大象传媒

An t-seachdain seo, tha mi a鈥� dol a chur cr矛och air an t-seann st貌iridh 鈥淣a Tr矛 Coin Uaine鈥�. An t-seachdain sa chaidh thug piuthar a鈥� phrionnsa puinnsean do a br脿thair. Thuit e marbh. Chaidh na tr矛 coin, Fios, Luaths agus Trom, don tobar leigheis. Fhuair iad uisge ann. Dh貌irt iad an t-uisge air a鈥� phrionnsa. Dh鈥櫭╥rich am prionnsa gu sl脿n, fallain. Ach, an aghaidh a thoil, theich na coin.

Latha de na l脿ithean, bha am prionnsa a-muigh a鈥� coiseachd. Bha e gu math t霉rsach. Thachair e ri gille 貌g. B鈥� esan an gille a b鈥� 脿illidhe a chunnaic am prionnsa riamh.

鈥淎m faca tu tr矛 coin uaine?鈥� ars am prionnsa.

鈥淐hunnaic,鈥� ars an gille 貌g, 鈥渁ch an aithnicheadh tu fh猫in iad rim faicinn?鈥� 鈥淒h鈥檃ithnicheadh,鈥� thuirt am prionnsa.

鈥淢a-t脿, is mise Fios.鈥�

鈥淥, gu dearbh, cha tu,鈥� ars am prionnsa.

鈥淏uail thusa an t-slat seo orm tr矛 uairean,鈥� ars an gille 貌g, 鈥渁gus bidh mi nam ch霉.鈥� Rinn am prionnsa sin agus, d矛reach mar a thuirt an gille 貌g, dh鈥檉h脿s e na ch霉. Bhuail

am prionnsa an t-slat air a-rithist agus dh鈥檉h脿s an c霉 na ghille 貌g a-rithist. C貌 th脿inig an uair sin ach Luaths agus Trom. Bha iad fh猫in cuideachd ann an riochd ghillean 貌ga.

鈥淒猫 as fhe脿rr leat?鈥� ars an tri霉ir ris a鈥� phrionnsa. 鈥淪inn fh猫in mar a tha sinn an-dr脿sta nar gillean 貌ga no mar a bha sinn roimhe nar coin?鈥�

鈥淚s fhe脿rr leam sibh mar a tha sibh an-dr脿sta,鈥� ars am prionnsa. 鈥淔anaidh sibh a-nise c貌mhla rium gu br脿th.鈥�

鈥淭ha eagal orm nach urrainn dhuinn,鈥� arsa Fios. 鈥淚s e clann righ m貌r a th鈥� annainn. Chaochail ar m脿thair o chionn fhada. Chuir ar muime geasa oirnn gum biomaid nar coin gus an d猫anamaid na nithean sin a rinn sinn fh猫in agus thu fh猫in. Tha sinn a-nis a鈥� dol dhachaigh. Thig c貌mhla rinn. Tha piuthar bhr猫agha againn.鈥�

Dh鈥檉halbh iad dhachaigh. Chaidh am prionnsa c貌mhla riutha. Ch貌rd am prionnsa agus piuthar nan gillean gu math ri ch猫ile. Cha b鈥� fhada gus an robh iad p貌st鈥� aig a ch猫ile.

Dh鈥檉halbh piuthar a鈥� phrionnsa agus chan fhaca iad tuilleadh i. Mar sin bha an taigh aig a鈥� phrionnsa 鈥檚 a鈥� bhean 霉r aige dhaibh fh猫in. Cho fada 鈥檚 a dh猫anadh beartas agus gaol eatarra toilichte iad, th猫id mise an urras gun robh iad sin. Agus dh鈥檉h脿g mi an sin iad.

Anns a鈥� ch貌rr dhen Litir an-diugh bu mhath leam s霉il a thoirt air ainm-脿ite. Bha mi ann an sg矛re Loch Laomainn o chionn ghoirid. Tha baile beag ri taobh an locha ris an canar Lus 鈥� Luss ann am Beurla. Bidh fios agaibh d猫 tha lus a鈥� ciallachadh. Ciamar a fhuair am baile ainm annasach mar sin?

Uill, tha beul-aithris anns an sg矛re a鈥� ceangal an ainm ri Ceasag. B鈥� esan naomh ainmeil a tha ceangailte gu m貌r ri Loch Laomainn agus an sg矛re timcheall an locha. Tha e cuideachd ceangailte ri baile beag l脿imh ri Inbhir Nis, air a bheil Ceasag 鈥� no Kessock ann am Beurla.

Bha Ceasag ainmeil airson a bhith ri m矛orbhailean thall 鈥檚 a-bhos. Taobh Loch Laomainn bha e ainmeil airson a bhith a鈥� cleachdadh lusan ann a bhith a鈥� d猫anamh leigheis air daoine a bha tinn. Fhuair m貌ran an cuid sl脿inte air ais 脿s d猫idh dhaibh lus fhaighinn bho Cheasag. Agus 鈥檚 e sin as coireach ri ainm a鈥� bhaile air bruach Loch Laomainn. Uill, 鈥檚 e sin a tha beul-aithris ag innse dhuinn co-dhi霉. Ach chan eil mi buileach cinnteach a bheil e f矛or.

Faclan na Litreach: tobar leigheis: a healing well; t霉rsach: sad; Loch Laomainn: Loch Lomond; Lus: Luss; lus: plant; Ceasag: Kessock; m矛orbhailean: miracles.

Abairtean na Litreach: thug piuthar a鈥� phrionnsa puinnsean do a br脿thair: the prince鈥檚 sister gave poison to her brother; dh貌irt iad an t-uisge: they poured the water; an aghaidh a thoil, theich na coin: against his wishes, the dogs left/fled; b鈥� esan an gille a b鈥� 脿illidhe a chunnaic X riamh: he was the best looking lad X ever saw; an aithnicheadh tu fh猫in iad rim faicinn?: would you recognise them by sight [to see them]?; buail thusa an t-slat seo orm tr矛 uairean: hit me three times with this wand; bidh mi nam ch霉: I will be a [in my] dog; dh鈥檉h脿s e na ch霉: he became a dog; ann an riochd ghillean 貌ga: in the guise of young lads; d猫 as fhe脿rr leat?: what do you prefer?; mar a bha sinn roimhe nar coin: as we were previously as [in our] dogs; fanaidh sibh a-nise c貌mhla rium gu br脿th: you will now stay with me forever; tha eagal orm nach urrainn dhuinn: I鈥檓 afraid we cannot; chuir ar muime geasa oirnn gum biomaid nar coin: our stepmother put a spell on us so that we would be dogs; gus an d猫anamaid na nithean sin: until we would do those things; ch貌rd am prionnsa agus piuthar nan gillean gu math ri ch猫ile: the prince and the lads鈥� sister got on very well with each other; p貌st鈥� aig a ch猫ile: married to each other; chan fhaca iad tuilleadh i: they never saw her again; cho fada 鈥檚 a dh猫anadh beartas agus gaol eatarra toilichte iad: as long as wealth and love between them would make them happy; fhuair m貌ran an cuid sl脿inte air ais: many people got their health back; 脿s d猫idh dhaibh lus fhaighinn: after [them] getting a plant; 鈥檚 e sin as coireach ri ainm a鈥� bhaile: that is responsible for the village鈥檚 name.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: cha tu: you are not. This is the way we might answer the statement 鈥渋s mise鈥�. The affirmative response would be 鈥渋s tu鈥�. You might come across such structures (using the assertive verb 鈥渋s鈥�) in a question like 鈥渁n tusa Seumas Mac a鈥� Ghobhainn?鈥� (are you James Smith?) You would answer this with 鈥渋s mi鈥� (yes) or 鈥渃ha mhi鈥� (no). Here鈥檚 another example: 鈥淚s sinne na peathraichean D貌mhnallach鈥�(We are the MacDonald sisters) 鈥� 鈥淐ha sibh. Chan eil sibh math gu le貌r air seinn鈥� (No you鈥檙e not. You鈥檙e not good enough at singing) or 鈥淎n sibh? Uill, c貌 chreideadh e?鈥� (Are you? Well, who would believe it?)

Gnathas-cainnt na Litreach: thall 鈥檚 a-bhos: here and there.