大象传媒

O chionn m矛os, dh鈥檌nnis mi dhuibh mu dheidhinn fear, Ruairidh MacIlleathain (nach robh c脿irdeach dhomh), a bha na bh脿illidh air oighreachd Ard Rois ann an taobh sear Siorrachd Rois. Bha sgeulachd neo dh脿 aige, a bha gl猫 inntinneach, mu dheidhinn daoine anns an sg矛re sin. Tha mi a鈥� dol a dh鈥檌nnse dhuibh mu dheidhinn fear aca 鈥� buachaille a bha a鈥� fuireach is ag obair ann. Chanadh daoine an-diugh gur e 鈥渃aractar鈥� a bh鈥� ann, ach 鈥檚 d貌cha aig an 脿m gur e 鈥渟laoightear鈥� a chanadh daoine ris!

Cha do dh鈥檉h脿gadh ainm air a shon is, mar sin, canaidh mi d矛reach 鈥渁m buachaille鈥� ris. Tha a鈥� chiad sgeulachd mu dheidhinn mar a rinn am buachaille a鈥� ch霉is air tuathanach beartach. Bha an sg矛re a鈥� fuiling, ann an ochd ceud deug 鈥檚 a h-ochd deug (1818), le d矛th-b矛dh, air sg脿th 鈥檚 nach do dh鈥檉h脿s am b脿rr gu math air a鈥� bhliadhna roimhe.

Chaidh am buachaille a bhruidhinn ris an tuathanach bheartach, agus dh鈥檌arr e air min a thoirt dha air creideas. 鈥橲 e sin gum p脿igheadh e air a son uaireigin ged nach p脿igheadh e sa mhionaid. Chan eil fhios a鈥檓 co-dhiubh 鈥檚 e min-choirce neo min-e貌rna a bh鈥� ann, agus chan eil e gu diofar don sgeulachd co-dhi霉.

Bha an tuathanach dhen amharas nach fhaigheadh e sgillinn airson na mine, agus chuir e deuchainn air a鈥� bhuachaille. 鈥淒猫,鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich e, 鈥渄猫 an gnothach a b鈥� fhe脿rr is a b鈥� ealanta a rinn thu a-riamh?鈥�

鈥淎, uill,鈥� fhreagair am buachaille, 鈥渁 bheil cuimhn鈥� agad gun do chaill thu mart dubh turas? Bha mart a dh矛th ort an uairsin, agus th脿inig thu thugam-sa an ceann greis agus cheannaich thu mart breac bhuam. Uill, 鈥檚 e an aon bheathach a bh鈥� anns na dh脿!鈥�

Bha an tuathanach airson faighinn a-mach ciamar a rinn am buachaille a鈥� ch霉is air. Thabhann e bolla mine dha, an asgaidh, nan innseadh e sin dha. 鈥淔urasta!鈥� fhreagair am buachaille. 鈥淭h脿inig am mart don bh脿thaich agam le a thoil fh猫in [mas fh矛or!] Thug mi grunn sgadan s脿illte a-mach 脿 baraille agus cheangail mi iad air bian a鈥� mhairt. As d猫idh beagan l脿ithean, dh鈥檉halbh a鈥� ghaoisid dhubh far an robh gach iasg agus, as d猫idh l脿imh, 鈥檚 e gaoisid bh脿n a dh鈥檉h脿s na 脿ite!鈥� Fhuair e a鈥� mhin!

Turas eile, bha am buachaille a鈥� tilleadh dhachaigh 脿 Cataibh nuair a chunnaic e mart ann am p脿irc leis fh猫in. Ach bha earball goirid air. Bha cuideigin air ceann a-mach an earbaill a ghearradh dheth. Thug e am mart leis agus chuir e am falach ann an coille e.

Lorg e seiche mairt agus ghe脿rr e an t-earball dhith. Cheangail e sin gu c霉ramach air earball a鈥� mhairt aige, agus dh鈥檉halbh e leis a dh鈥檌onnsaigh an aiseig thar Caolas Dh貌rnaich. Nuair a bha am b脿ta an impis falbh, leum duine m貌r 鈥� tuathanach 鈥� air b貌rd. Chaidh e a dh鈥檌onnsaigh a鈥� mhairt is thug e s霉il gheur air.

鈥淐haill mi mart o chionn tr矛 latha,鈥� thuirt e, 鈥渁gus mura b鈥� e gu robh earball fada aig an fhear sin, chanainn gur e sin am fear agamsa.鈥�

鈥淎ch 鈥榮 ann leamsa a tha e,鈥� fhreagair am buachaille.

