大象传媒

Anns an sgeulachd An Long a Chaidh a dh鈥橝meireagaidh, dh鈥檉h脿g sinn Iain agus am bodach, a bh鈥� ann an riochd eich, mu choinneimh a鈥� chaisteil phr脿ise le caolas eatarra. Thug am bodach slat do dh鈥橧ain. 鈥楤uail an t-slat ormsa,鈥� thuirt e, 鈥榓gus bidh mi nam long. Bheir mi don chaisteal thu. Cuiridh a鈥� bhaintighearna a ceann a-mach agus canaidh i 鈥渃貌 脿s a th脿inig thu, a she貌ladair?鈥� Freagraidh thusa gun t脿inig thu 脿s na h-Innsean.鈥� Agus mh矛nich am bodach mar a bhiodh an c貌rr dhen ch貌mhradh.

始S ann mar sin a thachair e. Dh鈥檌nns Iain gun t脿inig e 脿s na h-Innsean. 鈥楧猫 an luchd a th鈥� agad air b貌rd?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich a鈥� bhaintighearna.

鈥楾ha s矛oda,鈥� fhreagair Iain. 鈥楾ha e freagarrach airson aodach a dh猫anamh do bhaintighearnan.鈥�

鈥楢n toir thu ultach dheth a-steach?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich am boireannach.

鈥楥han eil fhios agam d猫 an se貌rsa a b鈥� fhe脿rr leibh,鈥� fhreagair Iain. 鈥楴ach tig sibh a-mach don t-soitheach airson na th鈥� agam fhaicinn.鈥� Dh鈥檃ontaich a鈥� bhaintighearna gun d猫anadh i sin.

Bha i cho fada air b貌rd a鈥� coimhead air na h-ultaichean s矛oda 始s nach do mhothaich i gun robh an soitheach a鈥� d猫anamh a shlighe gu socair. Bha i a-nise p矛os m貌r air falbh bhon chaisteal. Bha i feargach. Thug i a-mach iuchraichean a鈥� chaisteil agus thilg i a-mach air an loch iad. 鈥�Ge br矛th d猫 dh鈥櫭╥reas dh貌mhsa,鈥� thuirt i, 鈥榗ha t猫id duine eile a-steach don chaisteal 脿s mo dh猫idh.鈥�

Chaidh iad gu l霉chairt an R矛gh. Thuirt a鈥� bhaintighearna nach p貌sadh i an R矛gh gus am biodh an caisteal pr脿ise aig ceann na l霉chairt. Thuirt an R矛gh ri Iain gu feumadh esan sin a chur an s脿s no gum biodh e air a chrochadh. Chaidh Iain don bhodach. Chaidh an dithis aca gu uamh nam famhairean. Thog na famhairean an caisteal pr脿ise agus chuir iad aig ceann na l霉chairt e.

Ach cha robh a鈥� bhaintighearna riaraichte. 鈥楥ha ph貌s mi thu,鈥� thuirt i ris an R矛gh, 鈥榞us am faigh mi na h-iuchraichean a thilg mi don loch.鈥� Bha an R矛gh a鈥� dol a chrochadh Iain mura faigheadh e na h-iuchraichean. Chaidh Iain agus am bodach don tr脿igh far an robh an t-iasg. Bha Iain air beatha an 猫isg a sh脿bhaladh roimhe. Lorg an t-iasg na h-iuchraichean. Thug Iain na h-iuchraichean don bhaintighearna.

Cha robh i s脿saichte, ge-t脿. 鈥楥ha ph貌s mi thu,鈥� thuirt i ris an R矛gh, 鈥榞us am faigh mi tr矛 botail de dh鈥檜isge 脿 Tobar nam Buadh.鈥櫬�

鈥楪heibh Iain an t-uisge dhut,鈥� ars an R矛gh.

Chaidh am bodach, a bh鈥� ann an riochd eich, agus Iain gu 脿ite fad air falbh. 鈥楴ise, Iain,鈥� thuirt am bodach, 鈥榝aigh clach agus buail mi am bun na cluaise.聽Marbhaidh tu mi. Sgolt mo bhr霉 agus leig p脿irt de mo chaolain a-mach air mo chliathaich. Thig c貌ig fithich. Beir air dithis dhiubh. Can ris na tr矛 eile nach leig thu am br脿ithrean mu sgaoil gus an toir iad dhut c貌ig botail de dh鈥檜isge 脿 Tobar nam Buadh.鈥�

Thachair an gnothach mar a mh矛nich am bodach e. Thill na fithich le c貌ig botail de dh鈥檜isge. Agus d猫 rinn Iain an uair sin? Ch矛 sinn anns an ath Litir.

Faclan na Litreach: s矛oda: silk; feargach: angry; l霉chairt: palace; riaraichte, s脿saichte: satisfied; fithich: ravens.

Abairtean na Litreach: An Long a Chaidh a dh鈥橝meireagaidh: The Ship that Went to America; dh鈥檉h脿g sinn Iain agus am bodach, a bh鈥� ann an riochd eich, mu choinneimh a鈥� chaisteil phr脿ise le caolas eatarra: we left Iain and the old man, who was in the form of a horse, opposite the brazen castle, with a strait between them; buail an t-slat ormsa: hit me with the rod; cuiridh a鈥� bhaintighearna a ceann a-mach: the lady will put her head out; gun t脿inig thu 脿s na h-Innsean: that you came from the Indies; d猫 an luchd a th鈥� agad air b貌rd?: what load do you have on board?; freagarrach airson aodach a dh猫anamh do bhaintighearnan: suitable for making clothes for ladies; an toir thu ultach dheth a-steach?: will you bring in a large armful of it?; nach tig sibh a-mach don t-soitheach: won鈥檛 you come out to the ship; 始s nach do mhothaich i gun robh an soitheach a鈥� d猫anamh a shlighe gu socair: that she didn鈥檛 know that the ship was gently making its way; thug i a-mach iuchraichean a鈥� chaisteil agus thilg i a-mach air an loch iad: she took out the keys of the castle and she threw them out into the loch; no gum biodh e air a chrochadh: or he would be hanged; cha ph貌s mi thu: I won鈥檛 marry you; bha Iain air beatha an 猫isg a sh脿bhaladh roimhe: Iain had saved the life of the fish before; chuir e fios air: he sent for; tr矛 botail de dh鈥檜isge 脿 Tobar nam Buadh: three bottles of water from the well of the virtues; gu 脿ite fad air falbh: to a far distant place; faigh clach agus buail mi am bun na cluaise: get a stone and hit me at the base of the ear; sgolt mo bhr霉 agus leig p脿irt de mo chaolain a-mach air mo chliathaich: slit my belly and let part of my intestine out on my side; can ris na tr矛 eile nach leig thu am br脿ithrean mu sgaoil gus an toir iad dhut: tell the three others that you won鈥檛 release their brothers until they give you.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Beir air dithis dhiubh: catch two of them. You might have been given advice that dithis, tri霉ir, ceathrar etc are only used for counting couple. This is not entirely true. Dialectally they can also be used for counting animals, particularly in Argyll.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: Ge br矛th d猫 dh鈥櫭╥reas dh貌mhsa: whatever happens to me.