大象传媒

Bha Iain Dubh Le貌dhasach, an聽Se貌ladair, ann an taigh nan robairean.聽Cha robh na robairean ann. Bha聽se貌mar uaigneach anns an taigh.聽Dh鈥檉hosgail Iain doras an t-se貌mair.聽Chunnaic e boireannach b貌idheach.聽Bha i crochte air a falt ris a鈥� mhullach.聽Bha coltas oirre gun robh i聽marbh. Ach cha robh. Dh霉isg i.聽Dh鈥檌nnis i do dh鈥橧ain mar a thachair聽dhi. B鈥� i nighean R矛gh na Sp脿inne.聽Chaidh dithis de na robairean a聽ghlacadh aig Caisteal an R矛gh. Chuir聽an R矛gh gu b脿s iad. Rinn na robairean聽eile d矛oghaltas le bhith a鈥� glacadh聽nighean an R矛gh.聽Theich Iain agus an nighean.聽R脿inig iad bothan-脿irigh airson na h-oidhche.聽Nuair a bha iad anns a鈥櫬燽hothan, chuala iad guthan air an taobh聽a-muigh. Dh鈥檉hosgail Iain an doras.聽Bha tr矛 colainnean nan seasamh ann.聽Bha an cinn eadar an l脿mhan. 鈥淎聽dhaoine c貌ire,鈥� ars Iain, 鈥渄猫 tha sibh聽ag iarraidh?鈥澛犫�淚s sinne,鈥� fhreagair iad, 鈥渁thair聽agus a dhithis mhac. Chaidh ar聽marbhadh anns a鈥� bhothan le robairean.聽Thiodhlaic iad sinn air c霉l a鈥櫬燽hothain. Ach cha do chuir iad gach聽ceann le a cholainn fh猫in. Mar sin,聽chan eil fois againn.鈥� Dh鈥檌arr iad air聽Iain na cinn a chur anns an 脿ite cheart.聽Rinn Iain sin.聽An ath latha, dh鈥檉h脿g Iain agus聽nighean an R矛gh am bothan. R脿inig iad聽baile-puirt. Stad iad an sin agus ph貌s聽iad. Bha iad sona agus soirbheachail.聽Latha a bha seo, th脿inig long.聽Air b貌rd bha ceannard cabhlach na聽Sp脿inne. Bha e a鈥� sireadh nighean an聽R矛gh. Gheall an R矛gh a nighean mar聽bhean do dh鈥檉hear sam bith a lorgadh i. 聽Sin agus leth a r矛oghachd.聽Th脿inig an ceannard gu taigh聽Iain Duibh. Bhruidhinn e ri Iain agus a聽bhean. Dh鈥檃ithnich e gum b鈥� ise聽nighean R矛gh na Sp脿inne. Ach cha tuirt聽e guth. Thug e cuireadh do dh鈥橧ain is a聽bhean a dhol a-mach an ath latha, agus聽an long fhaicinn.聽D猫 bha a鈥� dol a thachairt do聽dh鈥橧ain Dubh? Cuiridh mi cr矛och air an聽st貌iridh an ath-sheachdain.

Black-haired John of Lewis, the聽Sailor, was in the robbers鈥� house. The聽robbers weren鈥檛 there. There was a聽secret room in the house. John opened聽the door of the room. He saw a聽beautiful woman. She was hanging by聽her hair from the ceiling.聽She appeared to be dead. But she聽wasn鈥檛. She awoke. She told John聽what had happened to her. She was聽the daughter of the King of Sp脿in.聽Two of the robbers were caught at the聽King鈥檚 Castle. The King had them聽killed. The other robbers took revenge聽by capturing the King鈥檚 daughter.聽John and the daughter left. They聽reached a shieling bothy for the night.聽When they were in the bothy, they聽heard voices outside. John opened the聽door. There were three bodies聽standing there. Their heads were聽between their hands. 鈥淕entle-men,鈥澛爏aid John, 鈥渨hat do you want?鈥澛犫�淲e are,鈥� they replied, 鈥渁 father聽and his two sons. We were killed in聽the bothy by robbers. They buried us聽behind the bothy. But they didn鈥檛 put聽each head with its own body. So, we聽don鈥檛 have peace.鈥� They asked John聽to put the heads in the correct place.聽John did that.聽The next day, John and the聽King鈥檚 daughter left the bothy. They聽reached a port-town. They stopped聽there and they married. They were聽happy and successful.聽One day, a ship came. On board聽was the commander of the Spanish聽fleet. He was looking for the King鈥檚聽daughter. The King [had] promised聽the hand of his daughter to any man聽who would find her. That and half his聽kingdom.聽The commander came to Black-haired聽John鈥檚 house. He spoke to聽John and his wife. He recognised that聽she was the daughter of the King of聽Spain. But he said nothing. He gave聽John and his wife an invitation to go聽out the next day to see the ship.聽What was going to happen to聽Black-haired John? I鈥檒l finish the聽story next week.