The Capturing of the Leprechaun King is a 1960 Felix the Cat cartoon and the 63rd episode of the Felix the Cat (Joe Oriolo) series.
Felix is in his house reading one of his own comic books when he gets a message from King Barney, King of the Leprechauns, who invites him to the Fairy Ring for tea. Felix arrives, and Barney pops up out of the ground with a table with teacups. Felix asks how everything is going, and he says something will be happening soon, and Felix correctly guesses that it'll involve Professor and Rock Bottom. Barney tells them that they're now living in the Carry Castle, which is ground that leprechauns are forbidden to enter. Meanwhile, Professor is reading a book in the castle, and Rock asks what he's looking for. Just then, Professor discovers an old forgotten leprechaun law inside of it—If one can capture the King of the Leprechauns, he must grant his captor or captors three wishes each. Back at the Fairy Ring, Barney asks Felix to investigate the matter, and Felix agrees. Felix goes to the castle, just as Professor and Rock arrive with a rod and bait. Felix hides under a mushroom to spy on them, while they find leprechauns playing checkers on a turtles shell. They capture them, but Felix saves them and tries to arrest Professor and Rock. Rock simply ties up Felix with his fishing rod.
Back at the Fairy Ring, Barney wonders how Felix's investigation is going along, and decides to wait it out, unaware that he's just been captured. Professor and Rock explain their plan to Felix, and Rock hurls him through the air. Felix calls for help, and King Barney sees him, and calls for his leprechauns to save him. They hastily assemble a trampoline to catch Felix, while Barney mopes, blaming himself for getting Felix into trouble, while Professor and Rock use this chance to sneak up and catch him in a net. Felix is propelled into the air by the leprechauns trampoline, while Rock tries to get Barney to grant them their three wishes for catching him. Barney reluctantly rolls with it. Rock asks for a yacht, Professor for an ocean liner, and Rock asks for a plane and a million bucks in gold, and Professor asks for $5,000,000. Felix then lands behind them and places them under arrest. Professor wishes he here out of this world, and Rock doubles that wish—but Barney exploits the latter, saying that trying to make a fourth wish negates all of the other wishes made. Felix then locks Professor and Rock up in a cage and laughs as the cartoon irises out.
Tropes:
- Near-Villain Victory: Professor comes this close to defeating Felix in the cartoon—if it weren't for Rock making a fourth wish and thus foiling their plan, he would have won.
- Running Gag: Felix is once again seen reading his own comic book at the start of the episode.
- Three Wishes: Professor and Rock both get three wishes each. Rock unwittingly foils Professor's plan by accidentally making a fourth wish to double Professor's third wish.
