大象传媒

Tha mi a鈥� dol a chur cr矛och air an st貌iridh An R矛gh agus an Searrach. Bha an searrach aig an tuathanach air a dhol dhachaigh don chaisteal le gearran an r矛gh. Cha robh an r矛gh de貌nach an searrach a thoirt air ais don tuathanach.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Latha a bha seo, bha an r矛gh a-muigh a鈥� sealg. Chaidh an tuathanach don chaisteal a bhruidhinn ri bean an r矛gh. Mh矛nich e dhi mar a bha c霉isean.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淣ist,鈥� thuirt i, 鈥渢hig tr脿th sa mhadainn agus thoir leat bucaid de shalann. T貌isich air salann a chur anns a鈥� ph脿irc. Thig an r矛gh a-mach a choimhead feuch gu d猫 tha thu a鈥� d猫anamh. Can ris gu bheil thu a鈥� crathadh salainn. Faighnichidh e dhiot a bheil thu an d霉il gum f脿s an salann. Can ris gu bheil e a cheart cho coltach gum f脿s salann anns an talamh 鈥檚 a tha e gum bi searrach aig gearran. Agus cha chan mi an c貌rr.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Rinn an tuathanach mar a thuirt bean an r矛gh. Bha bucaid aige de shalann. Bha e a鈥� crathadh an t-salainn air an talamh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淒猫 tha thu a鈥� d猫anamh an sin?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich an r矛gh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淣ach eil mi,鈥� ars esan, 鈥渁鈥� crathadh salainn?鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淎gus a bheil thu a鈥� smaoineachadh gum f脿s an salann?鈥� thuirt an r矛gh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淐han eil mi cinnteach gum f脿s,鈥� ars an duine. 鈥淎ch tha e cho coltach gum f脿sadh salann anns an talamh 鈥檚 a tha e gum bi searrach aig gearran.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭ha sin f矛or,鈥� dh鈥檃idich an r矛gh. Ach cha robh e de貌nach an searrach a thoirt seachad. 鈥橲 e searrach air leth math a bh鈥� ann. Chaidh an r矛gh a-steach. 鈥淭hug thusa comhairle don tuathanach, nach tug,鈥� thuirt e ri a bhean. Dh鈥檃idich i gun tug.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭ha mi cinnteach,鈥� ars esan, 鈥済u bheil cuimhne agad air na c霉mhnantan air ar p貌sadh.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭ha cuimhne agam orra,鈥� fhreagair a bhean.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淯ill,鈥� ars esan, 鈥渇aodaidh tu d猫anamh deiseil airson an caisteal fh脿gail.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭ha sin math gu le貌r,鈥� ars ise, 鈥渁ch bidh cuimhne agad fh猫in air a鈥� ch霉mhnant eile 鈥� gum faodainn tr矛 eallaich a thoirt leam a-mach 脿s a鈥� chaisteal.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淐eart gu le貌r,鈥� thuirt an r矛gh. 鈥淏鈥� e sin an c霉mhnant.鈥� Leis a sin, l矛on a bhean ciste le 貌r is airgead is seudan. Chuir i a鈥� chiste taobh a-muigh a鈥� chaisteil agus thill i a-steach. Thog i a鈥� chreathall anns an robh an gille aca. B鈥� e sin an d脿rna eallach a bha cead aice a thoirt a-mach 脿s a鈥� chaisteal.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha an r矛gh a鈥� coimhead gu math m矛-thoilichte. Bha e a鈥� me貌rachadh air cho g貌rach 鈥檚 a bha e nuair a rinn e c霉mhnantan a鈥� ph貌saidh. Ach cha robh a bhean deiseil. Bha an treas eallach aice fhathast. Agus seo na rinn i. Dh鈥檉h脿g i a鈥� chreathall taobh a-muigh a鈥� chaisteil. Thill i a-steach agus rug i air l脿mh an r矛gh fh猫in. Thug i a-mach air an doras e.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha i air tr矛 eallaich a thoirt a-mach 脿s a鈥� chaisteal. Ach cha robh duine na bhroinn. Dh鈥檉haodadh duine sam bith an caisteal a ghabhail thairis. Mar sin, thuirt an r矛gh, 鈥淭illidh thusa a-steach don chaisteal agus th猫id mi fh矛n a-steach cuideachd. Gi霉lainidh mi a-steach na h-eallaich a thug thu a-mach.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 Agus sin mar a dh鈥櫭╥rich e don nighinn se貌lta a bh鈥� aig an t-seann duine. Bha i fh猫in agus an r矛gh sona gu le貌r. Agus tha mi an d霉il gun d鈥� fhuair an tuathanach a shearrach air ais.

: mh矛nich e dhi mar a bha c霉isean: he explained to her how things were; thoir leat bucaid de shalann: bring with you a bucket of salt; t貌isich air salann a chur anns a鈥� ph脿irc: start to plant salt in the field; a choimhead feuch gu d猫 tha thu a鈥� d猫anamh: to see what you are doing; can ris gu bheil thu a鈥� crathadh salainn: tell him you are sprinkling salt; faighnichidh e dhiot: he will ask you; a bheil thu an d霉il gum f脿s an salann: do you expect the salt to grow; cha chan mi an c貌rr: I won鈥檛 say any more; cha robh e de貌nach an searrach a thoirt seachad: he wasn鈥檛 willing to give up the foal; thug thusa comhairle don tuathanach: you gave advice to the farmer; dh鈥檃idich i gun tug: she admitted that she did; bidh cuimhne agad fh猫in air a鈥� ch霉mhnant eile: you will remember the other condition; gum faodainn tr矛 eallaich a thoirt leam: that I could take three loads with me; l矛on a bhean ciste le seudan: his wife filled a chest with jewels; a鈥� me貌rachadh air cho g貌rach 鈥檚 a bha e: contemplating how foolish he was; rug i air l脿mh an r矛gh fh猫in: she took hold of the king鈥檚 hand; gi霉lainidh mi a-steach na h-eallaich a thug thu a-mach: I will carry in the loads you took out; sin mar a dh鈥櫭╥rich e don nighinn se貌lta: that鈥檚 what happened to the crafty daughter.

Bha e a鈥� crathadh an t-salainn air an talamh: he was sprinkling the salt on the ground. The Gaelic for salt 鈥� salann (it鈥檚 related to similar words in many European languages) 鈥� is masculine. Thus it slenderises in the genitive singular (to salainn). However, because it starts with an 鈥渟鈥� and is masculine, where the article is present, the genitive form is preceded by t- (and note the 鈥渟鈥� is no longer sounded). This is a general grammatical rule in the language. Here are some other examples: tha mi a鈥� faicinn an t-saighdeir, tha e a鈥� l矛bhrigeadh an t-soisgeil, tha i air mullach an t-s矛thein. In the example in the Litir, salann is in the genitive because it is commanded by a verbal noun (a鈥� crathadh).

a cheart cho coltach gum f脿s salann anns an talamh 鈥檚 a tha e gum bi searrach aig gearran: just as likely that salt will grow in the ground as it is that a gelding will have a foal.

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Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA