麻豆社

Tha mi a鈥� dol a chur cr矛och air an sgeulachd Balgam M貌r. Bidh sibh a鈥� cuimhneachadh 鈥檚 d貌cha gun robh treas Mac na Banntraich ag iarraidh nighean an R矛gh a ph貌sadh. Thog e long a bha comasach air se貌ladh air muir agus t矛r. Fhuair e sgioba de dhaoine annasach 鈥� Lurga Luath, Claisneachd Mhath, T貌n Chruaidh agus Balgam M貌r. Agus bha e feumach air a chompanaich oir bha an Earchlais-脵rlair n脿imhdeil dha. Bha i a鈥� feuchainn ri stad a chur air a鈥� ph貌sadh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Aig deireadh Litir na seachdain sa chaidh, thuirt an Earchlais-脵rlair gu feumadh Mac na Banntraich torc nimhe a bha sa choille ubhal, a mharcachd be貌, sl脿n gu doras L霉chairt an R矛gh. Dh鈥檉halbh Lurga Luath agus T貌n Chruaidh c貌mhla gu ruige a鈥� choille ubhal. Fhuair iad gr猫im air an torc. Thug iad an torc air ais be貌, sl脿n gu doras na L霉chairt.

Dh鈥檌arr Mac na Banntraich an uair sin air an R矛gh a nighean a thoirt dha. Ach a-rithist, cha robh e soirbheachail. Bha plana eile aig an Earchlais-脵rlair. 鈥淭hoiribh cuireadh dha do dhinnear an-diugh,鈥� thuirt i ris an R矛gh ann an c貌mhradh d矛omhair. 鈥淒猫anaibh cinnteach gun suidh e air a鈥� chathair mh貌ir anns a bheil am bior nimhe. Cuiridh am bior nimhe 脿s dha.鈥� Ach chuala Claisneachd Mhath an c貌mhradh. Agus chaidh T貌n Chruaidh don dinnear mar ghille do Mhac na Banntraich.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chuir an R矛gh f脿ilte is furan air Mac na Banntraich. Sheall e dha a鈥� chathair mh貌r anns an robh am bior nimhe. Ach mus do shuidh Mac na Banntraich oirre, thuirt T貌n Chruaidh gun robh e na chleachdadh dha suidhe anns gach cathair air an robh a mhaighstir gu bhith a鈥� suidhe. Shuidh T貌n Chruaidh anns a鈥� chathair. Bhris e gach bior na phronnagan.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha d霉il an uair sin aig Mac na Banntraich gum faigheadh e nighean an R矛gh mar bhean. Ach thuirt an Earchlais-脵rlair nach fhaodadh sin tachairt. Bha plana eile aice. Bhruidhinn i ris an R矛gh ann an d矛omhaireachd. Dh鈥檌nns i a plana 霉r dha. Airson nighean an R矛gh fhaighinn, dh鈥檉heumadh Mac na Banntraich an lochan uisge, a bha air mullach na beinne seilge, a thoirt gu lagan b貌idheach a bha fa chomhair doras m貌r na L霉chairt. Dh鈥檃ontaich an R矛gh ris a鈥� phlana.

鈥淭ha mi a鈥� cluinntinn rudeigin,鈥� thuirt Claisneachd Mhath.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淒猫 tha thu a鈥� cluinntinn?鈥� thuirt Mac na Banntraich. Agus mh矛nich Claisneachd Mhath mun lochan air mullach na beinne seilge.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淣矛 mise a鈥� ch霉is orra,鈥� thuirt Balgam M貌r. 鈥淢a tha iad feumach air uisgeachadh, ma dh鈥檉haodte gum faigh iad an s脿th.鈥�

Thug Balgam M貌r am monadh air. Bhiodh esan a鈥� sr霉badh lochain is gan sp霉tadh a-mach a-rithist. Th貌isich e air uisge a shr霉badh is a sp霉tadh. Bha gach n矛 mun chaisteal a-nise a鈥� sn脿mh ann an uisge. Mura stadadh an t-uisge, bhiodh gach n矛 mun L霉chairt air a mhilleadh gu tur.

