麻豆社

Gu siar air Loch Tatha ann an Siorrachd Pheairt, tha lochan anns a鈥� mhonadh air a bheil Lochan nan Damh. Ma tha sibh ag iarraidh a lorg, tha e eadar Gleann L貌chaidh agus Gleann Dochard air talamh 脿rd. O chionn fhada, bha muinntir an 脿ite ag r脿dh gun robh taibhse a鈥� fuireach faisg air an lochan.

Bha eagal air a鈥� mh貌r-shluagh ron taibhse. Cha bhiodh i a鈥� nochdadh a-mh脿in air an oidhche, ach tron latha cuideachd. A latha no a dh鈥檕idhche bhiodh daoine a鈥� seachnadh an locha.

Aig an 脿m ud bha fear treun a鈥� fuireach faisg air Cill Fhinn ann an Gleann L貌chaidh. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a bh鈥� air Donnchadh M貌r Ruadh na Feusaig. Thathar ag r脿dh gur e Caimbeulach a bh鈥� ann 鈥� Donnchadh Caimbeul 鈥� ach bha daoine e貌lach air mar Dhonnchadh M貌r Ruadh na Feusaig. Cha leig mi leas innse dhuibh mar a fhuair e am far-ainm sin.

Bha Donnchadh sgileil le claidheamh. Agus cha ghabhadh e eagal ro rud sam bith. Chuir e roimhe cur 脿s don taibhse agus feasgar a bha seo dh鈥檉halbh e a-mach leis fh猫in a dh鈥檌onnsaigh an lochain. Thachair fear a b鈥� aithne dha ris air an rathad. Dh鈥檉haighnich e de Dhonnchadh c脿鈥� robh e a鈥� dol. 鈥淎irson an taibhse a chur aig fois,鈥� fhreagair fear na feusaig. Thug am fear eile comhairle dha gun a dhol ann leis fh猫in ach lean Donnchadh air chun an lochain. Thachair e ris an taibhse agus cha do nochd an taibhse timcheall Lochan nan Damh tuilleadh.

Nuair a bha Donnchadh na bhodach, bha daoine faisg air Calasraid, ann an 脿ite ris an canar an Tiobairt, a鈥� gearain mu thaibhse. Bha i a鈥� nochdadh far an do thachair murt. Bha Donnchadh dhen bheachd, nan toireadh e air an taibhse bruidhinn ris, gum faigheadh e cuidhteas i. Latha a bha seo bha e a鈥� d猫anamh deiseil. Dh鈥檉haighnich a鈥� bhean aige carson a bha e a鈥� toirt claidheamh leis. Mh矛nich e gun robh e a鈥� dol a chur 脿s don taibhse. Dh鈥檌arr a bhean air fuireach aig an taigh, ach dhi霉lt e.

Ach leis gur e bodach a bh鈥� ann, cha robh e cho luath air a chasan. Dh鈥檌arr a鈥� bhean aige air fear 貌g anns a鈥� bhaile ruith a Chill Fhinn air taobh eile a鈥� ghlinne, gus nach fhaiceadh Donnchadh e. Nuair a ruigeadh e Cill Fhinn bha aige ri dhol a ch猫ilidh air seann charaid aig Donnchadh airson innse dha na bha fa-near do Dhonnchadh.

Gu fortanach bha an seann charaid a-staigh. Nuair a chuala e an naidheachd, dh鈥檉halbh e a-mach air an rathad eadar Cill Fhinn is taigh Dhonnchaidh mar gun robh e d矛reach a鈥� gabhail cuairt air a shocair. Cha b鈥� fhada gus an do nochd Donnchadh.

鈥淐脿鈥檌l thu a鈥� dol a Dhonnchaidh?鈥� thuirt a charaid ris.

