Editing Leprechaun (section)

==Early attestations==
[[Image:Leprechaun engraving 1900.jpg|thumb|upright|A leprechaun counts his gold in this engraving c. 1900]]
The earliest known reference to the leprechaun appears in the medieval tale known as the {{lang|ga|Echtra Fergus mac Léti}} ({{'}}''Adventure of Fergus son of Léti''{{'}}). The saga exists in two widely divergent versions. The first of these is written in Dublin, Trinity College MS 1337 pp. 363b–365a, better known as H. 3. 18 (CIH iii: 882.4–883.28) and has been dated to the eighth century (Binchy 1952). The second version is a copy of the 8th century text written on a single leaf inserted into London, British Library MS Harley 432 f.5 (CIH ii: 354.28–355.41). The saga was rewritten in the 13th century as a burlesque version. The text contains an episode in which [[Fergus mac Léti]], King of [[Ulster]], falls asleep on the beach and wakes to find himself being dragged into the sea by three ''lúchorpáin''. He captures his abductors, who grant him three wishes in exchange for release.<ref>Koch, p. 1200.</ref><ref>{{harvp|Binchy|1952}} ed. & trans., [http://www.ucd.ie/tlh/trans/dab.eriu.16.001.t.text.html "The Saga of Fergus mac Léti"]</ref>