St. Patrick’s legend comes alive in charming new children’s book

Just in time for the feast of Ireland’s most popular saint comes a delightful new children’s book entitled “St. Patrick and the Three Brave Mice.”

Author Joyce A. Stengel combines two popular themes in contemporary children’s literature — animals and ethnic folklore — to weave a heartwarming yet humorous tale about a resourceful young mouse named Tulla and her plan to help the legendary late third century saint rid ancient Eire of its last slithering reptile.

“When I decided to write something for St. Patrick’s Day, I read his biography and the legends that developed about him,” says Stengel in an e-mail interview from her Connecticut home. “I understand that the snake legend is a metaphor for St. Patrick driving the pagans from Ireland, as snakes were used in pagan worship.

“And who would be happier to see the snakes gone than mice, their victims?”

In the story, Tulla scampers from her nest one dark, sleepless night, hoping to enjoy a peaceful evening running across the vale and up her favorite hill. All of a sudden, the rodent’s peace is interrupted by a slithering snake making its way from the forest in the thick grass.

The sly creature — the last snake in Ireland and the only one clever enough to escape St. Patrick and his miraculous bell — has a passion for dining on fresh mice.

Will Tulla be the reptile’s next meal? She certainly hopes not.

Tulla quietly follows the crafty snake when all of a sudden, the slithering reptile discovers an old man sleeping under a large tree with a shiny golden bell by his side. The wise little rodent realizes that the man is St. Patrick, who is about to encounter a visit from an unwelcome guest in the form of a cunning snake.

With her whiskers quivering in the moonlight, the frightened mouse watches the clever snake steal St. Patrick’s bell, by stuffing it with bits of grass so it wouldn’t ring and wake its tired owner. When the snake finished the tiring chore, it slid its tail through the bell’s handle and quickly made off with the glittery treasure.

Despite her fear, Tulla devises a plan and quickly gains the support of her two well-fed friends, Ryan and Brian, who help return the bell to its rightful owner and assist St. Patrick to rid the Emerald Isle of its last snake.

“St. Patrick and the Three Brave Mice” is beautifully illustrated by Herb Leonhard, whose colorful landscapes of the Irish countryside and detailed portraits of St. Patrick bring Stengel’s carefully chosen words to life. Quickly turning the pages, the reader can almost hear the enterprising mice speaking softly with a gentle Irish brogue as they devise their plan to help the legendary saint.

Children of all ages and adults who enjoy Irish lore and a “wee bit of blarney” will enjoy this charming tale about this legendary saint and important figure in the early church and history of the Emerald Isle. The book is available at local bookstores and on amazon.com.