大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Chastell March 鈥� 鈥楥aisteal Eich鈥� 鈥� ann an ceann a tuath na Cuimrigh. Chaidh ainmeachadh airson March 鈥� 鈥楨ach鈥� 鈥� fear de ridirean R矛gh Artair. Bha cluasan m貌ra aige coltach ri cluasan eich. Ch霉m e am falach iad le falt fada. Nuair a dh鈥檉heumadh e cliop fhaighinn, 鈥檚 e an gille a b鈥� 貌ige anns a鈥� chaisteal a dh猫anadh sin. 脌s d猫idh l脿imhe, cha bhiodh sgeul air a鈥� ghille.

Bha an t-脿rd-ch貌caire, Derfel, ag innse don ghille a b鈥� 貌ige, Islwyn, gum bu ch貌ir dha teicheadh nuair a choisich March a-steach don chidsin. 鈥業s tu an gille as 貌ige,鈥� thuirt e ri Islwyn. 鈥楤idh thu a鈥� gearradh m鈥� fhuilt madainn Disathairne.鈥� Bha cuirm mh貌r gu bhith ann oidhche Shathairne.

Feasgar Dihaoine, th貌isich an luchd-ci霉il air nochdadh bho air feadh ceann a tuath na Cuimrigh. Nam measg bha p矛obaire air an robh Merfyn mar ainm. Chan e a鈥� ph矛ob-mh貌r a bhiodh e a鈥� cluich ach t猫 a bhathar a鈥� d猫anamh de chuilc. Chaidh Merfyn a-steach don chidsin far an robh Derfel agus Islwyn.

鈥楽heas mi air mo ph矛ob agus bhris mi i,鈥� thuirt Merfyn. 鈥楥脿it am faigh mi cuilc airson t猫 霉r a dh猫anamh?鈥�

鈥楾halla s矛os an rathad,鈥� thuirt Derfel. 鈥楥h矛 thu coilleagan. Air an taobh thall dhiubh tha boglach. Tha cuilcean gu le貌r a鈥� f脿s an sin.鈥�

Dh鈥檉halbh Merfyn a dh鈥檌arraidh chuilcean. Cha robh e air falbh fada nuair a thill e ann an cabhaig, agus anail na uchd. 鈥楲org mi a鈥� bhoglach,鈥� thuirt e. 鈥楪he脿rr mi cuilc mh貌r chruaidh a bha d矛reach ceart airson p矛ob a dh猫anamh. Agus rinn mi p矛ob. Ach, nuair a sheinn mi i, cha tigeadh port sam bith aiste. An 脿ite sin, bha guth. Agus a bheil fios agaibh d猫 bha e ag r脿dh?鈥�

鈥楥han eil,鈥� thuirt Derfel, 鈥榙猫 bha e ag r脿dh?鈥�

鈥�Tha cluasan eich aig March, tha cluasan eich aig March!鈥� fhreagair am p矛obaire. 鈥樏坕stibh!鈥�

Thug e a鈥� ph矛ob 霉r 脿s a ph貌caid agus sheinn e i. 鈥楾ha cluasan eich aig March, tha cluasan eich aig March,鈥� sheinn a鈥� ph矛ob.

鈥楾ha fios agam a-nise carson a tha falt fada aig March,鈥� thuirt Derfel. 鈥楾ha n脿ire air mu a chluasan.鈥�

鈥楾ha thu ceart,鈥� thuirt guth air an c霉laibh. Thionndaidh iad. 鈥橲 e March fh猫in a bh鈥� ann. 鈥楤ha an t-eagal orm gum biodh daoine a鈥� magadh orm oir bha cluasan eich orm,鈥� thuirt e.

鈥楢ch ciamar a bha fios aig a鈥� ph矛ob-chi霉il?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich Islwyn.

鈥楢, uill, a鈥� chiad chliop a bh鈥� agam,鈥� thuirt March, 鈥榙h鈥檌arr mi air mo shaighdearan an gille a ghe脿rr m鈥� fhalt a thoirt air falbh. Ach chuir iad gu b脿s e agus chuir iad a chorp anns a鈥� bhoglaich. Bhon uair sin, thug mi 貌rdugh seachad nach bitheadh gille a鈥� faighinn b脿s. Tha iad uile a鈥� faighinn poca l脿n 貌ir airson an sg矛re seo fh脿gail agus an d矛omhaireachd a chumail.鈥�

鈥楢gus 鈥檚 e taibhs a鈥� ghille a tha a鈥� bruidhinn anns a鈥� ph矛ob,鈥� thuirt Islwyn.

鈥樷�橲 e,鈥� fhreagair March.

鈥楢gus d猫 thachras dh貌mhsa a-m脿ireach?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich Islwyn.

鈥楩aodaidh tusa fuireach an seo, 鈥榝hreagair an ridire. 鈥楾ha mi a鈥� dol a shealltainn mo chluasan don a h-uile duine a-m脿ireach. Carson a bhiodh n脿ire orm mu rudeigin a bh鈥� agam nuair a rugadh mi?鈥� Ch霉m March ri a ghealladh. Agus nuair a leig Derfel dheth a dhreuchd, ghabh Islwyn thairis bhuaithe mar 脿rd-ch貌caire Chastell March.

: ceann a tuath na Cuimrigh: North Wales; ridirean R矛gh Artair: the knights of King Arthur; bha cluasan m貌ra aige coltach ri cluasan eich: he had large ears like horse ears; ch霉m e am falach iad: he kept them hidden; nuair a dh鈥檉heumadh e cliop fhaighinn: when he needed to get a haircut; 脿s d猫idh l脿imhe, cha bhiodh sgeul air a鈥� ghille: afterwards, there would be no sign of the lad; a鈥� gearradh m鈥� fhuilt: cutting my hair; t猫 a bhathar a鈥� d猫anamh de chuilc: one that was made of a rush; sheas mi air mo ph矛ob agus bhris mi i: I stood on my pipe and broke it; air an taobh thall dhiubh tha boglach: on the far side of them is a bog; nuair a sheinn mi i: when I played it; cha tigeadh port aiste: no tune would come from it; tha n脿ire air mu a chluasan: he鈥檚 ashamed of his ears; gum biodh daoine a鈥� magadh orm: that people would mock me; chuir iad gu b脿s e: they killed him; chuir iad a chorp anns a鈥� bhoglaich: they put his body in the bog; poca l脿n 貌ir airson an sg矛re seo fh脿gail agus an d矛omhaireachd a chumail: a bag of gold to leave this area and keep the secret; d猫 thachras dh貌mhsa a-m脿ireach?: what will happen to me tomorrow?; faodaidh tusa fuireach an seo: you can stay here; ch霉m March ri a ghealladh: March kept to his promise.

Did you think you might have heard the story of March and his horse鈥檚 ears before? You might have, although perhaps from a different culture. The Irish tale of Lowry Lynch is very similar, except that the plant that heard about the King鈥檚 horse ears was a willow, from which a cl脿rsach was made 鈥� and the cl脿rsach of course told the populace about the ears. And, unlike the kindlier March, Lowry had put many barbers to death so that his secret could be kept. Another version is from Greece and concerns King Midas (he of the golden touch) who had ass鈥檚 ears; here the tell-tale plants in question are very similar to the Welsh example 鈥� they are bulrushes. Cornwall and Brittany also have versions 鈥� do any of you know a Scottish one in Gaelic, Scots or English?

Cha robh e air falbh fada nuair a thill e ann an cabhaig, agus anail na uchd: he wasn鈥檛 gone long when he returned in a hurry, out of breath.

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