Choimhead an tuathanach air a鈥� mhart a-rithist. 鈥淭ha mi deimhinne gur e seo am fear agamsa, ach gu bheil earball fada air.鈥�

Leis a sin, thug am buachaille sgian a-mach, ghe脿rr e an t-earball gu l猫ir dheth, agus thilg e anns a鈥� mhuir e. 鈥淎-nise,鈥� thuirt e ris an tuathanach,鈥� mionnaich gur ann leat-sa a tha e!鈥� Ach cha b鈥� urrainn dha, leis gu robh an fhianais air a dhol air falbh leis an t-sruth.

b脿illidh: factor; oighreachd: estate; buachaille: herdsman;slaoightear: rogue, dishonest rascal; beartach: wealthy; mart: cow or bullock raised forbeef; breac: speckled,spotted; b脿thach: byre; gaoisid: mammalian hair as on cow or horse(also human hair not on the head); Cataibh: Sutherland; p脿irc: grassy field; earball: tail;seiche mairt: cow鈥檚 skin; gu c霉ramach: carefully; Caolas Dh貌rnaich: Dornoch Firth;deimhinne: certain.

cha do dh鈥檉h脿gadh ainm air a shon: a name was not left for him;air sg脿th 鈥檚 nach do dh鈥檉h脿s am b脿rr gu math air a鈥� bhliadhna roimhe: because the crop(s)did not grow well the year before; dh鈥檌arr e air min a thoirt dha air creideas: he asked him togive him meal on credit; d猫 an gnothach a b鈥� fhe脿rr is a b鈥� ealanta a rinn thu a-riamh?: whatis the best and most skilful business you ever did?; bha mart a dh矛th ort an uairsin: you hadneed of a beast then; 鈥檚 e an aon bheathach a bh鈥� anns na dh脿: both of them were the sameanimal; thabhann e bolla mine dha, an asgaidh, nan innseadh e sin dha: he offered him aboll of meal, free of charge, if he would tell him that; le (a) thoil fh猫in [mas fh矛or]: of itsown volition [if you believe that]; thug mi grunn sgadan s脿illte a-mach 脿 baraille: I took afew salted herring out of a barrel; cheangail mi air bian a鈥� mhairt iad: I tied them to thebullock鈥檚 hide; bha cuideigin air ceann a-mach an earbaill a ghearradh dheth: somebody hadcut the distal end of the tail off; chuir e am falach ann an coille e: he hid it in a wood; nuaira bha am b脿ta an impis falbh: when the boat was about to leave; thug e s霉il gheur air: heexamined it closely; mionnaich gur ann leat-sa a tha e; swear it is yours; leis gu robh anfhianais air a dhol air falbh leis an t-struth; as the evidence had gone with the current.

Chan eil fhios a鈥檓 co-dhiubh 鈥檚 e min-choirce neo mine貌rnaa bh鈥� ann, agus chan eil e gu diofar don sgeulachd co-dhi霉: I don鈥檛 know whether itwas oatmeal or barley meal, and it doesn鈥檛 make a difference to the story anyway. Do younotice the different spellings of co-dhiubh and co-dhi霉 (although, to be honest, the two areoften mixed up)? The first is a conjunction, used to mean 鈥渨hether鈥�, as in a choice betweentwo things. Bidh mi ann co-dhiubh bhios i tioram neo fliuch (I will be there whether it is dryor wet). The second is an adverb, used in several types of circumstance. For example, it canstand for 鈥渁nyway, whatever鈥�. Chan eil sin gu diofar dhomh 鈥� th猫id mi ann co-dhi霉 (thatdoesn鈥檛 matter to me 鈥� I鈥檒l go anyway). Sometimes you will hear it at the tail end of aconversation eg Co-dhi霉, chan eil math dhomh a bhith a鈥� gearain 鈥� tha obair agam ridh猫anamh (anyway, there鈥檚 no point in complaining 鈥� I鈥檝e got work to do). It can also mean鈥渁t least鈥�. Bidh iad ann, neo co-dhi霉 bidh M脿iri ann (they鈥檒l be there, or at least Mary willbe there).

mura b鈥� e gu robh earball fada aig an fhear sin, chanainn gure sin am fear agamsa: if it wasn鈥檛 [for the fact] that that one has a long tail, I would say thatit is my one.