In March 2003, partly to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, and partly to honor his 20 years of faithful service as one of the Denver Broncos' most beloved and popular boosters, these Dark Chambers chose as our March 2003 Bonus Link none other than Rocky the Colorado Leprechaun! Glen Scott Brougham first created the character in 1979, in part as a promotional service for the Colorado State Lottery. Nearly 30 years later, Rocky has become a Denver icon --- a permanent fixture in Denver's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, as well as an eminent Bronco booster, in the tradition of his equally legendary colleague, Tim (The Barrel Man) McKernan. Yet at the same time, he has visited hospitals and nursing homes, spearheaded several of his own fundraising events for local charities, and has even written his own collection of original poetry. Through it all, he has never wavered from his never-ending journey of making everyone, the children especially, giggle with delight.

As New York's Mage, I remain honored to be able to share with you the wonderful saga of how the magic of the Rainbow led to Rocky's being granted the name that has been an integral part of his life ever since. With that in mind, not to mention with his permission, and with his text slightly adapted for grammatical correctness, as it were, your Dragonmaster is pleased to present, in his own words:

y name is Rocky, and I'm a Leprechaun. Us Wee Folk normally have just one name, with the exception of our Elders and our High Chieftain, all of whom have earned their last names. I share my home in the forests of Colorado with a wonderful assortment of Elves, Faeries and other Woodland beings. Together, we all live in a special region of Colorado we call Magic Mountain. It's called that, of course, because those who live there are --- well, magical!

But I'm here because I want to share with you the true story of how I came to wear this particular rainbow on me shoulders --- the one that gave me me very own name! Now, 'tis said that Leprechauns, as a rule, are always magical. Now, I'm not the first to admit it to any of ye Mortals, for whom we must obviously be a sight to behold, but I do know that Leprechauns do believe in the power of Magic. We see it every day that we're alive!

As they grow, each young Leprechaun boy or girl learns the wonders of the forest. By seeing those wonders, they slowly begin seeing the magic within themselves. That magic grows with practice until, when they're full-grown, they can do all sorts of wondrous things. It's always been a part of our heredity to be able to claim proficiency at the gifts given us all by Mother Nature.

Our ancestors first appeared in the country of Ireland. I guess that's the place where all Leprechauns come from, really. Our love for the world's forests has sent us popping in and out of various regions throughout the Planet that are world-renowned for their magic and beauty. And when I was young, I, too, had a desire to see some of those wonderful places. It was said that I was blessed with the gift of inner sight more than most Leprechauns my age; indeed, no matter where I looked, folks used to say that I could always find a rainbow in hiding. It didn't take long before I began to develop a fascination with rainbows.

In time, the fascination became an obsession, and my days were flooded with anticipation when I searched for them --- and attainment when I discovered them. As I grew, so did my magic, which I found to be increasingly helpful with my searchings; and it was then that I began to discover that there was a world that existed beyond Magic Mountain and her safe forests, and I wasted no time expressing my wish to pursue their wonders wherever rainbows coud be found.

But the Elders warned me about the dangers of the World Beyond. According to legend, the Humans had written up stories of how we Leprechauns had pots of gold, and that the lust of Humankind could prove threatening, even to one as innocent as myself. Aye, we still do save and gather gold, but we only do so for its its lovely color, and for no other reason. There has never been any real lust for gold amonst us Leprechauns, for we have long known its worth. Besides, gold is easily created with a little Leprechaun magic to begin with.

And there were other dangers as well: not every big animal is aware of the kindness of us Leprechauns. I knew I could count on my ability to shrink and enlarge meself at will. This would allow me to communicate with them, if they would but listen. Sometimes, one of the problems of this Life is that if a person is unaware of magical ways, they'll never hear the music or experience the wonder that Magic has to offer.

Travelling would be no problem, either: I could pop in and out at will during my journeys at any given moment, allowing me the chance to knapsack it through the forest. If any obstacles ever came to me, I could summon my magic at any split-second.

And so, I bid a fond farewell to friends and family. I had no idea how long I'd be gone from the safety and comforts of Magic Mountain. But the lure of exploring new places was quite a strong force...... Still, it was time to go.

Reaching a small waterfall, I sat in its mists. At just the precise moment, a beam of sunlight hit them..... and a rainbow appeared. Wasting no time, I sat in its glow on a moss-covered rock. As I closed my eyes, I imagined a glorious waterfall flooded with rainbows. One moment later, I opened my eyes .... and found meself staring at a towering waterfall, tall and magnificent. The sensations within me grew in intensity as I stared at a glowing rainbow within the mists. Somehow, I had opened myself up to the amazements that only Mother Nature could provide.

I decided to descend into the mists near the base of the falls. Here, you could hear the thunderous sounds of the ever-plunging waters. And there was a miracle beyond my wildest imaginings: two beautiful rainbows encircling me, while a third spanned the very chasm of the falls. It was here, in this protective rainbow bubble, that I enjoyed my first fruits and day-cakes. I just sat there, immersing meself in rainbow hues and dripping, pounding waters. This was truly a rainbow day fer sure!

