St. Patrick's Day story: The World's Greatest Thief

This is a story taken from my book/CD You Don't Know Jack called The World's Greatest Thief. It remains one of my favorite stories to tell because when the secret is revealed, first there's confusion, then there's amazement.

The World's Greatest Thief (4:41 minutes)


One of the first times I was contacted by the CBC to tell an Irish story for St. Patrick's Day, I told the producer that I had a story, but it was about 6 minutes long. "Oooooh," he said. "Six minutes is a long time for radio. Can you shorten it?" I said I would try to get it down to three minutes.

So I worked on shortening the story, but I took many details out and had to practice speaking as quickly as I could without stuttering. I finally got it down to three minutes and made my way to the Old Dublin pub where the live broadcast was to take place.

I met with the host, Ms. Anne Lagace Dowson, and we chatted briefly off the air about the story I was to tell. She asked me how long it was and I proudly replied I could tell it in three minutes. "Ooooh," she winced. "Three minutes is a long time for radio. Can you shorten it?"

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all.