鈥淭ha mi a鈥� cluinntinn,鈥� fhreagair Donnchadh, 鈥済u bheil taibhse aig an Tiobairt a tha a鈥� cur dragh air gach neach a tha a鈥� gabhail an rathaid sin an d猫idh beul na h-oidhche agus 鈥檚 e mo r霉n toirt oirre bruidhinn agus a cur gu fois gu br脿th.鈥�

鈥淭ut, a dhuine!鈥� thuirt a charaid, 鈥溾�檚 e taibhse Ghallta a th鈥� innte. Chan eil G脿idhlig aicese agus chan eil Beurla agadsa agus chan urrainn dhuibh a ch猫ile a thuigsinn.鈥�

Mhe貌raich Donnchadh air sin tiotan agus thuirt e, 鈥淭ha thu ceart. Cha do smuainich mi air sin.鈥� Thill e dhachaigh sa mhionaid agus fhad 鈥檚 as fiosrach mise, cha deach Donnchadh M貌r Ruadh na Feusaig an t貌ir air taibhsean a-chaoidh tuilleadh.

Faclan na Litreach: Loch Tatha: Loch Tay; Siorrachd Pheairt: Perthshire; Gleann L貌chaidh: Glen Lochay, Gleann Dochard: Glen Dochart; Cill Fhinn: Killin; Calasraid: Callander; Tiobairt: Tibbert; a鈥� gearain: complaining; dhi霉lt e: he refused.

Abairtean na Litreach: Bha eagal air a鈥� mh貌r-shluagh ron taibhse: the population was scared of the ghost; cha bhiodh i a鈥� nochdadh a-mh脿in air an oidhche: she wouldn鈥檛 appear just at night; Donnchadh M貌r Ruadh na Feusaig: big red-haired Duncan of the beard: cha leig mi leas innse dhuibh mar a fhuair e am far-ainm sin: I don鈥檛 need to tell you how he got that nickname; sgileil le claidheamh: skilful with a sword; chuir e roimhe cur 脿s don taibhse: he decided to get rid of the ghost; a dh鈥檌onnsaigh an lochain: towards the lochan; gun a dhol ann leis fh猫in: not to go there by himself; bha X dhen bheachd: X reckoned; nan toireadh e air an taibhse bruidhinn ris, gum faigheadh e cuidhteas i: if he forced the ghost to speak to him, that he would get rid of her; leis gur e bodach a bh鈥� ann: because he was an old man; air taobh eile a鈥� ghlinne, gus nach fhaiceadh X e: on the other side of the glen, so that X wouldn鈥檛 see him; bha aige ri dhol a ch猫ilidh air seann charaid aig X: he had to go and visit an old friend of X; airson innse dha na bha fa-near do X: to tell him of X鈥檚 intentions; mar gun robh e d矛reach a鈥� gabhail cuairt air a shocair: as if he were just taking a leisurely walk; cha b鈥� fhada gus an do nochd X: it wasn鈥檛 long until X appeared; an d猫idh beul na h-oidhche: after nightfall; 鈥檚 e mo r霉n toirt oirre bruidhinn agus a cur gu fois gu br脿th: it is my desire to make her speak and put her to rest for ever; 鈥檚 e taibhse Ghallta a th鈥� innte: she is a non-Gaelic ghost; chan urrainn dhuibh a ch猫ile a thuigsinn: you can鈥檛 understand each other: mhe貌raich X air sin tiotan: X contemplated that for a moment; fhad 鈥檚 as fiosrach mise: as far as I know; cha deach X an t貌ir air taibhsean a-chaoidh tuilleadh: X never went in pursuit of ghosts again.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Dh鈥檉haighnich e de Dhonnchadh c脿鈥� robh e a鈥� dol: he asked Duncan where he was going. C脿鈥� robh is a shortened form of C脿ite an robh and you will hear it very commonly in speech. C脿鈥� robh Alasdair a-raoir? [where was Alasdair last night?] C脿鈥� bheil is the present tense form and is also very common in speech: C脿鈥� bheil thu? [where are you?]. It is sometimes abbreviated even further [as in the Litir] to C脿鈥� il as in C脿鈥� il thu a鈥� dol? [where are you going?]

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: A latha no a dh鈥檕idhche: by day or by night.