大象传媒

An cuala sibh a-riamh an t-seann sgeulachd, B脿illidh Throndairnis agus a鈥� Bhana-bhuidseach? Cha chuala? A uill, carson nach d猫an sibh suidhe gu cofhurtail airson c貌ig mionaidean鈥�

Tr脿th anns an t-siathamh linn deug chuir R矛gh na h-Alba air leth m脿l d脿 bhaile ann an Trondairnis ann an ceann a tuath an Eilein Sgitheanaich. Bha an t-airgead a鈥� dol gu aon duine 鈥� fear Coinneach Mac Uilleim 鈥檌c Sheumais. Carson? Uill, bha Coinneach a鈥� dol a chleachdadh an airgid airson 鈥檚 gum faigheadh e foghlam anns an lagh.

Dh鈥檕braich sin airson 霉ine ach thachair e gu robh c霉isean truagh anns an Eilean Sgitheanach mun 脿m sin. Bha f矛or dhroch sh矛de ann. Fhuair muinntir an 脿ite air dheireadh le bhith a鈥� p脿igheadh am m脿il. Earrach a bha seo, chaidh Coinneach fh猫in don sg矛re mar bh脿illidh 鈥� airson am m脿l a thogail ann an ainm an R矛gh mar ch矛s.

Bha droch gheamhradh air a bhith ann. Bha droch earrach ann cuideachd. Bha airgead gann. Chaill m貌ran daoine an cuid spr猫idh le cion a鈥� bh矛dh. Bha boireannach ann a bha uabhasach bochd. Chaill i an duine aice agus an dithis mhac ann an d脿 thubaist mhara anns a鈥� gheamhradh sin. Agus chaill i an spr猫idh gu l猫ir aice, ach aona bh貌.

Th脿inig Coinneach air muin eich. Bha maor c貌mhla ris. Cha robh dad de dh鈥檃irgead aig a鈥� bhoireannach airson a thoirt dha. Ach mas ann cruaidh a bha an R矛gh, bha am b脿illidh na bu chruaidhe buileach. Cha robh co-fhaireachdainn sam bith aige don bhanntraich. Thug e leis a鈥� bh貌 鈥� an aon rud luachmhor a bh鈥� aig a鈥� bhoireannach. Bha ise troimh-ch猫ile ach bha esan coma.

Dh鈥檉halbh e s矛os an rathad leis a鈥� bhoin. Chuir Coinneach agus am maor a鈥� bh貌 agus an t-each c貌mhla ann am buaile ann an D霉n Tuilm. Chaidh iad an uair sin gu biadh ann an taigh a鈥� mhaoir.

Fhad 鈥檚 a bha iad air falbh, a鈥� gabhail am b矛dh, th脿inig c貌mhlan de ghillean cruinn. Sheas iad air c霉l creige faisg air a鈥� bhuaile, a鈥� seanchas a鈥� ghnothaich. Bha iad feargach. Bha iad a鈥� c脿ineadh a鈥� bh脿illidh agus a鈥� mhaoir a thaobh droch dh矛ol na banntraich. 鈥淣ach biodh e math,鈥� thuirt fear dhiubh ri c脿ch, 鈥渁鈥� bh貌 aiseag gu Eilean Thuilm mus till am b脿illidh is am maor.鈥� Tha an t-eilean sin p矛os beag far cladach an Eilein Sgitheanaich. Dh鈥檃ontaich c脿ch ris a鈥� phlana air ball.

Thachair gu robh b脿ta ann an ge貌dha faisg air l脿imh. Bha i deiseil airson crodh aiseag an l脿rna-mh脿ireach. Mar sin bha i deiseil airson b貌 agus each a thoirt gu Eilean Thuilm. Chuir na gillean a鈥� bh貌 don bh脿ta.

鈥淣ach cuir sinn an t-each innte cuideachd,鈥� thuirt fear de na gillean. Cha bu luaithe thuirt na rinn. Chaidh an t-each a chur air b貌rd c貌mhla ris a鈥� bhoin, agus a-mach leotha don eilean.

Dh鈥檉h脿g na gillean a鈥� bh貌 agus an t-each anns an eilean. Bha iad air ais air c霉l na creige an ceann 霉ine ghoirid. Dh鈥檉huirich iad an sin gus an tilleadh am b脿illidh agus am maor. An ceann beagan 霉ine th脿inig an dithis. Ghabh iad air an socair a dh鈥檌onnsaigh a鈥� bhuaile. Ach, mo chreach, nuair a r脿inig iad am buaile, cha robh sgeul air each no b貌 ann.

Nise aig toiseach gnothaich, dh鈥檌nnis mi dhuibh gur e tiotal na sgeulachd seo B脿illidh Throndairnis agus a鈥� Bhana-bhuidseach. Thuige seo cha robh sgeul air bana-bhuidseach. Ach na gabhaibh dragh. Bidh i c貌mhla rinn an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na seachdaine: b脿illidh: factor; m脿l: rent; c矛s: tax; maor: ground officer; luachmhor: valuable; buaile: cattle fold; a鈥� c脿ineadh: criticising; c脿ch: the others; air ball: immediately.

Abairtean na seachdaine: carson nach d猫an sibh suidhe gu cofhurtail: why don鈥檛 you sit comfortably; tr脿th anns an t-siathamh linn deug: early in the 16th Century; chuir R矛gh na h-Alba air leth m脿l d脿 bhaile ann an Trondairnis: the King of Scotland set aside the rent of two townships in Trotternish; airson 鈥檚 gum faigheadh e foghlam anns an lagh: so that he could get an education in law; thachair e gu robh c霉isean truagh: it happened that conditions were bad; air dheireadh le bhith a鈥� p脿igheadh am m脿il: behind with paying their rents; chaill m貌ran daoine an cuid spr猫idh le cion a鈥� bh矛dh: many people lost their livestock through lack of food; d脿 thubaist mhara: two maritime accidents; th脿inig Coinneach air muin eich: Kenneth came on horseback; mas ann cruaidh a bha an R矛gh, bha am b脿illidh na bu chruaidhe buileach: if the King was hard [cruel], the factor was even harder; cha robh co-fhaireachdainn sam bith aige don bhanntraich: he had no sympathy for the widow; thug e leis a鈥� bh貌: he took the cow with him; s矛os an rathad leis a鈥� bhoin: down the road with the cow; a鈥� seanchas a鈥� ghnothaich: discussing the matter; droch dh矛ol na banntraich: the bad treatment of the widow; nach biodh e math a鈥� bh貌 aiseag: wouldn鈥檛 it be good to ferry the cow; thachair gu robh b脿ta ann an ge貌dha faisg air l脿imh: it happened that there was a boat in a creek nearby; airson crodh aiseag an l脿rna-mh脿ireach: to ferry cattle the next day; ghabh iad air an socair a dh鈥檌onnsaigh a鈥� bhuaile: they made their way slowly towards the cattlefold; cha robh sgeul air each no b貌: there was no sign of a horse or cow; na gabhaibh dragh: don鈥檛 worry.

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: a-mach leotha don eilean: off they went to the island. You will notice that there is no verb in this Gaelic phrase 鈥� it is literally 鈥渙ut [off] with them to the island鈥�. This device is sometimes used in story-telling and in conversation, although not in formal language or official reports. I used it recently in Litir 312 (June 24) 鈥� S矛os don chladach leotha far an do rinn iad long deiseil (鈥渢hey went down to the shore where they made a ship ready鈥� but literally 鈥渄own to the shore with them鈥︹��). It allows a varation in phraseology (avoiding the usual initial verb) which is a means of maintaining the attention of a listener.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Cha bu luaithe thuirt na rinn: no sooner said than done.