Ireland: The Rooster and the Four-Leaf Clover
A long time ago in Dingle, an annual fair drew people from all over the region. Among the attractions was a showman who made a rooster walk uphill, dragging behind it what appeared to be a heavy beam tied to its leg. Crowds flocked to witness this miracle and paid a penny to see it.
One day, an old man arrived in town carrying a load of rushes on his back. He was astonished to see the crowd gathered around the man and his rooster, as he could only see a rooster dragging a single straw. Confused, he thought everyone had lost their minds and began talking to some of the onlookers to ensure he wasn’t imagining things.
“Don’t you see the wonder?” they exclaimed. “Don’t you see the rooster dragging an enormous and heavy beam?”
“Nonsense,” the old man grumbled. “It’s just dragging a straw. What’s so miraculous about that?”
An argument quickly broke out. The showman overheard and approached the old man. Taking him aside, he asked how much he wanted for the load of rushes he was carrying. The old man named a price—though it’s unclear whether it was high or low—but the showman paid it without hesitation, even giving him double the amount.
As soon as the showman relieved the old man of his load of rushes, the old man began to doubt his own senses. Now, he too saw a heavy beam tied to the rooster’s leg. He waved his hand in front of his eyes, but the beam remained. Bewildered, the old man left the town, unable to make sense of reality anymore.
He never realized that among the rushes he had carried on his back was a four-leaf clover. As long as he had it, he could see the truth.
