大象传媒

Bu mhath leam st貌iridh innse dhuibh an t-seachdain seo. 鈥橲 e seann st貌iridh a th鈥� ann agus 鈥檚 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air 鈥淣a Tr矛 Coin Uaine鈥�. Chaidh a chruinneachadh ann an Eilean Eige o chionn fhada.

Bha ann uaireigin prionnsa agus a phiuthar. Chaochail an athair agus am m脿thair. Bha am prionnsa agus a phiuthar a鈥� fuireach c貌mhla. Gach latha bhiodh am prionnsa a鈥� falbh don mhonadh 脿s d猫idh nan caorach. Mus fhalbhadh e, bhiodh e ag iarraidh air a phiuthair gun a falt a ch矛readh no an uinneag thuath fhosgladh gus an tigeadh e dhachaigh.

Latha a bha seo, thachair am prionnsa ri duine sa mhonadh. Bha tr矛 coin uaine aig an聽duine.

鈥淎n ceannaich thu na coin seo bhuam?鈥� ars an duine.

鈥淐han eil dad agam a bheirinn dhut air an son,鈥� fhreagair am prionnsa. 鈥淎n toireadh tu molt dhomh air an son?鈥� thuirt am fear eile. 鈥淏heireadh,鈥� thuirt am prionnsa.

鈥淭h猫id mise an urras nach gabh thu aithreachas airson sin,鈥� ars an duine. 鈥淚s iad ainmean nan con 鈥� Fios, Luaths agus Trom. Nuair a th猫id thu don bheinn-sheilg cha bhi agad fh猫in ach suidhe air cnoc agus na coin a chur air falbh. Bidh fios aig Fios far am bi na f猫idh. Beiridh Luaths orra. Agus bheir Trom dhachaigh iad.鈥�

Sin mar a bha. Fhuair an duine am molt agus fhuair am prionnsa na coin. An ath mhadainn, dh鈥檉halbh am prionnsa don bheinn-sheilg. Ach bha uiread toileachais air 鈥檚 gun do dh矛ochuimhnich e innse do phiuthar gun a falt a ch矛readh no an uinneag thuath fhosgladh gus an tigeadh e dhachaigh.

Shuidh am prionnsa air cnoc. Chuir e na coin air falbh. Bha fios aig Fios far an robh na f猫idh. Rug Luaths orra. Thug Trom dhachaigh iad.

Nuair a bha iad air an rathad dhachaigh thug Fios naidheachd don phrionnsa. Dh鈥檌nnis e dha gun robh tr矛 famhairean air a dhol a choimhead a pheathar. Rinn na famhairean uamh fon taigh. Rinn iad toll tron 霉rlar. Air an toll chuir iad sguiteal (trapdoor). Air an sguiteal chuir iad cathair. Rinn iad fh猫in agus a鈥� phiuthar suas eatarra gun iarradh ise air a br脿thair suidhe air a鈥� chathair. Bhiodh e a鈥� tuiteam don uaimh agus dh鈥檌theadh na famhairean e.

鈥淕abh thusa mo chomhairle,鈥� thuirt Fios ris a鈥� phrionnsa. 鈥淣a suidh air a鈥� chathair idir. Nuair a bheir thu am brochan againn dhen teine, cuir air an sguiteal e. Th猫id mi fh矛n agus an d脿 ch霉 eile am bad a ch猫ile. Cuiridh sinn car dhen phoit, agus dhen sguiteal. Tuitidh am brochan mu chinn nam famhairean agus th猫id an losgadh.鈥�

Sin mar a bha. Nuair a th脿inig am prionnsa dhachaigh th貌isich a phiuthar air a ghr脿dhachadh. Dh鈥檌arr i air suidhe air a鈥� chathair.

鈥淐ha shuidh,鈥� ars esan. 鈥淪uidhidh mi far an togair mi fh矛n.鈥�

Thug e am brochan dhen teine. Chuir e air an sguiteal e. Th貌isich na coin air sabaid. Chuireadh car dhen phoit agus dhen sguiteal. Thuit am brochan mu chinn nam famhairean agus a-mach air an doras a ghabh iad.

