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An cuala sibh riamh an sgeulachd Pàdraig na Beinne? Tha i a’ nochdadh ann an cruinneachadh de sgeulachdan traidiseanta a rinn Murchadh MacLeòid nach maireann – ‘Murchadh HMI’ mar a chanadh daoine ris. ʼS e sgeulachd laghach a th’ innte, air a deagh aithris le sàr-Ghàidheal. Nì mi mo dhìcheall geàrr-chunntas dhith a thoirt dhuibh.

            Bha fear ann uaireigin aig an robh tuathanas beag air cliathaich beinne. Chanadh daoine Pàdraig na Beinne ris. Bha e fhèin, a bhean agus an gille aca cho sona ʼs a bha an latha fada.

            Bha dà bhò aca agus chuir iad romhpa tè dhiubh a reic. Dh’fhalbh Pàdraig don bhaile mhòr leatha ach, mo thruaighe, cha robh aon duine ag iarraidh a ceannach. Ghabh Pàdraig air ais dhachaigh air a shocair, e fhèin agus a’ bhò.

            Cha robh e air a dhol fada nuair a thachair e ri fear aig an robh each ri reic. Shaoil Pàdraig gum b’ fheàrr leis each a bhith aige, seach bò, agus rinn an dithis suaip. Beagan ùine an dèidh sin, thachair e ri duine aig an robh muc mhòr reamhar. Rinn iad còrdadh, agus dh’fhalbh Pàdraig leis a’ mhuic.

            Thachair e an uair sin ri fear aig an robh gobhar. Agus – tuigidh sibh – cha b’ fhada gus an robh e a’ dèanamh air an taigh le gobhar na chois, an àite muc. Bha fear le caora a’ coiseachd seachad agus shaoil Pàdraig gum biodh e math caora a bhith aige. Ach cha robh a’ chaora aige fada nuair a thachair e ri fear le gèadh. Rinn an dithis aca suaip, agus dh’fhalbh ar laoch leis a’ ghèadh.

            Bha fear le coileach a’ dèanamh air a’ bhaile mhòr agus thachair e fhèin is Pàdraig ri chèile. ‘O, coileach,’ thuirt Pàdraig ris fhèin, ‘nach biodh sin na b’ fheàrr na gèadh?’

Bha e a’ fàs anmoch, agus bha an oidhche a’ tighinn. Cha robh Pàdraig air càil ithe fad an latha agus bha an t-acras ga tholladh. Reic e an coileach agus, leis an airgead a fhuair e, cheannaich e biadh.

            Às dèidh dha grèim-bìdh a ghabhail, lean e air an rathad dhachaigh. Ràinig e taigh caraid. A-steach a ghabh e, agus thòisich a charaid air ceistean a chur air mu mar a chaidh an latha dha.

            ‘Och, meadhanach math,’ fhreagair Pàdraig. ‘Chan eil cus adhbhair agam toileachas a dhèanamh, ach dè math dhomh a bhith a’ gearan?’ Agus dh’inns e do a charaid, facal air an fhacal, a h-uile rud a dh’èirich dhà tron latha.

            ‘O, seadh,’ thuirt a charaid. ‘Chan eil sin ro mhath. Gheibh thu do chruaidh-fhortain nuair a chluinneas do bhean mar a thachair. Cha bu toigh leam a bhith nad àite. Tha rud thugad, ʼille!’

            ‘O, ged as e droch rud a rinn mi,’ dh’aidich Pàdraig, ‘cha dèan a’ bhean agam trod rium. Cha bhi i a’ gearan uair sam bith mu rud sam bith a nì mi.’

            ‘Tha sin doirbh a chreidsinn,’ fhreagair a charaid.

            ‘Glè mhath, ma-thà,’ arsa Pàdraig. ‘Cuiridh mi geall nach dèan i trod rium. Tha ceud not agam air a chur ma seach. Ma throideas i rium, gheibh thus’ an t-airgead. An toir thusa dhòmhsa ceud not mura dèan i gearan?’

            ‘Is mise a nì sin,’ thuirt a charaid. Agus innsidh mi dhuibh dè thachair do Phàdraig aig an taigh – an-ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: nach maireann: deceased; mo thruaighe: alas; ar laoch: our hero; coileach: cockerel; anmoch: late.

Abairtean na Litreach: ʼS e sgeulachd laghach a th’ innte, air a deagh aithris le sàr-Ghàidheal: it’s a nice story, well told by a noble, excellent Gael; bha fear ann uaireigin aig an robh tuathanas beag air cliathaich beinne: there was a man one time who had a small farm on the slope of a mountain; chuir iad romhpa tè dhiubh a reic: they decided to sell one of them; ghabh X air ais dhachaigh air a shocair: X calmly made for home ; nuair a thachair e ri fear aig an robh each ri reic: when he met a man who had a horse to sell; gum b’ fheàrr leis each a bhith aige, seach bò: that he would prefer to own a horse, rather than a cow; rinn an dithis suaip: the two men did a swap; rinn iad còrdadh, agus dh’fhalbh X leis a’ mhuic: they made a bargain, and X left with the pig; cha b’ fhada gus an robh e a’ dèanamh air an taigh le gobhar na chois: it wasn’t long until he was making for a home, accompanied by a goat; cha robh a’ chaora aige fada nuair a thachair e ri fear le gèadh: he didn’t have the sheep long when he met a man with a goose; bha an t-acras ga tholladh: he was famished by hunger; cheannaich e biadh: he bought food; a-steach a ghabh e: he went in; thòisich a charaid air ceistean a chur air mu mar a chaidh an latha dha: his friend started to question him about how his day went; dè math dhomh a bhith a’ gearan?: what good is it to me to be complaining?; cha dèan a’ bhean agam trod rium: my wife won’t scold me; cuiridh mi geall: I’ll bet; tha ceud not agam air a chur ma seach: I have a hundred pounds set aside.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Gheibh thu do chruaidh-fhortain nuair a chluinneas do bhean mar a thachair. Tha rud thugad, ʼille!: These are two good idiomatic expressions. Cruaidh-fhortain means misfortune so gheibh thu do chruaidh-fhortain means ‘you’ll be for it!’ Tha rud thugad means pretty much the same. Bidh rud thugad mura nochd thu aig an àm cheart ‘you’ll be for it if you don’t appear at the correct time’.

Gnàthasan-cainnt na Litreach: cho sona ʼs a bha an latha fada: as happy as the day was long.