麻豆社

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Chalum Beag an t-seachdain sa chaidh. Bha Calum a鈥� fuireach anns na Srianan no Streens of Findhorn. Bha e m矛-chli霉iteach airson a bhith a鈥� goid spr猫idh.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Cha robh aige ach aon each 鈥� fear sean, b脿n. Bha e feumach air each na b鈥� fhe脿rr oir bha aige ri t貌rr treabhaidh a dh猫anamh. Mharbh e an t-each aige. Thug e an t-seiche dheth agus thiodhlaic e an closach.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Air an ath oidhche, choisich e gu ruige tuathanas ann am baile eile air taobh thall na h-aibhne. Chaidh e don st脿ball agus thug e a-mach leis an t-each a b鈥� fhe脿rr a bh鈥� ann. 鈥橲 e each donn a bh鈥� ann. Chaidh e dhachaigh leis.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Chuir e an t-seiche bh脿n air an each dhonn. Le fuaigheal sgileil, bha e a鈥� coimhead coltach ri each b脿n. Cha b鈥� urrainn don tuathanach an t-each donn aige a lorg.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Rinn Calum an treabhadh leis. An uair sin, thug e an t-seiche dheth agus thug e an t-each donn air ais don st脿ball. Madainn a bha seo, lorg an tuathanach an t-each aige san st脿ball a-rithist. Bha e sl脿n fallain.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha n脿baidh aig Calum a bha sp矛ocach. Latha a bha seo, dh鈥檌arr e air Calum thighinn suas airson muc a spadadh dha. 鈥淟eis gu bheil i cho beag,鈥� thuirt an n脿baidh, 鈥渃ha b鈥� urrainn dhomh dad dhith a thoirt seachad ach a-mh脿in cas dheiridh a bheir mi dhut fh猫in. Ach d猫 a鈥� chomhairle a bheireadh tu dhomh gus nach bi c脿ch anns an n脿baidheachd an d霉il p矛os fe貌la fhaighinn bhuam?鈥�

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha Calum a鈥� faicinn cothrom dha fh猫in. 鈥淐uir an closach gu l猫ir don abhainn air beulaibh an taigh agad a-nochd,鈥� thuirt e. 鈥淔脿saidh e fuar is bidh sin math don fh猫oil. Faodaidh tu coiseachd s矛os don taigh againn a-m脿ireach leis an naidheachd gun deach a鈥� mhuc agad a ghoid. Can sin ri duine sam bith a choinnicheas riut.鈥�

Uill, dh鈥檃ontaich an duine bochd sin a dh猫anamh. Ach tha fhios nach do chuir Calum Beag seachad an oidhche gu l猫ir na leabaidh! Air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach, cha robh sgeul air closach na muice san abhainn. Chaidh an duine gu taigh Chaluim. 鈥淐haidh a鈥� mhuc agam a ghoid,鈥� thuirt e.

鈥�Seadh, seadh,鈥� arsa Calum ris, 鈥渁gus d猫an cinnteach gun cum thu ris an sgeul sin nuair a choinnicheas tu ri daoine eile.鈥�

鈥淎ch 鈥檚 e an fh矛rinn a th鈥� agam,鈥� thuirt an n脿baidh a-rithist. 鈥淐haidh a goid ann an dha-r矛reabh.鈥�

鈥淪eadh, seadh, tha fhios a鈥檓,鈥� thuirt Calum, agus is iongantach mura phriob e a sh霉il ris an fhear eile!

Turas eile ghoid Calum mart bho mhuillear ann an Allt 脠ireann. Chaidh Calum ann, le a ghearran na chois, airson min a cheannach. Fhuair e a鈥� mhin. Ach bha e faisg air ciaradh an fheasgair, agus thug am muillear cuireadh dha fuireach airson na h-oidhche.