Dh鈥檌arr an R矛gh air Mac na Banntraich 貌rdugh a thoirt do Bhalgam M貌r gun tuilleadh uisge a dh貌rtadh. Gheall e gum faigheadh e fh猫in a nighean gu p貌sadh air an oidhche sin fh猫in.

Chaidh an Earchlais-脵rlair a chur gu b脿s leis gur i a bu chiontach ris an uisge a bha a鈥� milleadh gach n矛. Ph貌s nighean an R矛gh agus Mac na Banntraich. Rinn an R矛gh banais mh貌r dhaibh. Agus tha mi cinnteach gun robh an cupall sona c貌mhla airson iomadach bliadhna.

Balgam M貌r: Great Gulp; Lurga Luath: Nimble Shanks; Claisneachd Mhath: Good Hearing; T貌n Chruaidh: Hard Haunches; an Earchlais-脵rlair: the Floor-Mischief; 苍脿颈尘丑诲别颈濒: hostile; soirbheachail: successful; banais: wedding.

gu feumadh e torc nimhe a mharcachd be貌, sl脿n gu doras L霉chairt an R矛gh: that he would have to ride a wild boar alive and uninjured to the door of the King鈥檚 Palace; gu ruige a鈥� choille ubhal: to the apple wood; cuireadh do dhinnear: an invitation to dinner; c貌mhradh d矛omhair: secret conversation; air a鈥� chathair mh貌ir anns a bheil am bior nimhe: in the big chair in which there is the deadly spike; cuiridh X 脿s dha: X will kill him; chuir an R矛gh f脿ilte is furan air Mac na Banntraich: the King warmly welcomed the Widow鈥檚 Son; mus do shuidh X oirre: before X sat on it [fem]; gun robh e na chleachdadh dha: that it was his custom; bhris e gach bior na phronnagan: he broke every spike into tiny pieces; dh鈥檉heumadh X an lochan uisge, a bha air mullach na beinne seilge, a thoirt gu lagan b貌idheach: X would have to bring the freshwater lochan, that was at the summit of the hunting mountain, to a beautiful dell; fa chomhair doras m貌r na L霉chairt: facing the front door of the Palace; feumach air uisgeachadh: in need of being watered; thug X am monadh air: X departed for the hill; a鈥� sr霉badh lochain is gan sp霉tadh a-mach a-rithist: sucking up lochans and spouting them out again; air a mhilleadh gu tur: completely destroyed; gun tuilleadh uisge a dh貌rtadh: not to pour more water; gur i a bu chiontach: that she was to blame.

mar ghille do Mhac na Banntraich: as a servant to the Widow鈥檚 Son. Gille can be used for 鈥渓ad鈥� or 鈥渟on鈥� but it also has the meaning of servant and, in that guise, it entered the English language as ghillie. Gille on its own can mean any sort of [man]servant or retainer but it is often combined with other elements to describe very specific functions. Here are some examples: gille-cas-fliuch (a servant who carried a clan chief over burns so that he could keep his feet dry), gille-coise (footman), gille-each (groom), gille-ruithe (runner eg in military campaigns), 驳颈濒濒别-迟谤耻颈蝉-脿颈谤苍别颈蝉 (an attendant who carried a chief鈥檚 baggage or wallet) and 驳颈濒濒别-辫矛辞产补颈谤别, a piper鈥檚 servant who carried the pipes for his master (a long time ago!) Of a less servile nature are gille-cruidh (cowboy), gille-frithealaidh (waiter cf French 驳补谤莽辞苍), gille-pinn (clerk), 驳颈濒濒别-尘霉肠丑补颈苍 (chimney sweep) and gille-shalm, an old term for a precentor of psalms in the Presbyterian churches.

ma dh鈥檉haodte gum faigh iad an s脿th: perhaps they will get enough to satisfy them.

听

Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA