大象传媒

Hal貌 a-rithist. An cuala sibh a-riamh an sgeulachd thraidiseanta 鈥淎n Nighean a Reiceadh鈥�? The Lass that was Sold. An Nighean a Reiceadh. Cha chuala? Uill, nach suidh sibh gu cofhurtail?!

Bha duine bochd ann agus bha seachdnar cloinne aige. Th脿inig duine-uasal na rathad agus thuirt e ris gur ann aigesan a bha a鈥� chlann. Fhreagair an duine bochd gun robh na le貌ir aige, agus droch chothrom aige air an togail.

鈥淎n creic thu aon dhiubh?鈥� ars an duine-uasal.

鈥淐reicidh,鈥� fhreagair am fear bochd. 鈥淭ha gu le貌r agam dhiubh.鈥� 鈥淐ha chreic,鈥� thuirt a bhean.

鈥淐reicidh,鈥� thuirt an duine aice.

Thairg an duine-uasal fichead punnd Sasannach air an nighinn a b鈥� 貌ige. Leanabh a bh鈥� innte. Cha robh a m脿thair de貌nach a creic, ach bha a h-athair. Fhuair e an t-airgead is fhuair an duine-uasal am p脿iste. Chuir e fleanainn timcheall oirre. Bha e a鈥� dol seachad air linne muilleir anmoch san oidhche, agus thilg e san linne i.

Nuair a bha am muillear a鈥� leigeil uisge air a鈥� mhuileann, chunnaic e p矛os fleanainn air c霉l na c貌mhla. D猫 lorg e ann ach leanabh a bha a鈥� deoghal an fhleanainn.

Chaidh e dhachaigh leatha. Thug e dha bhean i agus thuirt e ris a h-uile duine gun robh leanabh nighinn air a bhith aig a bhean.

Chaidh dusan bliadhna seachad agus th脿inig coigreach. Thuirt e ris a鈥� mhuillear, 鈥淣ach br猫agha an nighean agad.鈥�

鈥淭ha i gl猫 bhr猫agha,鈥� ars am muillear.

鈥淒猫 an aois a tha i?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich an coigreach. 鈥淭ha i,鈥� ars esan, 鈥渄usan bliadhna.鈥�

鈥淚s leamsa an nighean sin,鈥� ars an coigreach. 鈥淐ha leat fhathast i co-dhi霉,鈥� ars am muillear.

鈥淭ha mis鈥� ag r脿dh riut gur leamsa i,鈥� thuirt an coigreach, 鈥渁gus air a leithid seo de latha gun do cheannaich mis鈥� i o dhuine na leithid seo de dh鈥櫭爄te airson fichead punnd Sasannach. Chaith mi don uisge agad i agus fhuair thusa san uisge i agus bha thu a鈥� cur a-mach gum bu leat fh猫in i.鈥�

Nuair a dh鈥檉halbh an coigreach, thug e an nighean leis air a ch霉l air muin an eich. Bha am muillear agus a bhean a鈥� r脿naich 脿s an d猫idh. Ghabh an coigreach rathad olc os cionn na mara. Cha robh an t-each de貌nach an rathad a ghabhail. Ach thug am fear air an each cumail a dol.

鈥淐arson a tha thu a鈥� gabhail an rathaid seo leis an each?鈥� ars a鈥� chaileag.

鈥淭heirig thusa far muin an eich,鈥� thuirt e rithe, 鈥渁gus cuiridh mi s矛os leis a鈥� chreig seo thu gus nach fhaic mi tuilleadh thu.鈥�

鈥淒猫 am math a n矛 e dhut mise a chur leis a鈥� chreig seo?鈥� thuirt i. 鈥淐han fh脿g sin nas fhe脿rr thu.鈥�

鈥淚s toileachadh leam fh矛n, thusa a chur leis a鈥� chreig,鈥� thuirt an coigreach.

鈥淭ha mi ag iarraidh mar aon fh脿bhar ort,鈥� ars a鈥� chaileag, 鈥済un mo mharbhadh. D猫an rud sam bith, ach na marbh mi.鈥�

鈥淎n d猫an thu mar seo rium?鈥� thuirt esan. 鈥淒猫 rud?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich a鈥� chaileag.

Thug e f脿inne 貌ir far a mhe貌ir. 鈥淎 bheil thu a鈥� faicinn an fh脿inne seo?鈥� thuirt e. 鈥淭ha,鈥� ars ise.

鈥淭ha m鈥� ainm air an fh脿inne,鈥� ars esan. 鈥淢ionnaich air an fh脿inne nach fhaic mise tuilleadh thu. Tha mi a鈥� dol ga thilgeil a-mach air a鈥� mhuir.鈥�

Mhionnaich an nighean air an fh脿inne nach fhaiceadh e ise tuilleadh gus am faiceadh e am f脿inne sin a bha e a鈥� dol a chaitheamh don mhuir. Chaith e am fainne cho fada a-mach 鈥檚 a b鈥� urrainn dha air an fhairge. Agus innsidh mi tuilleadh an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: na le貌ir: plenty; creicidh: I shall [sell]; fleanainn: flannel; coigreach: stranger; a鈥� r脿naich: crying; chaith: threw.

Abairtean na Litreach: nach suidh sibh gu cofhurtail?: won鈥檛 you sit comfortably; th脿inig duine-uasal na rathad: a gentleman came his way; droch chothrom aige air an togail: a poor chance of bringing them up; thairg X fichead punnd Sasannach air an nighinn a b鈥� 貌ige: X offered 拢20 sterling [old-fashioned way of saying it] for [on] the youngest daughter; linne muilleir: a miller鈥檚 pond [ie mill-pond]; nuair a bha X a鈥� leigeil uisge air a鈥� mhuileann: when X was letting water into the mill; air c霉l na c貌mhla: behind the sluice-gate; leanabh a bha a鈥� deoghal an fhleanainn: a baby that was suckling the flannel; gun robh leanabh nighinn air a bhith aig a bhean: that his wife had had a baby daughter; nach br猫agha an nighean agad: isn鈥檛 your daughter beautiful; is leamsa X: X is mine; tha mis鈥� ag r脿dh riut gur leamsa i: I鈥檓 telling you she is mine; air a leithid seo de latha: on such and such a day; na leithid seo de dh鈥櫭爄te: in such and such a place; chaith mi don uisge agad i: I threw her into your water; a鈥� cur a-mach gum bu leat fh猫in i: putting it about that she was yours; air a ch霉l air muin an eich: behind him on the back of the horse; rathad olc os cionn na mara: a bad road above the sea; theirig thusa far muin an eich: get off the horse; cuiridh mi s矛os leis a鈥� chreig seo thu: I鈥檒l throw you down this rock; gun mo mharbhadh: not to kill me; thug e f脿inne 貌ir far a mhe貌ir: he took a gold ring off his finger; mionnaich air X: swear on X; nach fhaiceadh e ise tuilleadh: that he鈥檇 never see her again; air an fhairge: into the sea.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: An Nighean a Reiceadh: The Lass who was Sold. Reiceadh is the past passive form of the verb reic (鈥渟ell鈥�). But, interestingly, the reciter of the story, from whom it was recorded in the 19th Century, used an alternative form of the verb, creic eg an creic thu aon dhiubh? 鈥� 鈥渨ill you sell one of them?鈥� You will hear this form quite commonly in speech although the dictionaries tend to regard it as 鈥渘on-standard鈥�. Both are found in the Gaelic of Gairloch and the late Roy Wentworth in his excellent Gaelic Words and Phrases from Wester Ross/Faclan is Abairtean 脿 Ros an Iar wrote 鈥渢here seems to be little if any difference in meaning between 鈥榬eic鈥� and 鈥榗reic鈥�.鈥�

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: gur ann aigesan a bha a鈥� chlann: that he had many children [lit. that it was at him that the children were].