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30/07/2012

Tha litir bheag na seachdain aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain.
This week's short letter for learners is introduced by Ruaraidh MacLean.

3 minutes

Last on

Mon 30 Jul 2012 19:00

Clip

An Litir Bheag 377

Chunnaic D貌mhnall Ruadh claigeann anns a鈥 choille. Bhreab e an claigeann. 鈥淒猫 thug an seo thu?鈥 thuirt D貌mhnall. Fhreagair an claigeann, 鈥淏ruidhinn 鈥 鈥檚 e sin a thug an seo mi.鈥

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chaidh D貌mhnall don R矛gh. 鈥淟org mi claigeann agus bhruidhinn e rium,鈥 thuirt e.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淏hruidhinn e?鈥 ars an R矛gh. 鈥淒猫 thuirt e?鈥

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淒h鈥檉haighnich mi dheth, 鈥楧猫 thug an seo thu?鈥 agus thuirt e, 鈥樷檚 e bruidhinn a thug an seo mi.鈥欌

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淐han eil mi gad chreidsinn,鈥 thuirt an R矛gh. 鈥淐uiridh mi freiceadain c貌mhla riut don choille. Ma bhruidhneas an claigeann, ceart gu le貌r. Mura bruidhinn, caillidh thu do cheann airson a bhith ag innse bhreugan.鈥

听听听听听听听听听听听 Dh鈥檉halbh D貌mhnall agus na freiceadain. Bhreab D貌mhnall an claigeann. 鈥淒猫 thug an seo thu?鈥 dh鈥檉haighnich e. Cha tuirt an claigeann smid. Chuir e a鈥 cheist a-rithist. Bha an claigeann balbh. Thug na freiceadain D貌mhnall air ais don R矛gh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淏ha thu ag innse bhreugan,鈥 thuirt an R矛gh, 鈥渁ch bheir mi cothrom eile dhut. An ceann tr矛 latha, cuiridh mi tr矛 ceistean ort. Mura h-eil na freagairtean ceart agad, caillidh thu do cheann.鈥

听听听听听听听听听听听 Air an rathad dhachaigh thachair D貌mhnall ri Gilleasbaig Aotrom. Mh矛nich e a鈥 ch霉is do Ghilleasbaig.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭hoir dhomh do chuid aodaich,鈥 thuirt Gilleasbaig. 鈥淭h猫id mise ann nad 脿ite. Freagraidh mise na ceistean.鈥

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chaidh Gilleasbaig ann. Cha do dh鈥檃ithnich an R矛gh e. 鈥淪eo a鈥 chiad cheist,鈥 thuirt an R矛gh. 鈥淒猫 cho fada 鈥檚 a bheir e dhomh a dhol timcheall an t-saoghail?鈥

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭ha a鈥 ghrian a鈥 toirt ceithir uairean fichead,鈥 fhreagair Gilleasbaig. 鈥淐ha bhiodh sibhse cho luath sin.鈥

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淕l猫 mhath,鈥 ars an R矛gh. 鈥淣ise, an d脿rna ceist 鈥 d猫 luach a tha orm?鈥

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淩eic sinn ar Sl脿naighear airson trithead bonn,鈥 fhreagair Gilleasbaig. 听鈥淐han eil sibhse cho luachmhor sin.鈥

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淕l猫 mhath,鈥 thuirt an R矛gh. 鈥淎gus an treas ceist 鈥 c貌 air a tha mi a鈥 smaoineachadh an-dr脿sta?鈥

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淭ha sibh a鈥 smaoineachadh gur mise D貌mhnall Ruadh,鈥 thuirt Gilleasbaig. 鈥淎ch tha sibh ce脿rr. Is mise Gilleasbaig Aotrom.鈥

听听听听听听听听听听听 Agus fhuair D貌mhnall dheth. Bha D貌mhnall feargach leis a鈥 chlaigeann, ge-t脿. Chaidh e don choille. Bhreab e an claigeann. 鈥淒猫 thug ort thighinn an seo,鈥 thuirt e, 鈥渁鈥 cur dragh m貌r orm?鈥

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥溾橲 e bruidhinn a thug an seo mi,鈥 fhreagair an claigeann!

听听听听听听听听听听听 Agus 鈥檚 e sin an st貌iridh 鈥 D貌mhnall Ruadh agus an Claigeann.

The Little Letter 377

Red-haired Donald saw a skull in the wood. He kicked the skull. 鈥淲hat brought you here?鈥 said Donald. The skull replied, 鈥淪peaking 鈥 that鈥檚 what brought me here.鈥

听听听听听听听 Donald went to the King. 鈥淚 found a skull and it spoke to me,鈥 he said.

听听听听听听听 鈥淚t spoke?鈥 said the King. 鈥淲hat did it say?鈥

听听听听听听听 鈥淚 asked it, 鈥榳hat brought you here?鈥 and it said, 鈥榠t鈥檚 speaking that brought me here.鈥欌

听听听听听听听 鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe you,鈥 said the King. 鈥淚鈥檒l send guards with you to the wood. If the skull speaks, fine. If it doesn鈥檛, you鈥檒l lose your head for telling lies.鈥

听听听听听听听 Donald and the guards left. Donald kicked the skull. 鈥淲hat brought you here?鈥 he asked. The skull said nothing. He asked the question again. The skull was silent. The guards took Donald back to the King.

听听听听听听听 鈥淵ou were telling lies,鈥 said the King, 鈥渂ut I鈥檒l give you another opportunity. In three days鈥 time, I鈥檒l ask you three questions. If you don鈥檛 have the correct answers, you鈥檒l lose your head.鈥

On the way home, Donald met Gilleasbaig Aotrom. He explained the situation to Gilleasbaig.

听听听听听听听 鈥淕ive me your clothes,鈥 said Gilleasbaig. 鈥淚鈥檒l go in your place. I鈥檒l answer the questions.鈥

听听听听听听听 Gilleasbaig went there. The King didn鈥檛 recognise him. 鈥淗ere鈥檚 the first question,鈥 said the King. 鈥淗ow long will it take me to go around the world?鈥

听听听听听听听 鈥淭he sun takes twenty-four hours,鈥 replied Gilleasbaig. 鈥淵ou wouldn鈥檛 be as fast.鈥

听听听听听听听 鈥淥kay,鈥 said the King. 鈥淣ow, the second question 鈥 what am I worth?鈥

听听听听听听听 鈥淲e sold our Saviour for thirty pieces,鈥 replied Gilleasbaig. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e not worth as much as that.鈥

听听听听听听听 鈥淥kay,鈥 said the King. 鈥淎nd the third question 鈥 what I am thinking about just now?鈥

听听听听听听听 鈥淵ou鈥檙e thinking that I鈥檓 Red-haired Donald,鈥 said Gilleasbaig. 鈥淏ut you鈥檙e wrong. I鈥檓 Gilleasbaig Aotrom.鈥

听听听听听听听 And Donald got off. But Donald was angry with the skull. He went to the wood. He kicked the skull. 鈥淲hat brought you here,鈥 he said, 鈥渦psetting me?鈥

听听听听听听听 鈥淚t鈥檚 speaking that brought me here,鈥 replied the skull!

听听听听听听听 And that鈥檚 the story of Red-haired Donald and the Skull.

Broadcast

  • Mon 30 Jul 2012 19:00

All the letters

Tha gach Litir Bheag an seo / All the Little Letters are here.

Podcast: An Litir Bheag

The Little Letter for Gaelic Learners

An Litir Bheag air LearnGaelic

An Litir Bheag is also on LearnGaelic (with PDFs)

Podcast