A-mach 脿s an d猫idh ghabh am prionnsa agus na coin. Dhall iad air na famhairean. Chaidh na famhairean a-steach air doras na h-uamha. Thill am prionnsa agus na coin dhachaigh agus ghabh iad fois.

An ath mhadainn thill am prionnsa agus na coin don bheinn-sheilg. Agus d猫 bha a鈥� dol a thachairt air an latha sin? Faodar a bhith cinnteach nach robh droch obair nam famhairean seachad fhathast.

Faclan na Litreach: molt: wedder; beinn-sheilg: hunting mountain; uamh: a cave; sguiteal: trapdoor [from English scuttle].

Abairtean na Litreach: Na Tr矛 Coin Uaine: The Three Green Dogs; chaidh a chruinneachadh ann an Eilean Eige o chionn fhada: it was collected on the Isle of Eigg a long time ago; bha ann uaireigin prionnsa agus a phiuthar: there was at one time a prince and his sister; chaochail an athair agus am m脿thair: their father and mother died; bhiodh X a鈥� falbh don mhonadh 脿s d猫idh nan caorach: X would leave for the hill after the sheep; mus fhalbhadh e: before he would leave; gun a falt a ch矛readh no an uinneag thuath fhosgladh: not to comb her hair or to open the north window; an ceannaich thu na coin seo bhuam?: will you buy these dogs from me?; chan eil dad agam a bheirinn dhut air an son: I have nothing I would [could] give you for them; Fios, Luaths agus Trom: Knowledge, Swiftness and Heaviness; cha bhi agad fh猫in ach suidhe air cnoc: you鈥檒l only have to sit on a hill; na coin a chur air falbh: to send the dogs away; bha uiread toileachais air 鈥檚 gun do dh矛ochuimhnich e: he was so excited he forgot; gun robh tr矛 famhairean air a dhol a choimhead a pheathar: that three giants had gone to visit his sister; rinn iad toll tron 霉rlar: they made a hole through the floor; gun iarradh ise air a br脿thair suidhe air a鈥� chathair: that she would ask her brother to sit on the chair; dh鈥檌theadh na famhairean e: the giants would eat him; nuair a bheir thu am brochan againn dhen teine: when you take our porridge off the fire; th猫id mi fh矛n agus an d脿 ch霉 eile am bad a ch猫ile: myself and the other two dogs will get stuck into each other; cuiridh sinn car de: we will upset, turn over; th猫id an losgadh: they will be burned; th貌isich a phiuthar air a ghr脿dhachadh: his sister started to caress him; far an togair mi fh矛n: where I want to; agus a-mach air an doras a ghabh iad: out the door they went; dhall iad air: they laid into; ghabh iad fois: they took a rest; faodar a bhith cinnteach: it can be certain.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: I hope you didn鈥檛 get confused by the two irregular verbs beir (bear, catch) and thoir (give, take) which appear in the Litir. Some of their forms can be confusingly similar, although beir often employs the preposition air. 鈥淎n toireadh tu molt dhomh?鈥� means 鈥渨ould you give me a wedder?鈥� and employs thoir (in a conditional form). The equivalent in beir would be 鈥渁m beireadh tu?鈥� (鈥渨ould you bear, catch?鈥�). The reply to an toireadh is bheireadh 鈥� and here both verbs are identical. Beiridh Luaths orra is a future active form and means 鈥淟uaths will catch them鈥�. Bheir Trom dhachaigh iad is also the future active, but this time of thoir and means 鈥淭rom will take them home鈥�. The past tenses of each are rug (Rug Luaths orra) and thug (Thug Trom dhachaigh iad).

Gnathas-cainnt na Litreach: Th猫id mise an urras nach gabh thu aithreachas airson sin: I鈥檒l bear witness that you鈥檒l not regret that.