Upon leaving the falls, I soon set up camp in the nearby woods, making sure I was nowhere near the coming sunrise as I sought out a rainbow in the dawn. Throughout the night, the water's songs played and the moonglows cast their light over my little campsite. Those rainbows even surrounded the fireflies' lights, as did the sparks of the little fire I had created. I was growing more and more aware.

With the next morning's dawn, I noticed that the dew had fallen on everything --- the grass, the flowers, the branches. As the first warming rays of the sunlight touches those precious droplets, they were set aglow with wee rainbow sparkles. Even the spiderwebs were shining like pearls on silken thread. I soon washed the Dreamdust from me eyes with the rainbow's iridescent hues; how refreshing their newness was!

After some warming brew and day-cake, I returned to the chasm of the falls. There, as I had anticipated, the rainbows appeared.

Sure, and if one never looks for a rainbow, he or she will never find their color unless it's by chance, I've always said. There are always wonders for the soul who opens up and goes to seek the rainbow. And having seen these particular beauties, I thought to myself: Surely, there can be no place where rainbows can sparkle like these dewdrops and falls. I thought a lot about this as I munched contentedly on fresh berries and day-cakes, washed down with rainbow dewdrops. What a breakfast that was! I then sat down to meditate on a place even more twinkling than this: In a flash, the thunder of the falls was replaced with the pounding of the sea.

At the seashore, the day was clear and bright. The waves marched in like rows of soldiers, restless, ever relentless. At the edge of the water line, a sea foam was tossed and caught. Here, glistening from the edges of the waves, are me million rainbows, dancing at the waves' command as though they were a ribbon of diamonds! As I walked to the shoreline toward the rocks where the waves broke, I noticed more rainbows being born. At that point, I just sat there and watched Nature exhort her heartbeat. I just felt so observant and grand.......

How wonderful the sea was! It went out forever! Beyond the shore, I noticed a small boat skipping the waves; her sail was decorated with a rainbow. My excitement then knew no bounds! Could the Humans know of rainbow magic, too? Yes, my passion for rainbows had emboldened me; and accordingly, I decided to attempt to contact the Humans who were sailing in the boat. Rendering meself invisible, I popped aboard. I landed on the bow of the little boat, the seaspray awash in me hair. The mists gave the sailboat what I like to call "rainbow bumpers." To my surprise, the Humans took no notice of them. i walked about and caught several glints from a mirror's edge. There were rainbows aboard, but again, the Humans had failed to notice them. I felt disappointed. I had hoped that the Humans knew of rainbow magic. The fact that a rainbow was festooned on one of their sails was a start.

Returning to the shore, I pondered these creatures who had rainbows, and yet were incapable of realizing their magic. I must learn more of these Humans. These Big Folk, as we Leprechauns often call Humans, were quite a mystery to me. And so I developed a plan.

On I drifted, seeing rainbows intertwining and forming new colors. When I next opened my eyes, I found meself standing on a busy street in the Human city known as Denver, Colorado. Though I was still invisible, I nonetheless was forced to hide, as I was not used to all this hustle and bustle. Why, then, was I here at all? How could rainbows exist amidst such chaos? People were passing one another by and not speaking to each other. There were colored lights, but they flashed quite coldly. The sky was unclear. There were dirty puddles in the streets. Just when I was certain I'd found a place where rainbows did not shine, my wandering eyes caught a brief glint. In the distance, coming my way and surrounded by a few tall and over-powering people, I sensed a rainbow --- in the eyes of a child!

How can Humans lose sight of rainbows? The color of Life, as seen by a child, never seems to get lost or even fall out of perception. Those who call themselves "grown-ups" often tend to lose faith in rainbow magic, or never even believe in it at all. How, then, could my magic bring visions of rainbows and the wonders that go with them back to the Human world? Surely, I thought, if I could find a way to remind these Humans of the rainbows within them, maybe their insight could enhance the rainbow spirit. But how could I share what my visions had seen?

Magic, I soon realized, is the key to bringing color to the Humans. So I popped back to the forest. Here, armed with all the luck and magic I could muster, I could collect all the colors in the rainbow --- and then share them with the world! I went everywhere: sampling waterfalls, adding pinches of dewdrops and sea foam, seeking out glints from the edges of icicles and sparkles from the twinkling stars. My visions took me around the Planet and beyond it; and I collected every last color in a small six-sided glass bottle. And through my travels, I had poured the samples of a million rainbows.

Over the weeks of toil, the weight began growing, and my bottle of rainbow essence swirled. Oh what an accomplishment it was, gathering and sharing a wealth of color, feelings, and amazement with a world quite blind to the rainbows of this Life. At last, the day came when me vial was completely full, and there was more magic, color and vision than I had thought possible. Now, how could I deliver all of this wealth to the world?

And that's when I envisioned ---- my Sunshine Sled!

It would be driven by the first piercing rays of the morning light --- the same piercing rays that push back the night, bring hope to the new day, signify the renewals of Life, and bring the world clarity, adventure, and the Sun's love of Time. The vessel itself would be golden with a rainbow bubble and silver vents --- a perfect conveyance with which I could spread me rainbow essence. Once those concentrated droplets had spread, there'd be a new brilliance in the world, with which would come a new spirit of awakening.

Summoning all my powers and strength, I lifted me huge bottle into me new Sunshine Sled. Wishing meself good luck, I then sent it toward the approaching dawn. As the Sun touched the Sled, it sped off, forming in its wake a rainbow sunrise..... From the first colors of the new dawn to the deep purple of night withdrawn, here at last was me rainbow day, which I had so long worked hard for. I just sat back, feeling proud and joyful at my accomplishment. Then, I ate the last of me dry-cakes and took a good swallow or two of good ol' rainbow dew. At last, it was time for me to go home.

So I sat back, closed my eyes, and pictured meself back home at dear old Magic Mountain. When I opened my eyes, I was indeed back at my small waterfall, with its rainbow light.

Walking up the hill, I could see friends and family greeting me anew. What a welcome I received: "Rocky's home! Rocky's back! And what a glorious rainbow sunrise to herald his return!"

My clothes were a sight fer sure, for I was glistening with spilled rainbow droplets, and my eyes were awash in the brightest colors.

"Tell us, Rocky, of your journey!"

Well, that's exactly what I did. I told about all my travels, my Rainbow Quest, and all the rainbow droplets.

"Well, do ye know what that means, Rocky? It means that you have brought the rainbow sunrise and the extra sparkle of a brand-new day. Only a truly great Leprechaun could accomplish something that magical!"

It did not take long before word of my amazing feat reached the the Three Elders of Magic Mountain, who answered only to the King of all the Leprechauns, who had rulership as well over all the Wee Folk. I was soon summoned to their Presence Chamber. Here, matters of state in the world of the Wee Folk were decided upon by the Wisest, Most Holy and Revered, Most mgical and Magnificent. The Three Elders asked me to recount my adventures again. I did so, never leaving out one detail. When I was done, a hush fell over the Chamber.

Then the First Elder stood and asked me, "And so, Rocky, what have you learned?"

I thought about it, and said proudly:

The Second Elder then stood up, and asked: "What about your beliefs?" I replied:

Finally, the Third Elder stood up. "What about tomorrow?" he asked me.

Finally, the Three Elders spoke in unison. "But will the Humans see?" they said together.

I was quite aghast, so I thought about it, and then I said:

The Three Elders fell silent and nodded their heads in agreement. They then summoned all the inhabitants of the Wee Folk World to a grand audience and reception ball, to be attended by the Leprechaun King himself!

The forest floor filled with the sounds of all the magicians and musicians, poets and painters, dreamers and dancers, collectors and thinkers. Every last magical being filled the floor of that Grand Presence Chamber.

And there were reports coming in from all over the world: renwed vision and energy spreading. The Humans were a little less blind, and color began flowing in all their hearts and souls. And at this Grand Court of thousands, a hush suddenly fell over the assembled throng. And a great light shone above the Three Elders --- as the King of the Leprechauns himself arrived!

To everyone's surprise, His Majesty was smiling straight at me! "Rocky," said he, "step forward."

Bubbles and butterflies filled my every being. My feet were heavy and my eyes were whirling. Every last eye fell upon me as the Leprechaun King spoke:

"Hear me, all ye Wee Folk --- Leprechauns, Faeries, Elves and Pixies! This one person has accomplished a most amazing feat: he has singlehandedly taken the essence of the rainbow, and shared it with all the world. This undertaking was born out of a noble, unselfish desire to make this a better, brighter Planet. It is Our opinion that this one deed has singled Rocky out to be truly a most special and magical Leprechaun. Therefore, let it be known that from this day forth, now and forever, you shall be called Rocky, Defender of the Rainbow, in honor of your giving nature and unusual insight!"

With that, a cheer went up from those assembled, and songs began, and the froest and all within started to dance. Magic soared into the air, and a vivd rainbow halo, grand and magnificent, circled the forest clearing.

The Leprechaun King then turned to me again and said, "Henceforth, Rocky, the insignia of the rainbow shall be borne upon your shoulders, their colors forever intermingled with your heart! Your unselfish gift of bringing color to all the world has earned you this, our highest respect."

And with a sweep of his magical shillelagh, the magical halo of rainbow, sent up by the love of all the clan gathered here this special evening, fell forever in light wonder upon my shoulders, both its ends touching that one very special place where the Leprechaun's pot o' gold truly lies: THE HEART!

Well, me friends, that's me story. I hope it inspired ye to believe in the power of Magic, because it's as real as the sunrise. I hope, too, that one day, ye'll be inspired to be aware of Life's unique, abundant diversity .... and maybe chase your own rainbows! Because when you do, you'll find that they can fill your heart with the most precious gold imaginable. At every corner, a rainbow can be hidden for those who only take the time to see them. The gift I give to you is as real as the rainbows you'll find everyday!

P.S.: If you liked my story, I hope ye'll let me know. Write to me at 5231 Highway 73, Evergreen, CO 80439; or e-mail me at flspectrum@aol.com. Happy rainbow-chasing!