大象传媒

Seo agaibh an st貌iridh tr脿idiseanta Cailleach nan Cn貌 agus T脿illear nan Cl脿r. O chionn iomadh bliadhna bha cailleach a鈥� fuireach ann an gleann air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd. Bha na daoine dhen bheachd gun robh i olc. Fhuair i a far-ainm oir bhiodh an-c貌mhnaidh poca l脿n chnothan aice.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Dh鈥檉h脿s a鈥� Chailleach tinn. Thuirt i ris a h-uile duine, nam faigheadh i b脿s, gun robh i ag iarraidh gum biodh poca l脿n chnothan air a thiodhlacadh c貌mhla rithe, aig a ceann. Sin mar a thachair. Fhuair i b脿s, chaidh a tiodhlacadh, agus chaidh poca chnothan a chur don uaigh ri taobh a cinn.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach bha gille sa bhaile nach robh a鈥� creidsinn ann an cumhachd na Caillich. Thuirt e ris fh猫in gum biodh e t脿mailteach mura d猫anadh cuideigin feum de na cnothan san uaigh. Air oidhche dhorch, dh鈥檉halbh e don chladh le spaid, airson am poca chnothan a chladhach suas.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Air an rathad don chladh, ge-t脿, thachair e ri duine a bha droch-chli霉iteach airson a bhith ri m猫irle chaorach. 鈥淐脿鈥檒 thus鈥� a鈥� dol?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich am m猫irleach.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭ha mis鈥� a鈥� dol a chladhach suas cnothan na Caillich,鈥� fhreagair an gille. 鈥淎gus tha thus鈥� a鈥� dol a ghoid molt. Ma bheir thusa dh貌mhsa leth dhen mholt, bheir mise dhutsa leth de na cnothan. Fhad 鈥檚 a tha thu air falbh, n矛 mi suidhe sa chladh agus cnacaidh mi na cnothan.鈥� Agus dh鈥檃ontaich am m猫irleach.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha T脿illear nan Cl脿r a鈥� fuireach sa bhaile. Bha ciorram air. Bha cl脿ran fiodha air gach bois agus air gach gl霉n aige. Bhiodh e a鈥� gluasad air na cl脿ran. Bha an T脿illear math air naidheachdan innse, ach bha e m貌r 脿s fh猫in. Chuireadh e s矛os air feadhainn eile. Cha chuireadh e dragh air duine sa bhaile nam biodh cuideigin a鈥� toirt car 脿s.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Cha robh uisge anns an taigh. Dh鈥檉halbh fear 貌g don tobar faisg air a鈥� chladh. Ach chuala e cnacadh chnothan anns a鈥� chladh. Ruith e air ais don taigh le eagal, gun a鈥� chuinneag a l矛onadh. Thuirt e gun robh Cailleach nan Cn貌 air 猫iridh bho na mairbh!

听听听听听听听听听听听 Rinn an fheadhainn eile magadh air. 鈥淭hoir dh貌mhs鈥� a鈥� chuinneag,鈥� ars an Gille Maol Dubh, agus dh鈥檉halbh e leatha. Ach thachair an aon rud dh脿san. Thill e gun uisge, ach leis an naidheachd gun robh a鈥� chailleach a鈥� cnacadh chnothan anns a鈥� chladh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭ha sibh lag-chridheach 鈥檚 gun fheum,鈥� arsa T脿illear nan Cl脿r. 鈥淣am biodh comas coiseachd agamsa, bhithinn a鈥� l矛onadh na cuinneig gun dragh, ge brith c貌 bha a鈥� cnacadh chnothan anns a鈥� chladh.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淯ill,鈥� thuirt an Gille Ruadh, 鈥渂heir mise ann sibh air mo dhruim.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淕l猫 mhath, ma-th脿,鈥� fhreagair an T脿illear.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Nuair a bha iad faisg air a鈥� chladh, chuala iad cn貌 ga cnacadh. 鈥淎ir m鈥� onair, 鈥檚 i a th鈥� ann,鈥� thuirt an T脿illear.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chunnaic an gille sa chladh an Gille Ruadh agus T脿illear nan Cl脿r anns an dorchadas. Bha e a鈥� smaoineachadh gur e am m猫irleach a bh鈥� ann, agus e a鈥� tilleadh le molt air a dhruim. Dh鈥櫭╥gh e, 鈥淎 bheil e reamhar?鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淩eamhar no caol, faodaidh tu fhaighinn,鈥� ars an Gille Ruadh. Agus thilg e T脿illear nan Cl脿r far a dhroma don chladh. Agus cha robh T脿illear nan Cl脿r cho bragail idir nuair a thill e dhachaigh.

Cailleach nan Cn貌 agus T脿illear nan Cl脿r: the old woman of the nuts and the tailor of the boards; bhiodh an-c貌mhnaidh poca lan chnothan aice: she would always have a bag full of [hazel] nuts; air a thiodhlacadh c貌mhla rithe: buried along with her; t脿mailteach mura d猫anadh cuideigin feum de: terrible if somebody didn鈥檛 make use of; dh鈥檉halbh e don chladh le spaid: he went to the cemetery with a spade; droch-chli霉iteach airson a bhith ri m猫irle chaorach: infamous for rustling sheep; a鈥� dol a ghoid molt: going to steal a wether; bheir mise dhutsa leth de: I鈥檒l give you half of; cnacaidh mi na cnothan: I鈥檒l crack the nuts; bha ciorram air: he was disabled; bha cl脿ran fiodha air gach bois agus air gach gl霉n aige: there were wooden boards on each of his palms and knees; m貌r 脿s fh猫in: conceited; chuireadh e s矛os air feadhainn eile: he鈥檇 be dismissive of others; nam biodh cuideigin a鈥� toirt car 脿s: if somebody took a rise out of him; gun a鈥� chuinneag a l矛onadh: without filling the water pail; air 猫iridh bho na mairbh: [had] risen from the dead; chuala iad cn貌 ga cnacadh: they heard a nut being cracked; air m鈥� onair, 鈥檚 i a th鈥� ann: on my honour, it鈥檚 her; le molt air a dhruim: with a wether on his back; reamhar no caol, faodaidh tu fhaighinn: fat or thin, you can have him; far a dhroma: from his back.

This traditional story might not appear to be very politically correct (and many old stories were not) but the motif is more concerned with taking a pompous character down a peg or two, rather than making fun of his disability. In other European traditions, it tends to be a pompous churchman whose obesity makes him unable to walk properly who is carried to the cemetery, but in Scotland, he is replaced with a disabled tailor. Tailors, not being required to work the land, and often being men of intellectual rigour, might be perceived as superior in their attitudes, and therefore fair game to be an object of a 鈥榗leas鈥�. I鈥檝e based this version of the story on one collected in Islay in 1969 by Alan Bruford, Donald Archie MacDonald and Ian Fraser.

鈥淐脿鈥檒 thus鈥� a鈥� dol?鈥�: 鈥�where are you going?鈥� Short for 鈥淐脿ite a bheil thusa a鈥� dol?鈥� 鈥� a very natural abbreviation.

听

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