great
Grand Father John McCall
Could he be the Leprechaun
