大象传媒

Bu mhath leam st貌iridh innse dhuibh.聽St貌iridh leis an ainm Iain Dubh Le貌dhasach,聽an Se貌ladair.聽B鈥� e mac iasgair a bh鈥� ann an Iain聽Dubh. Bha e a鈥� fuireach c貌mhla ri聽uncail. Bha sin faisg air Ste貌rnabhagh聽ann an Le貌dhas. Feasgar a bha seo,聽chunnaic Iain long bhr猫agha. Bha i a鈥櫬爏e貌ladh a-staigh don chala. Bha 霉idh聽mh貌r aig Iain ann am b脿taichean. Chaidh聽e a-mach don luing. Chaidh e air b貌rd.聽Dh鈥檉haighnich an sgiobair am bu聽toigh le Iain a bhith na she貌ladair. 聽Fhreagair Iain gum bu toil.聽鈥淭halla dhachaigh,鈥� ars鈥� an聽sgiobair. 鈥淔aigh cead airson se貌ladh聽leam.鈥澛燭hill Iain an ath latha. Dh鈥檌nnis e聽don sgiobair gun d鈥� fhuair e cead o聽uncail. 鈥淎gus an tuirt e dad mu聽mhuinntireas?鈥� ars鈥� an sgiobair. 鈥淥,聽thubhairt,鈥� fhreagair Iain Dubh. 鈥淏idh聽mi air b貌rd fad c貌ig bliadhna. Bidh mi聽ag ionnsachadh se貌ladaireachd.鈥澛犫�淎gus d猫 thuirt e mu thuarastal?鈥澛燿h鈥檉haighnich an sgiobair.聽鈥淭huirt gum faigh mi bonn-a-sia聽aig ceann a鈥� chiad mh矛os. Bidh mi a鈥櫬爁aighinn d脿 bhonn-a-sia aig ceann an聽dara m矛os. Agus bidh e a鈥� d霉blachadh聽mar sin gach m矛os gu deireadh nan c貌ig聽bliadhna.鈥澛燫inn an sgiobair g脿ire. Gun聽smaoineachadh, thuirt e, 鈥淕heibh thu聽sin, a laochain.鈥� Air an ath latha, she貌l聽an long air falbh, le Iain air b貌rd. Chaidh聽i do dh霉thchannan c猫in. Aig ceann聽ceithir bliadhna thill i a Shasainn. R脿inig聽i am port aice fh猫in.聽Th脿inig an fheadhainn leis an聽robh an long air b貌rd. Dh鈥檉haighnich聽fear dhiubh c脿鈥� d鈥� fhuair iad an se貌ladair聽貌g. 鈥淔huair ann an Eilean Le貌dhais,鈥澛爁hreagair an sgiobair.聽鈥淎 bheil thu a鈥� toirt tuarastal聽math dha?鈥� thuirt a鈥� chiad fhear. 鈥淥ir 鈥檚聽e se貌ladair math a tha ann.鈥澛犫�淯ill,鈥� ars鈥� an sgiobair, 鈥渃ha tug聽mi tuarastal sam bith dha fhathast.鈥澛燤h矛nich an sgiobair am bargan. 鈥淒h鈥檌arr聽e fh猫in bonn-a-sia aig ceann a鈥� chiad聽mh矛os,鈥� thuirt e, 鈥渁gus d脿 bhonn-a-sia聽aig ceann an dara m矛os, a鈥� d霉blachadh聽mar sin gach m矛os.鈥澛犫�淒猫 rinn thu?!鈥� thuirt am fear leis聽an robh an long. 鈥淕heall thu don ghille聽tuilleadh nas fhiach an long fh猫in!鈥澛燙hunnaic an sgiobair gun robh聽sin f矛or. D猫 bha a鈥� dol a thachairt do聽dh鈥橧ain Dubh? Tha an st貌iridh a鈥櫬爈eantainn an ath-sheachdain.

I鈥檇 like to tell you a story. A story聽with the name of Black-haired John聽of Lewis, the Sailor.聽Black-haired John was the son聽of a fisherman. He lived with his聽uncle. That was near Stornoway in聽Lewis. This particular evening, John聽saw a beautiful ship. She was sailing聽into the harbour. John was greatly聽interested in boats. He went out to聽the ship. He went on board.聽The captain asked if John聽would like to be a sailor. John聽replied that he would.聽鈥淕o home,鈥� said the captain.聽鈥淕et permission to sail with me.鈥澛燡ohn returned the next day. He聽told the captain that he got聽permission from his uncle. 鈥淎nd did聽he say anything about an聽engagement?鈥� said the captain.聽鈥淥h, yes,鈥� replied Black-haired聽John. 鈥淚鈥檒l be on board for five 聽years. I鈥檒l learn seamanship.鈥澛犫�淎nd what did he say about聽wages?鈥� the captain asked.聽鈥淗e said that I鈥檒l get a聽halfpenny at the end of the first聽month. I鈥檒l get two halfpennies at the聽end of the second month. And it will聽double like that every month to the聽end of the five years.鈥澛燭he captain smiled. Without聽thinking, he said, 鈥淵ou鈥檒l get that,聽lad.鈥� Next day, the ship sailed away聽with John on board. She went to聽foreign countries. At the end of four聽years she returned to England. She聽reached her own port.聽The folk who owned the ship聽came on board. One of them asked聽where they got the young sailor.聽鈥淥n the Isle of Lewis,鈥� the captain聽replied.聽鈥淎re you giving him good聽wages?鈥� said the first man.聽鈥淏ecause he鈥檚 a good sailor.鈥澛犫�淲ell,鈥� said the captain, 鈥淚聽haven鈥檛 given him any wages yet.鈥澛燭he captain explained the bargain.聽鈥淗e himself asked for a halfpenny at聽the end of the first month,鈥� he said,聽鈥渁nd two halfpennies at the end of聽the second month, doubling like that聽every month.鈥澛犫�淲hat did you do?!鈥� said the聽man who owned the ship. 鈥淵ou聽promised the lad more than the ship聽is worth!鈥澛燭he captain saw that was true.聽What was going to happen to Black聽John? The story continues next聽week.