Book excerpt: These Whimsical folktales bring you the jumble and tumble of men and magical creatures who walk the lanes of the Emerald Isle by day and wander its fields by night. This history sets forth the only true account of the adventures of a daring Tipperary man named Darby O'Gill among the Fairies of Sleive-na-mon. These little people had long been feared by the good folk, always frightened that some curse might lead even the best of souls unto an exile in the fairy realm. Darby may not be able to hold onto their boon of three wishes or avoid being the butt of a joke, but he does earn the respect of their King and the chance to be merry with his friends from the enchanted realm. The Adventures of Darby O'Gill brings together the tales originally published in Kavanagh's two books, Darby O'Gill and the Good People, and Ashes of Old Wishes. The stories, filled with humor and adventure, bring Irish fairy mythology to life, as Darby and other characters meet these supernatural creatures.