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Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Fhearchar Lighiche. Thug e an nathair gheal a fhuair e aig bonn na craoibhe-calltainn don duin-uasal. Ach dh’fheuch e fhèin – mar thuiteamas – brot na nathrach.Ìý

Thill an duin-uasal far an robh Fearchar. Thog e an ceann far na poite. Chuir e corrag a-steach agus chuir e na bheul i. ‘Obh obh,’ ars esan, ‘chan eil feum sam bith anns a’ bhrot seo.’ Bha fios aige gun robh Fearchar air a chorrag fhèin a chur a-steach, a’ faighinn a h-uile maitheas a bha sa phoit.Ìý

Bha Fearchar an dùil duais fhaighinn airson an nathair gheal a thoirt don duine, ach dhiùlt am fear eile dad a thoirt dha. Ge-tà, cha robh cùisean ro dhona oir bha Fearchar air gibht fhaighinn – bha e comasach air tinneas sam bith a leigheas. Mar a chanadh na seann sgeulaichean ann an Dùthaich MhicAoidh – bha sùilean a thuigse air am fosgladh nuair a chuir e a chorrag na bheul. B’ e sin an comas a bha am fear eile a lorg – comas sàr-lighiche. A-nise bha an comas sin aig Fearchar.

Air an rathad dhachaigh a Dhùthaich MhicAoidh, thachair Fearchar ri feadhainn a bha tinn. Rinn e leigheas orra uile. Ràinig e baile far an robh Rìgh a’ fuireach. Bha an Rìgh a’ fulang gu mòr le cas ghoirt. Bha neasgaidean uabhasach oirre. Cha robh comas aig an Rìgh coiseachd tuilleadh agus bha e ann am pian fad na h-ùine. Ged a rinn na lighichean aige a h-uile nì a b’ urrainn dhaibh – gan rèir fhèin – dh’fhàilnich orra feabhas sam bith a thoirt air a chois.Ìý

Chuala Fearchar mu dheidhinn seo. Chaidh e gu doras a’ chaisteil agus dh’èigh e, ‘A’ bhiast-dubh air a’ chnàmh gheal.’ Chuala an rìgh e. Dh’fhaighnich e de na h-oifigearan aige cò bha sin aig doras a’ chaisteil. ‘Fear a bha a’ dol seachad,’ thuirt oifigear. ‘Tha e a’ cumail a-mach gur e lighiche a th’ ann.’

‘Thoir thugam e,’ ars an Rìgh. Chaidh Fearchar a thoirt a-steach. ‘An e lighiche a th’ annad?’ dh’fhaighnich an Rìgh.

‘’S e, ur Mòrachd,’ fhreagair Fearchar.

‘Ma nì thu leigheas orm gus nach bi mi ann am pian tuilleadh,’ ars an Rìgh, ‘bheir mi dhut duais sam bith a dh’iarras tu, eadhon an dàrna cuid dhen rìoghachd agam.’ Feumaidh gun robh a chas gu math goirt!

Thug Fearchar sùil air cas an Rìgh. Fhuair e a-mach gun robh na lighichean eile air na neasgaidean a chumail fosgailte le bhith a’ cur daolagan orra a bha ag ithe na feòla. Fhuair e cuidhteas na daolagan. Chuir e fuar-lite air cas an Rìgh. An ceann greis thàinig feabhas oirre. Cha robh i goirt tuilleadh.

Bha an Rìgh toilichte agus taingeil. ‘Dè an duais a tha thu ag iarraidh?’ dh’fhaighnich e de dh’Fhearchar.Ìý

‘A h-uile eilean anns a’ mhuir eadar Rubha an Stòir ann an Asainte agus an Rubha Dearg ann an Arcaibh,’ thuirt Fearchar.

‘Bidh iad sin agad,’ ars an Rìgh, ‘agus fearann a bharrachd anns an dùthaich agad fhèin.’ Chùm an Rìgh ris a’ chùmhnant agus bha Fearchar an uair sin na uachdaran, agus eileanan is fearann gu leòr aige. Agus bha na dùthchannan sin ann an làmhan a shliochd fad iomadach bliadhna.

Faclan na Litreach: lighiche: physician, healer; gibht: gift, talent; neasgaidean: ulcers; ur Mòrachd: your Majesty; fuar-lite: poultice.

Abairtean na Litreach: an nathair gheal a fhuair e aig bonn na craoibhe-calltainn: the white snake he got at the base of the hazel tree; dh’fheuch e fhèin – mar thuiteamas – brot na nathrach: he tried himself – by accident – the snake broth; thog e an ceann far na poite: he took the lid off the pot; chan eil feum sam bith anns a’ bhrot seo: this broth is of no use; a’ faighinn a h-uile maitheas: getting all the goodness; bha X an dùil duais fhaighinn: X was expecting to receive a reward; bha sùilean a thuigse air am fosgladh: his eyes of understanding were opened; rinn e leigheas orra uile: he cured them all; a’ fulang gu mòr le cas ghoirt: suffering greatly from a sore foot; a’ bhiast-dubh air a’ chnàmh gheal: the black creature on the white bone [we shall explore this in the next Litir]; tha e a’ cumail a-mach gur e lighiche a th’ ann: he maintains he is a physician; gus nach bi mi ann am pian tuilleadh: so that I am no longer in pain; duais sam bith a dh’iarras tu: any reward you wish; eadhon an dàrna cuid dhen rìoghachd agam: even half of my kingdom; gun robh na lighichean eile air na neasgaidean a chumail fosgailte: that the other physicians had kept the ulcers open; le bhith a’ cur daolagan orra a bha ag ithe na feòla: by putting beetles on them that were eating the flesh; fhuair e cuidhteas: he got rid of; an ceann greis thàinig feabhas oirre: in a short time, it [fem.] improved; eadar Rubha an Stòir ann an Asainte agus an Rubha Dearg ann an Arcaibh: between Stoer Point in Assynt and the Red Point in Orkney; bidh iad sin agad, agus fearann a bharrachd: you’ll get that, and more land; chùm X ris a’ chùmhnant: X kept to the agreement; bha na dùthchannan sin ann an làmhan a shliochd fad iomadach bliadhna: those lands were in the hands of his descendants for many a year.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: dh’fhàilnich orra feabhas sam bith a thoirt air a chois: they failed to bring about an improvement in his foot. Cas is a feminine noun, slenderised here in the dative singular and lenited following the third person singular masculine possessive article. You will be familiar with the expression cuin a bha thu air do chois an-diugh? ‘when did you get up today?’ i.e. when were you on your foot?

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: a h-uile nì a b’ urrainn dhaibh: everything they could.