Ann am meadhan na h-oidhche nuair a bha a h-uile duine eile nan cadal, chaidh Calum a-mach don st脿ball. Cheangail e am mart a b鈥� fhe脿rr aig a鈥� mhuillear ri a ghearran, chuir e a鈥� mhin air muin a鈥� ghearrain agus dh鈥檌arr e air dhol dhachaigh. Cheangail e sguab ri earball a鈥� mhairt airson lorgan-coise nam beathaichean a sgrios. Dh鈥檉halbh an d脿 bheathach agus chaidh Calum air ais do a leabaidh ann an taigh a鈥� mhuilleir.

Anns a鈥� mhadainn bha 霉praid ann mu chall nam beathaichean. Thug Calum a鈥� chreidsinn gun robh e feargach mu chall a ghearrain agus cha b鈥� urrainn don mhuillear dearbhadh nach robh e air a bhith na shuain fad na h-oidhche.

蝉迟脿产补濒濒: stable; donn: brown; muillear: miller; Allt 脠ireann: Auldearn; 霉辫谤补颈诲: uproar.

m矛-chli霉iteach airson a bhith a鈥� goid spr猫idh: infamous for stealing livestock; bha e feumach air each na b鈥� fhe脿rr: he needed a better horse; bha aige ri t貌rr treabhaidh a dh猫anamh: he had to do a lot of ploughing; thug e an t-seiche dheth: he removed the hide; thiodhlaic e an closach: he buried the carcase; fuaigheal sgileil: skilful sewing; cha b鈥� urrainn don tuathanach an t-each donn aige a lorg: the farmer couldn鈥檛 find his brown horse; sl脿n fallain: fit and healthy; bha n脿baidh aig X a bha sp矛ocach: X had a neighbour who was miserly; dh鈥檌arr e air X thighinn suas airson muc a spadadh dha: he asked X to come up and kill (for butchery) a pig for him; ach a-mh脿in cas dheiridh a bheir mi dhut fh猫in: except for a hind leg which I will give to yourself; d猫 a鈥� chomhairle a bheireadh tu dhomh?: what advice would you give me?; gus nach bi c脿ch anns an n脿baidheachd an d霉il p矛os fe貌la fhaighinn bhuam: so that everyone else in the neighbourhood will expect to receive a piece of meat from me; air beulaibh an taigh agad a-nochd: in front of your house tonight; leis an naidheachd gun deach a鈥� mhuc agad a ghoid: with the news that your pig was stolen; an oidhche gu l猫ir na leabaidh: the entire night in his bed; d猫an cinnteach gun cum thu ris an sgeul sin: make sure you keep to that story; 鈥檚 e an fh矛rinn a th鈥� agam: I鈥檓 telling the truth; chaidh a goid ann an dha-r矛reabh: it really was stolen; is iongantach mura phriob e a sh霉il: it鈥檚 likely he winked; le a ghearran na chois: accompanied by his garron (Highland pony); cheangail e sguab ri earball a鈥� mhairt: he tied a broom to the cow鈥檚 tail; nach robh e air a bhith na shuain: that he hadn鈥檛 been deeply asleep.

鈥�Seadh, seadh,鈥� arsa Calum ris: 鈥淎ye, aye,鈥� Calum said to him. Seadh is a really useful word, usually translated as 鈥渁ye鈥�, 鈥測es鈥� or 鈥渦h-uh鈥�, but only employed in certain circumstances. It can be used to confirm or agree with a statement made by somebody else, or to lend emphasis eg seadh d矛reach (yes indeed). It is used in response to your name being called eg 鈥淎 Dh貌mhnaill!鈥� 鈥淪eadh?鈥�. In a telephone conversation it can be useful as a 鈥渇iller鈥� when responding to somebody else without actually agreeing or disagreeing with them. And in the Litir it is used by Calum Beag (with a sense of irony) to indicate that he 鈥渒nows鈥� the other man is telling an untruth but without wanting to say that openly. You will also hear 鈥淎idh, aidh鈥� being used in the same way in Gaelic.

Thug Calum a鈥� chreidsinn gun robh e feargach: Calum pretended that he was angry. Tha X a鈥� toirt a鈥� chreidsinn air Y: X is causing Y to believe (ie pretending to Y).