Three Wise Fools

The Ancient sits at the base of the ancient tree and begins the story of belief and the unseen world nearby. The narration frames belief as a force that can shape reality for both people and the 'little' beings said to inhabit the roots and leaves.

In 1870, Rena Fairchild, a young American woman, is courted by Richard Gaughnt, James Trumbell, and Theodore Findley. She is swept off her feet by the dashing Irishman, the O'Monahan, and travels with him toward Ireland.

The O'Monahan pronounces a blessing on the three suitors, foretelling that each will achieve his material dreams. The blessing foreshadows the tangled fates that will bind them to Rena's heiress.

Rena follows the O'Monahan to Ireland, beginning a chapter that will reshape the futures of all involved. Her departure marks the end of her American life and sets the stage for decades of events.

Forty years later, the three men live in a large house and have achieved success in medicine, law, and banking, but they remain unpopular in their community. They donate land to the local university, not out of generosity, but to improve their public image. The gesture reveals their desire for social affirmation more than true benevolence.

Young Sheila O'Monahan, the orphaned granddaughter of Rena, arrives with the longtime family servant Terence Aloysius O'Davern and informs the men that she is to be adopted as their goddaughter. Her arrival signals the beginning of a reckoning with their past.

The three men realize the land they donated actually belongs to Sheila, Rena's sole surviving descendant, and they take Sheila and O'Davern into their household without explaining why. The moral dilemma tightens around them as their plans unravel.

Sheila believes in Irish magic and the supernatural beings said to live in the old tree, invoking them in Gaelic. Her devotion begins to soften the hard edges of the three men and draws them toward her worldview.

The men inform Sheila about plans to build an amphitheater on the land, and she learns it would require cutting down the tree. She rejects the plan, standing as a guardian of the old beliefs she cherishes.

Findley hires a troop of performing midgets to pose as the 'pixies' and to pretend that the tree is dying and that the pixies are leaving. The deception is meant to manipulate Sheila and push the project forward.

Sheila discovers the hoax with O'Davern's help, and her faith in people—and in pixies—is shattered. She runs away to a convent, announcing her intention to become a nun.

The three men, led to remorse, are confronted by the Mother Superior and confront their own deception. They stand with Sheila near the tree and begin to see the consequences of their actions.

Remorseful, the three men join Sheila near the tree and admit they can now see the 'little people' themselves. Yet only Sheila can truly perceive them, reinforcing the power of belief.

The trio embraces Sheila as their adopted daughter, and the ancient tree is preserved. The belief in fairy folk is reaffirmed through their renewed bond and the child’s faith.