大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse sgeulachd dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh 鈥� A鈥� Chaora Bhiorach Ghlas 鈥� agus tha mi a鈥� dol a chur cr矛och oirre an t-seachdain seo, ged a tha a鈥� chaora bhochd a-mach 脿s a鈥� ghnothach a-nise. An t-seachdain sa chaidh bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun Bh脿nrigh olc agus mar a bha i a鈥� d猫anamh droch-dh矛ol air nighean na ciad Bh脿nrigh. Bha a鈥� Bh脿nrigh air an nighean aice fh猫in a chur a-mach a bhuachailleachd nan caorach airson 鈥檚 gun tachradh i ris a鈥� phrionnsa. Agus bha nighean na ciad Bh脿nrigh ag obair san l霉chairt mar shearbhant dhi.

Ach l脿 a bha seo, bha nighean na ciad Bh脿nrigh a鈥� gabhail sgr矛ob a-muigh nuair a chunnaic am prionnsa i. Cha robh fios aige c貌 bh鈥� innte, ged a bha fios aige gu robh i air a bhith a鈥� buachailleachd nan caorach uaireigin. Bha e ann an gaol leatha, agus thug e dhi paidhir bhr貌gan 貌ir. Goirid 脿s d猫idh sin, chunnaic am prionnsa i aig searmon anns an eaglais. Dh鈥檈irich i airson falbh mus robh an searmon deiseil oir cha robh cead aice a bhith ann, agus bha i airson faighinn dhachaigh mus fhaiceadh a鈥� Bh脿nrigh i. Chunnaic am prionnsa i, ge-t脿, is dh鈥檉halbh e 脿s a d猫idh.

Bha i a鈥� ruith dhachaigh na deann, agus chaill i t猫 de na br貌gan 貌ir aice sa pholl. Agus lorg am prionnsa a鈥� bhr貌g. Leis nach robh fios aige c貌 bh鈥� innte, thuirt e gum p貌sadh e an t猫 aig an robh cas a fhreagradh a cas a鈥� bhr貌g.

Bha a鈥� Bh脿nrigh airson 鈥檚 gum freagradh a鈥� bhr貌g a nighean fh猫in agus chuir i nighean na ciad Bh脿nrigh am falach. Th脿inig am prionnsa, ach bha cas nighean na B脿nrigh tuilleadh is m貌r airson na br貌ige. Dh鈥檉halbh am prionnsa. Thug a鈥� Bh脿nrigh an nighean aice gu cailleach nan cearc, agus ghe脿rr cailleach nan cearc b脿rr 貌rdagan na caileige dhith gus am freagradh a cas a鈥� bhr貌g. An ath-thuras, nuair a th脿inig am prionnsa a-rithist, bha a鈥� bhr貌g d矛reach ceart airson nighean na B脿nrigh. Chuir am prionnsa roimhe a p貌sadh.

Nuair a th脿inig l脿 na bainnse, chaidh nighean na ciad Bh脿nrigh a chur am falach ann an c霉il aig c霉l an teine. Nuair a bha an sluagh cruinn aig a鈥� bhanais, th脿inig eun beag chun na h-uinneig agus ghlaodh e, 鈥淭ha an fhuil sa bhr貌ig agus tha cas bh貌idheach sa ch霉il aig c霉l an teine.鈥�

Thuirt fear de na daoine, 鈥淒猫 tha am beathach ud ag r脿dh?鈥� Agus fhreagair a鈥� Bh脿nrigh, 鈥淚s coma d猫 tha am beathach ud ag r脿dh. Chan eil ann ach beathach mosach, gobach, breugach.鈥�

Ach thill an t-eun d脿 thuras eile don uinneig. Agus gach turas thuirt e, 鈥淭ha an fhuil sa bhr貌ig agus tha cas bh貌idheach sa ch霉il aig c霉l an teine.鈥� Agus 脿s d猫idh an treas turais, thuirt am prionnsa, 鈥淭h猫id sinn a-mach agus ch矛 sinn d猫 tha an t-eun seo ag r脿dh.鈥� Chaidh e a-mach agus chuala e an aon rud bho ghob an e貌in 鈥� 鈥淭ha an fhuil sa bhr貌ig agus tha cas bh貌idheach sa ch霉il aig c霉l an teine.鈥�

Thill am prionnsa a-steach agus dh鈥櫭瞨daich e a鈥� ch霉il a bha aig c霉l an teine a rannsachadh. Lorg iad nighean na ciad Bh脿nrigh, agus i am falach ann. Agus bha br貌g 貌ir air a d脿rna cois. Ghlan iad an fhuil 脿s a鈥� bhr貌ig eile agus dh鈥檉heuch iad oirre i, agus bha a lethbhreac air a cois eile. Dh鈥檉h脿g am prionnsa nighean na B脿nrigh agus ph貌s e nighean na ciad Bh脿nrigh. Dh鈥檉halbh iad c貌mhla agus bha iad sona is saidhbhir fhad 鈥檚 a bu bhe貌 iad.

Faclan na seachdaine: buachailleachd: herding; l霉chairt: palace; searbhant: servant; uaireigin: at one time; searmon: sermon; dh鈥櫭╥rich i: she got up; na deann: in a hurry; sa pholl: in the mud.

Abairtean na seachdaine: tha mi a鈥� dol a chur cr矛och oirre: I am going to finish it [fem]; tha a鈥� chaora bhochd a-mach 脿s a鈥� ghnothach: the poor sheep is out of the affair; a鈥� gabhail sgr矛ob a-muigh: taking a walk, trip outside; cha robh fios aige c貌 bh鈥� innte: he didn鈥檛 know who she was; thug e dhi paidhir bhr貌gan 貌ir: he gave her a pair of golden shoes; bha i airson faighinn dhachaigh mus fhaiceadh a鈥� Bh脿nrigh i: she wanted to get home before the queen saw her; dh鈥檉halbh e 脿s a d猫idh: he went after her; aig an robh cas a fhreagradh a鈥� bhr貌g: who had a foot that suited the shoe; ghe脿rr cailleach nan cearc b脿rr 貌rdagan na h-矛ghne dhith: the hen-woman cut the ends of the girl鈥檚 toes off; chuir am prionnsa roimhe a p貌sadh: the prince decided to marry her; l脿 na b脿innse: the wedding day; th脿inig eun chun na h-uinneig: a bird came up to the window; tha an fh霉il sa bhr貌ig: the blood is in the shoe; sa ch霉il aig c霉l an teine: in the nook at the back of the fire; is coma d猫 tha e ag r脿dh: who cares what it says; chan eil ann ach beathach mosach, gobach, breugach: it鈥檚 nothing but a nasty, interfering (and 鈥渂eaked鈥�) lying animal; bho ghob an e貌in: from the bird鈥檚 beak; dh鈥櫭瞨daich e a鈥� ch霉il a rannsachadh: he ordered the nook to be searched; bha a lethbhreac air a cois eile: its duplicate was on her other foot: fhad鈥檚 a bu bhe貌 iad: as long as they lived.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: nighean na ciad Bh脿nrigh: the daughter of the first queen. Are you a bit confused about how to use ciad and when to lenite it and the noun it describes? The first thing to say is that nowadays it always causes lenition in the following noun where lenition is possible, except with a d, t or s. For example, we say a鈥� chiad bhr貌g but a鈥� chiad seacaid or a鈥� chiad duine. [In the old Gaelic bible the 鈥渇irst man, Adam鈥� is referred to as an ceud dhuine, Adhamh, demonstrating how lenition rules have changed dramatically]. Even in the genitive it causes lenition ie nighean na ciad Bh脿nrigh, although we would say nighean na B脿nrigh. Let us now look at the lenition of the word itself. Ciad is an adjective and historically it would always lenite, in the nominative singular, only with feminine nouns 鈥� ie an ciad fhear but a鈥� chiad bhean. But, today, it is virtually universally lenited in the nominative regardless of gender, eg a鈥� chiad fhear, a鈥� chiad bhodach. In the genitive, however, we see it reflecting the gender rule. We would say nighean na B脿nrigh (with the noun unlenited in the genitive), so we say nighean na ciad [Bh脿nrigh] with ciad unlenited. However, with a masculine noun, such as b脿ta we say sgiobair a鈥� bh脿ta (with the noun lenited in the genitive) so we would say sgiobair a鈥� chiad bh脿ta (with ciad likewise lenited).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Bha cas nighean na B脿nrigh tuilleadh is m貌r airson na br貌ige: the queen鈥檚 daughter鈥檚 foot was too big for the shoe. Tuilleadh is: more than, too.