大象传媒

Seo agaibh st貌iridh beag traidiseanta air a bheil 鈥淎n Damh agus an t-Asal鈥�. Bha damh agus asal uaireigin a鈥� fuireach air an aon tuathanas. Bha saoghal bochd aig an damh oir bha e ag obair a h-uile latha o mhoch gu dubh. Bha e a鈥� f脿s caol. Ach bha saoghal a鈥� choin bh脿in aig an asal. Bha gl猫 bheag aige ri dh猫anamh. Bhiodh e a鈥� gabhail fois nuair a thogradh e. Bha e air f脿s cho reamhar ri r貌n.

Latha a bha seo, thuirt an damh ris an asal, 鈥淭ha mi seachd searbh sg矛th de bhith ag obair fad na h-霉ine, fhad 鈥檚 a tha thusa a鈥� gabhail air do shocair.鈥�

鈥淭ha adhbhar gearain agad, a charaid,鈥� dh鈥檃ontaich an t-asal. 鈥淭ha fada cus agad ri dh猫anamh. Innsidh mi dhut d猫 n矛 thu. Leig ort nach eil thu gu math. Cha bhi agad ri dad a dh猫anamh.鈥�

Rinn an damh mar a dh鈥檌arr an t-asal air. An ath mhadainn, leig e air gun robh e tinn. Nuair a nochd an tuathanach, th貌isich an damh air gearan agus ochanaich. L脿igh e s矛os mar gun robh e tinn.

鈥淔eumaidh nach eil an damh gu math an-diugh,鈥� thuirt an tuathanach ris fh猫in, 鈥渁gus is beag an t-iongnadh. Tha cus aige ri dh猫anamh. Leigidh mi leis fois a ghabhail an-diugh. Ach tha sin a鈥� d猫anamh ch霉isean doirbh dhomh. Ciamar a n矛 mi treabhadh a-nise? Chan eil roghainn agam ach an t-asal a chur a dh鈥檕bair na 脿ite. Tha an t-脿m aig an asal barrachd a dh猫anamh.鈥�

Chaidh an t-asal a chur ris a鈥� chrann. Bha e a鈥� treabhadh fad an latha. Fhad 鈥檚 a bha e ag obair gu cruaidh, bha an damh a鈥� gabhail fois anns an st脿ball. Mus t脿inig beul na h-oidhche bha an t-asal claoidhte le sg矛ths. Chuir e roimhe nach biodh latha dhen t-se貌rsa seo aige a-rithist.

Nuair a thill an t-asal don st脿ball, chaidh e far an robh an damh. Cha do leig e air gun robh e sg矛th. Thuirt e ris an damh, 鈥淭ha thu fortanach, 鈥檌lle, gu bheil cluasan biorach ormsa. Tha rabhadh agam dhut. Chuala mi an tuathanach a鈥� bruidhinn ri a bhean mu do dheidhinn.鈥�

鈥淎gus d猫 thuirt e?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich an damh.

鈥淭huirt gu bheil thu gun fheum nuair a tha thu tinn,鈥� fhreagair an t-asal. 鈥淢ura f脿s thu nas fhe脿rr gu luath, thuirt e, cuiridh e 脿s dhut.鈥�

Chuir seo eagal dearg a bheatha air an damh. Thug e taing mh貌r don asal airson rabhadh a thoirt dha. An ath mhadainn, nuair a nochd an tuathanach, chaidh an damh air a chasan gu sgiobalta. Chaidh e mach a dh鈥檕bair anns na h-achaidhean gun ghearan sam bith. Bha e taingeil don asal airson a bheatha a sh脿bhaladh.

Rinn an t-asal g脿ire bheag dha fh猫in. Bha e a鈥� gabhail fois anns an st脿ball fhad 鈥檚 a bha an damh air ais ag obair anns an achadh leis a鈥� chrann. 鈥溾�橲 ann mar sin a tha c霉isean,鈥� thuirt an t-asal ris fh猫in. 鈥淔eumaidh cuid de chreutairean a bhith ag obair gu cruaidh agus chan eil dol-脿s aca.鈥� Uill, tha aon rud f矛or 鈥� cha robh an t-asal se貌lta dhen bheachd gun robh esan am measg nan creutairean bochda sin!

bha damh agus asal uaireigin a鈥� fuireach air an aon tuathanas: an ox and a donkey were at one time living on the same farm; bha saoghal a鈥� choin bh脿in aig an asal: the donkey enjoyed the life of Riley; seachd searbh sg矛th: thoroughly fed up; fhad 鈥檚 a tha thusa a鈥� gabhail air do shocair: while you take your ease; tha adhbhar gearain agad: you have cause for complaint; leig ort nach eil thu gu math: pretend you鈥檙e not well;

th貌isich an damh air gearan agus ochanaich: the ox started to complain and sigh; mar gun robh e tinn: as if he were sick; is beag an t-iongnadh: it鈥檚 hardly a surprise; chan eil roghainn agam ach an t-asal a chur a dh鈥檕bair na 脿ite: I have no choice except to put the donkey to work in his place; mus t脿inig beul na h-oidhche bha an t-asal claoidhte le sg矛ths: before nightfall came, the donkey was exhausted; chuir e roimhe nach biodh latha dhen t-se貌rsa seo aige a-rithist: he decided he wouldn鈥檛 have a day like this again; tha thu fortanach, 鈥檌lle, gu bheil cluasan biorach ormsa: you鈥檙e fortunate, lad, that I have sharp ears; gun fheum nuair a tha thu tinn: useless when you鈥檙e sick; cuiridh e 脿s dhut: he鈥檒l kill you; chuir seo eagal dearg a bheatha air an damh: this frightened the ox out of his wits; feumaidh cuid de chreutairean a bhith ag obair gu cruaidh agus chan eil dol-脿s aca: some creatures need to work hard and they have no choice.

Bhiodh e a鈥� gabhail fois nuair a thogradh e. He would take a rest when he wished. The verb togair, a鈥� togradh (鈥渨ish, desire, like鈥�) is most commonly used in one of the future tenses eg faodaidh tu tighinn ma thogras tu (you can come if you wish; thoir leat na thogras tu dhen bhiadh (take with you what you want of the food); faodaidh iad falbh nuair a thogras iad (they can leave when they want); cuir na craobhan far an togair thu (plant the trees wherever you want). But it is sometimes used with the conditional, as it is in the Litir. Here are some other examples: bhiodh e a鈥� d猫anamh mar a thogradh e fh猫in (he would do whatever he desired); dh猫anadh i e nan togradh i (she would/could do it if she wished).

o mhoch gu dubh: all day long (from early to nightfall).

听

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