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Tha mi ag aithris na sgeulachd ‘An Long a Chaidh a dh’Ameireagaidh’. Cha robh an cupall an dùil clann a bhith aca. Ach rugadh leanabh-gille dhaibh. Chuir iad ‘Iain’ air mar ainm. Bha iad fhathast a’ fuireach leotha ´Ú³óè¾±²Ô air cùl a’ chladaich. Thug iad ´Ú³óè¾±²Ô sgoil don ghille.

Bha seachd bliadhna air a dhol seachad on a thug an duine an gealltanas don bhodach. Thuirt e ri a bhean, ‘Tha mi a’ falbh an-diugh a thoirt a’ bhalaich seachad a chionn ʼs gur e sin a gheall mi airson na tubhailt.’ Bidh cuimhne agaibh gun d’ fhuair an duine tubhailt dhraoidheil bhon bhodach. Mar sin, bha biadh an-còmhnaidh aca.

Thòisich a bhean air caoineadh. ‘Chan eil cothrom air,’ thuirt an duine aice. ‘Feumaidh mi a dhèanamh.’ Dh’fhalbh an duine ʼs am balachan agus an ceann ùine ràinig iad am bothan aig bonn na beinne. Cha robh sgeul air an t-seann duine liath ach bha am bòrd ann mar a bha roimhe, le botal fìona agus lof arain air. Ghabh an duine agus an gille balgam às a’ bhotal agus crioman às an lof.

Aig a’ mhionaid sin, cò thàinig a-steach ach am bodach. ‘Thàinig thu mar a gheall thu,’ thuirt e.

‘Thàinig,’ dh’aontaich am fear eile.

‘Dè an t-ainm baistidh a th' air a’ bhalachan?’

‘Iain,’ thuirt athair.

‘Gum meal e ainm,’ ars am bodach. ‘A bheil sgoil aige?’

‘Bha mi ´Ú³óì²Ô a’ toirt beagan sgoile dha,’ fhreagair am fear eile.

‘Bheir mise deagh sgoil dha,’ ars am bodach. ‘Nì mi mar gum bu mhac dhomh ´Ú³óì²Ô e. Nì mi duine fortanach dheth fhathast.’

Dh’fhan athair an oidhche sin aig bonn na beinne. An làrna-mhàireach, dh’fhàg e beannachd aig a’ bhalachan agus thill e dhachaigh. Bha a bhean brònach, muladach mu chall a mic.

Air ais aig bonn na beinne, dh’fhàs am balachan na ghille mòr, gasta. Bha e còrr is fichead bliadhna còmhla ris a’ bhodach agus fhuair e deagh sgoil bhuaithe. Latha a bha seo, dh’iarr am bodach air a dhol còmhla ris gu mullach na beinne. Thuirt e gun robh srian eich os cionn an dorais agus dh’iarr e air a toirt leis.

Ràinig iad mullach na beinne. Thuirt an seann duine ri Iain, ‘Crath an t-srian rium. Bidh mis’ a’ tionndadh nam each. Leum air mo mhuin an uair sin.’

Rinn Iain sin. Thionndaidh am bodach na each agus leum Iain air a mhuin. Dh’fhalbh an t-each aig astar. Chùm e a dol fad an latha gus an do ràinig e leathad uabhasach cas – ri taobh loch. ‘Thig far mo mhuin, Iain,’ thuirt an t-each ris.

Thàinig Iain far an eich, agus thuirt an t-each ris, ‘Thalla suas gu uamh an sin. Gheibh thu trì famhairean nan sìneadh. Tha iad a’ dol bàs leis an acras. Seall a-steach nam chluais.’

Thug Iain sùil na chluais agus chunnaic e botal fìona agus trì lofan arain. ‘Thoir lof an duine do na famhairean,’ ars an t-each, ‘agus roinn am botal eatarra.’ 

Rinn Iain sin agus bha na famhairean air leth toilichte. ‘Bidh cuimhne againn air seo,’ thuirt iad.

Thill Iain don t-seann duine a bha fhathast ann an riochd eich. Agus leanaidh an sgeul an-ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: draoidheil: magic; an-còmhnaidh: always; caoineadh: weeping; balachan: wee boy; brònach, muladach: sad, grief-stricken; uamh: cave.

Abairtean na Litreach: An Long a Chaidh a dh’Ameireagaidh: The Ship that Went to America; cha robh an cupall an dùil clann a bhith aca: the couple were not expecting to have children; rugadh leanabh-gille dhaibh: a baby son was born to them; thug iad ´Ú³óè¾±²Ô sgoil don ghille: they educated the lad themselves; bha seachd bliadhna air a dhol seachad on a thug an duine an gealltanas: seven years had elapsed since the man gave the promise; a chionn ʼs gur e sin a gheall mi airson na tubhailt: because that’s what I promised for the tablecloth; chan eil cothrom air: it can’t be helped; balgam às a’ bhotal agus crioman às an lof: a gulp from the bottle and a bite from the loaf; thàinig thu mar a gheall thu: you came as you promised; bheir mise deagh sgoil dha: I’ll give him a good education; nì mi duine fortanach dheth: I shall make a fortunate man of him; dh’fhan athair an oidhche: his father stayed the night; an làrna-mhàireach, dh’fhàg e beannachd aig a’ bhalachan: next day, he farewelled the boy; thuirt e gun robh srian eich os cionn an dorais: he said that there was a horse’s bridle above the door; dh’iarr e air a toirt leis: he asked him to bring it with him; crath an t-srian rium: shake the bridle to [in front of] me; bidh mis’ a’ tionndadh nam each: I shall turn into a horse; leum air mo mhuin: jump on my back; trì famhairean nan sìneadh: three giants stretched out; tha iad a’ dol bàs leis an acras: they are dying of hunger; seall a-steach nam chluais: look into my ear; thoir lof an duine do: give a loaf to each man; ann an riochd eich: in the form of a horse.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Nì mi mar gum bu mhac dhomh ´Ú³óì²Ô e: I’ll make him like he was [born] my own son. This is rather old-fashioned, but elegant, Gaelic. It uses bu, the past tense of the assertive verb is. Is mac dhomh ´Ú³óì²Ô e ‘he is my own son’; bu mhac dhomh ´Ú³óì²Ô e ‘he was my own son’. Notice the lenition of mac following bu. Note also that dialectally ´Ú³óì²Ô is used instead of ´Ú³óè¾±²Ô with the first person singular – dhomh ´Ú³óì²Ô but dhut ´Ú³óè¾±²Ô, dha ´Ú³óè¾±²Ô.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Gum meal e ainm: may he enjoy his name.