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Does anyone remember the Shoemaker and the Elves? This story has elements in common with that one.

A Pooka is a man like donkey beast, not really good or bad. Apparently, they are sort of like servants of some kind having to pay off a debt. There's a really cool fact I didn't know. Harvey, from the Jimmie Stewart movie 'Harvey' is a Pooka. He looks more like a rabbit there. Interesting. I know the cover well, never saw the movie.

Jamie is a slob and his wife takes great care of him. She's going away for a week and she gets everything ready. She has food in the larder and everything is ready. She asks him to tidy up after himself while she's gone so it isn't such a mess. She knows her husband well.

As soon as she's gone, he has his three mates over. They eat and drink and make a huge mess. Jamie leaves it till morning.

That night a Pooka comes in, nearly scares Jamie alive. He realizes that the pooka is cleaning everything up. The next day, the house is sparkling. Jamie has it made now. So, it's a week of partying.

Same Tomie dePaola artwork. Nothing new there, but it's good for storytelling. His characters are truly normal people.


Spoiler,



Jamie, at the end of the week, is thankful, feels sorry for this pooka. He gives him his coat and the pooka is freed from his labor. He was lazy in life and now he is free. He doesn't even finish cleaning and Jamie is left with a mess and his wife gets home to see it all.