The Leprechaun-Artist
"The Leprechaun-Artist" (also known as "Three Irish Wishes") is the first segment of the nineteenth episode from the first season (1985–86) of the television series The Twilight Zone.
| "The Leprechaun-Artist" | |
|---|---|
| The Twilight Zone episode | |
 Buddy's wish for X-ray vision is granted, but it is not what he expected. | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 19a |
| Directed by | Tommy Lee Wallace |
| Written by | Tommy Lee Wallace |
| Production code | 23 |
| Original air date | February 21, 1986 |
| Guest appearance(s) | |
Bradley Gregg: Richie | |
Opening narration
Consider for a moment if you were a leprechaun, making your home under the roots of trees or in the hollows between rocks. Wouldn't you want to get away from it all now and then? A winter in Pismo Beach? A summer trip to Disneyland where no one would even notice you? But if you really were a leprechaun, where else would you vacation but in the Twilight Zone?
Plot
A vacationing leprechaun is captured by three boys (Buddy, JP, Richie) who take him to their clubhouse. The leprechaun is annoyed to have his vacation disturbed and tells them that they may have one wish each. They flip a coin to see who gets the first wish. Buddy wins the coin toss and makes a wish for X-ray vision. The next morning, Buddy tries his new power and begins to see beneath the local girls' clothing but then finds out that he is unable to control the intensity of his powers. He sees internal organs and skulls instead of just underneath their clothing. Seeing that Buddy has learned his lesson, the leprechaun reverses the wish.
JP makes his wish, and wishes that his parents and friends do "exactly what they tell them to do." However, JP's wish is too literal, and the boys find that they must tell their parents to make every single step in exact detail. This is shown when JP tells his mother to cook them a frozen pizza, only to have to guide his mom step by step on every aspect of preparation. Seeing as how the wish was taken too literally, it is also reversed. After seeing what happened to his friends, Richie makes the third and final wish and claims that his will not have the same literal mistakes of Buddy and J.P.'s. He asks for a fast car, a "really hot" car, unlimited gasoline, and a driver with a mind of his own. They find a limo and driver waiting (and a vanity license plate: "Third Wish").
While riding in the limo, the driver never slows down and ignores street signs and crosswalks. Soon the police try to stop them for speeding, and the boys tell the driver to pull over. However, the driver shows that he has "a mind of his own" and tries to outrace the police. The limo is finally forced to stop by road construction and a vehicle coming the other direction. However, when the policeman approaches the driver, he is surprised to see an empty seat and the boys learn the limo was indeed "hot" as in "stolen."
The boys are taken into custody for auto theft, and the leprechaun appears at the police station. He reverses the third wish and the police now have no knowledge of their crime. The leprechaun says he enjoyed his time with the boys and he tells them to take care of themselves. When the arresting officer asks why the boys are now here, they simply reply they wanted to say hello and to support their local police. Glad that they learned their lessons, the boys gladly go home.
Themes
This episode is similar to the original series episode "The Man in the Bottle" where a shopkeeper and his wife are given wishes by a genie but the wishes all end up bringing disappointment instead of delight.