大象传媒

Cha ghabhadh Tormod MacLe貌id airgead bhon t-sluagh airson an cuid cloinne a theagasg anns an sgoil. Chan e tuarastal an eich a fhuair e na bu mh貌. 鈥橲 e an duais a fhuair e obair. Bhiodh na fir aig an robh clann san sgoil a鈥� d猫anamh obair do Thormod air an lot aige. Carson a bha sin? Carson nach robh Tormod ag iarraidh airgead bho na daoine? Tha cuid dhen bheachd gur e as coireach gu robh Tormod airson a bhith os cionn ch脿ich. Bha e airson a bhith na cheannard dhaibh. Nam faigheadh e airgead bhuapa bhiodh e coltach ri searbhant. Ach le bhith a鈥� toirt orra obair a dh猫anamh air an fhearann aige, b鈥� esan am maighstir.

Co-dhi霉 tha sin f矛or gus nach eil, tha m貌ran dhen bheachd gun tug Tormod buaidh mhath air suidheachadh na G脿idhlig anns an sg矛re. Le bhith a鈥� teagasg anns a鈥� ch脿nan, thug e bonn-st猫idh dhi nach robh air a bhith aice nan robh a鈥� chlann a鈥� faighinn foghlam ann am Beurla. Uaireannan bhiodh clann a鈥� dol dhachaigh bhon sgoil aige is a鈥� leughadh a鈥� Bh矛obaill Gh脿idhlig do ph脿rantan aig nach robh comas leughaidh. Cha robh G脿idheil na sg矛re a鈥� coimhead air a鈥� Gh脿idhlig mar rud suarach, ach mar rud urramach.

Bha Tormod gu m貌r airson L脿 na S脿baid a chumail mar l脿 adhraidh. Cha robh obair sam bith air a d猫anamh air an l脿 sin agus duine sam bith a rachadh an aghaidh nan riaghailtean aige, bhiodh iad air an c脿ineadh gu dubh bhon ch霉baid. Agus, a-rithist, mar mhinistear cha ghabhadh e airgead sam bith bhon choitheanal. Bhiodh na fir a鈥� d猫anamh obair dha. Am measg na rinn iad dha, thog iad eaglais.

A r猫ir beul-aithris thachair rudeigin annasach a chuir cli霉 Thormoid fo sgle貌. Bha fear a bha seo a鈥� coiseachd a dh鈥檌onnsaigh an 脿ite-obrach aige. Air an rathad thachair e ri ceannaiche. Cheannaich e rudan bhon cheannaiche ach cha robh airgead aige. Bha an t-airgead anns an taigh ann an sporan ann an ciste. Chaidh an dithis air ais don taigh. Thug an duine an sporan a-mach 脿s a鈥� chiste agus ph脿igh e an ceannaiche. Chuir e an sporan air ais agus dh鈥檉halbh an dithis s矛os an rathad.

脌s d猫idh greis, dhealaich iad bho ch猫ile. Nuair a thill an duine dhachaigh feasgar cha robh sgeul air an sporan. Bha cuideigin air a ghoid. 鈥橲 e balach a bha a鈥� fuireach an ath dhoras a chaidh a choireachadh. Chaidh a chruaidh cheasnachadh agus chaidh iarraidh air aideachadh gum b鈥� esan a ghoid an sporan. Thuirt e, ge-t脿, uair is uair, nach robh gnothach sam bith aige ris a鈥� mh猫irle.

Mu dheireadh, thuirt na fir a bha ga cheasnachadh gum biodh e air a ghlasadh anns a鈥� chladh airson na h-oidhche. Bha an t-eagal m貌r air roimhe sin, agus thuirt e gur esan dha-r矛reabh a ghoid an sporan. Thug Tormod MacLe貌id binn seachad 鈥� binn chruaidh. Bhiodh p脿irt de chluas a鈥� bhalaich air a ghearradh dheth. Chaidh sin a dh猫anamh sa spot. Ghabh m貌ran anns a鈥� choimhearsnachd an t-uabhas nuair a chuala iad mu dheidhinn.

Seachdain 脿s d猫idh sin, ge-t脿, thuirt cuideigin gum fac鈥� e an ceannaiche a鈥� dol tro uinneag an taighe air an l脿 a chaidh an sporan a ghoid. Dh鈥檃idich an ceannaiche gun do thill e don taigh feasgar is gun do ghoid e an sporan.

Thuirt fear-lagha ann an Suidni gum biodh e de貌nach Tormod a thoirt gu lagh airson na rinn e, ach dhi霉lt athair a鈥� bhalaich sin a dh猫anamh. Bhiodh sin, thuirt e, a r猫ir aithris, a鈥� dol an aghaidh Dh猫.

Faclan na Litreach: suarach: trifling, contemptible; urramach: worthy of respect; l脿 adhraidh: a day of workship; coitheanal: congregation.

Abairtean na Litreach: airson an cuid cloinne a theagasg: for teaching their children; 鈥檚 e an duais a fhuair e obair: the reward he received was work; gu robh Tormod airson a bhith os cionn ch脿ich: that Norman wanted to be above everybody else; nam faigheadh e airgead bhuapa: if he received money from them; co-dhi霉 tha sin f矛or gus nach eil: whether that is true or not; thug e bonn-st猫idh dhi: he gave her a foundation; bhiodh iad air an c脿ineadh gu dubh bhon ch霉baid: they would be roundly condemned from the pulpit; am measg na rinn iad dha: among [the things] they did for him; thachair e ri ceannaiche: he met a pedlar; anns an taigh ann an sporan ann an ciste: in the house in a purse in a chest; dhealaich iad bho ch猫ile: they departed from each other; a chaidh a choireachadh: who was blamed; chaidh a chruaidh cheasnachadh: he was interrogated; uair is uair: time after time; nach robh gnothach sam bith aige ris a鈥� mh猫irle: that he had nothing to do with the theft; gum biodh e air a ghlasadh anns a鈥� chladh: that he would be locked in the cemetery; bhiodh p脿irt de chluas a鈥� bhalaich air a ghearradh dheth: part of the boy鈥檚 ear would be cut off; sa spot: immediately; ghabh m貌ran an t-uabhas: many were horrified; gum biodh e de貌nach Tormod a thoirt gu lagh: that he would be willing to take Norman to law; bhiodh sin a鈥� dol an aghaidh Dh猫: that would be going against God.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: a dh鈥檌onnsaigh an 脿ite-obrach aige: towards his workplace. 脌ite-obrach is a compound noun in which the basic element is 脿ite (the second noun describes the type of 脿ite it is ie it works adjectivally). The second noun is in its genitive form (鈥減lace of work鈥�). The compound is masculine, as is 脿ite, so if the compound were in the nominative with the article it would be an t-脿ite-obrach. But in the Litir the compound is in the genitive case following the compound preposition a dh鈥檌onnsaigh. Now here鈥檚 an important point: because 脿ite is the basic word in the compound it is the one which declines as the compound changes case. But the word 脿ite does not change its form 鈥� it is still 脿ite in the genitive. So the genitive of 脿ite-obrach is 脿ite-obrach. The second noun does not decline. We would never say a dh鈥檌onnsaigh an 脿ite-obraich, for example, although you will sometimes hear such a mistake being made.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: Chan e tuarastal an eich a fhuair e na bu mh貌: it wasn鈥檛 the 鈥渉orse鈥檚 wages鈥� he got, either. Tuarastal an eich means food as a reward for work, rather than money.