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Is mòid i sin, is mòid i sin, mar a thuirt an dreathan-donn nuair a rinn e dileag sa mhuir mhòir. An cuala sibh an seanfhacal sin riamh? Tha mi a’ dèanamh dheth gu bheil e a-mach air daoine a tha a’ smaoineachadh gu bheil iad nas cudromaiche na tha iad ann an dha-rìreabh. Is mòid i sin, is mòid i sin, mar a thuirt an dreathan-donn nuair a rinn e dileag sa mhuir mhòir. Tha an t-eun seo car mòr às fhèin. Agus carson nach bitheadh? Nach e an dreathan-donn a chaidh na b’ àirde na eun sam bith eile, eadhon an iolair, oir chaidh e air muin na h-iolaire nuair a bha ‘rìgh nan eun’ air sgèith gu h-àrd.

            Sheall an stòiridh sin, mun dreathan agus an iolair, cho seòlta ’s a tha an t-eun beag seo. Agus bidh sibh eòlach air an ainmhidh eile a thathar a’ tomhas mar seòlta – an sionnach no madadh-ruadh. Ach cò tha nas seòlta – am madadh no an dreathan? Cò dhèanadh a’ chùis ann am farpais?

            Uill, a rèir beul-aithris, bha farpais ann eatarra uaireigin. Agus seo mar a thachair.

            Latha a bha seo, tràth san Earrach, bha dreathan-donn a’ lorg stuth airson nead a thogail. Fhuair e grèim air stuth math ach bha e doirbh a tharraing a-mach le a ghob oir bha e an sàs ann an stuth eile. Cha robh an dreathan làidir gu leòr.

            Cò thàinig seachad ach sionnach. Dh’inns an dreathan dha nach robh e comasach air an stuth-neadachaidh a thoirt a-mach. ‘Dè gheibh mi bhuat ma bheir mi taic dhut?’ thuirt an sionnach.

            ‘O, nuair a tha obair an arbhair seachad as t-fhoghar, bheir mi rudeigin dhut.’

            ‘Dè na bheir thu dhomh?’ dh’fhaighnich am madadh a-rithist.

            Mheòraich an t-eun airson greis. An uair sin thuirt e, ‘Peic is ceannan. ’S e sin a gheibh thu – peic is ceannan.’ Nise b’ e peic agus ceannan dà thomhas de ghràin a bhathar a’ cleachdadh anns an t-seann aimsir. A peck and two pecks, ann am Beurla.

            Dh’aontaich an sionnach ris a’ bhargan, thug e taic don dreathan agus dh’fhalbh e.

            Nuair a thàinig am foghar, chuimhnich an sionnach air a’ bhargan, agus chaidh e a thadhal air an dreathan-donn. Bha an t-eun trang anns an t-sabhal le a mhic. Anns a’ chiad dol a-mach, cha b’ urrainn don mhadadh-ruadh dèanamh dheth cò fear a bha na athair. Bha na h-eòin a’ coimhead coltach ri chèile.

            Ach cha chan iad ‘cho seòlta ris an t-sionnach’ gun adhbhar. ‘Tha athair cho ealanta air an obair an coimeas ri a mhic,’ thuirt an sionnach.

            ‘Is math a thuirt thu,’ thuirt an seann dreathan gu pròiseil, agus thàinig e a dh’ionnsaigh an t-sionnaich. Chuir an sionnach na chuimhne mar a rinn iad bargan as t-Earrach.

            ‘Tha cuimhne agam,’ thuirt an dreathan-donn. ‘Thuirt mi riut gun toirinn peic is ceannan dhut. Tha sin ceart, nach eil?’

            ‘Tha sin ceart,’ dh’aontaich am madadh-ruadh.

            Dh’èigh an dreathan-donn, ‘Peic is Ceannan, Peic is Ceannan!’ gu h-àrd-ghuthach. Agus ruith dà chù mhòr a-mach. ’S iad na h-ainmean a bh’ orra Peic agus Ceannan! Theich an sionnach gu luath. Agus sin mar a thug an dreathan-donn an car às an t-sionnach oir ’s e a bu sheòlta dhen dithis aca.

dreathan-donn: wren; sionnach, madadh-ruadh: fox; ³¾³ó±ðò°ù²¹¾±³¦³ó: ³¦´Ç²Ô³Ù±ð³¾±è±ô²¹³Ù±ð»å.ÌýÌý

a’ smaoineachadh gu bheil iad nas cudromaiche na tha iad ann an dha-rìreabh: thinking that they are more important than they are in reality; tha an t-eun seo car mòr às fhèin: this bird has a high opinion of itself; chaidh e air muin na h-iolaire: it went on to the back of the eagle; nuair a bha ‘rìgh nan eun’ air sgèith gu h-àrd: when ‘the king of the birds’ was flying high; cho seòlta ’s a tha an t-eun beag seo: how cunning is this little bird; a thathar a’ tomhas mar seòlta: which is reckoned to be cunning; cò dhèanadh a’ chùis ann am farpais?: who would win in a competition?; bha farpais ann eatarra uaireigin: there was a competition between them at one time; bha e doirbh a tharraing a-mach le e ghob:  it was difficult to pull it out with its beak; nach robh e comasach air an stuth-neadachaidh a thoirt a-mach: that it wasn’t capable of pulling out nesting material; nuair a tha obair an arbhair seachad as t-fhoghar, bheir mi rudeigin dhut: when the work of the corn is over in the autumn, I’ll give you something; dè na bheir thu dhomh?: what will you give me?; b’ e peic agus ceannan dà thomhas de ghràin: a peck and a ceannan are two measures of grain; chaidh e a thadhal air: he went to visit; trang anns an t-sabhal le a mhic: busy in the barn with his sons; cha b’ urrainn don mhadadh-ruadh dèanamh dheth cò fear a bha na athair: the fox couldn’t make out which one was the father; cho ealanta air an obair an coimeas ri a mhic: so skilled in the work compared with his sons; gu h-àrd-ghuthach: at the top of his voice; ruith dà chù mhòr a-mach: two large dogs ran out; mar a thug an dreathan-donn an car às an t-sionnach oir ’s e a bu sheòlta dhen dithis aca: how the wren tricked the fox because it was the more cunning of the two of them.

Chuir an sionnach na chuimhne: the fox reminded him. Na here stands for ann + a (the masculine third person singular possessive pronoun). This possessive pronoun lenites the following noun, thus cuimhne becomes chuimhne.

Is mòid i sin, is mòid i sin, mar a thuirt an dreathan-donn nuair a rinn e dileag sa mhuir mhòir:  it’s the bigger for that, it’s the bigger for that, as the wren said when he urinated in the great sea.