FIRST-GRADERS REFLECT ON ST. PATRICK'S DAY

Munching on green eggs and ham, Jerica Moore explained Tuesday she had seen a leprechaun earlier.

"They are little green men who live in a pot of gold," the first-grader at Trinity Lutheran School explained. "They are magical, and I saw one this morning -- in the newspaper."

Moore and her classmates gave their best explanation of the St. Patrick's Day celebration Tuesday. Despite a devotional lesson on St. Patrick and his good works, the first-graders were a little confused about the significance of the holiday. But they were happy to celebrate it anyway.

Students at the school had green eggs and ham for lunch as part of the celebration. Seventeen dozen eggs had been hard-boiled and died green.

"I don't know why we have St. Patrick's Day," said Brooke Kwikkel, "but I like the green eggs."

"They are just plain-old eggs died green," said Tyler James, and St. Patrick "was this guy who told people about Jesus, and he was a saint."

"St. Patrick was a missionary," said Charlie Pinkston. "He died a long, long time ago."

Ryan Fort echoed his classmates' explanation: "Yes, he told people about Jesus, but I don't know who, and I don't know about those leprechauns."

Caitlin Yeargain knew the story. "Leprechauns are little people who grant wishes and live by rainbows," she said, "but they're not real."

"They are really little and really mean, but they're not real," said Austin Urhahn. "They are only on TV."

"On St. Patrick's Day almost everything is green, like clovers and stuff," said Ross Freeman.

"I don't know why you have to wear green on St. Patrick's Day," said Amy Hanebrink, who wore shamrock earrings. "But you do."

It is critical that first-graders wear green clothing on St. Patrick's Day. "You have to wear green so no one can pinch you," said Katie Culver.

"I know about all this stuff," said Joseph Michael Talbert. "I just like recess."