麻豆约拍

Bidh sibh a鈥� cuimhneachadh gu robh sinn ann am Br脿igh Mh脿rr an t-seachdain sa chaidh. Leis gu robh a鈥� Bhanntrach NicLe貌id a鈥� dol a chall na b脿 aice, airson an torc nimhe a bhiathadh, mharbh an gille aice, Sanndaidh, an torc. Cha robh Sanndaidh ach c貌ig bliadhn鈥� deug a dh鈥檃ois. Fhuair e binn b脿is airson na rinn e. Bhathar a鈥� dol ga chrochadh air Creag Choinnich.

Chuala a鈥� Bhanntrach NicLe貌id gu robh an r矛gh, Calum a鈥� Chinn Mh貌ir, gu bhith ann an Caisteal Ceann na Drochaid an ath l脿. Dh鈥檉h脿g i an taigh aice. Bha i airson coinneachadh ris an r矛gh air an rathad mus ruigeadh e an caisteal. Bha i airson taic a shireadh bhuaithe. Chaidh i suas Gleann Cluainidh gu Bealach a鈥� Ch霉irn Bhuilg oir bha i cinnteach gun tigeadh an r矛gh air an rathad sin bhon cheann a deas. Sin an dearbh ghleann anns a bheil an rathad m貌r bhon cheann a deas an-diugh.

Chuir i seachad oidhche anns an 脿ite fhuar sin. B鈥� e sin an oidhche a chuir Sanndaidh seachad anns an toll-dhubh anns a鈥� chaisteal airson an torc a mharbhadh, mus do bhruidhinn e ris an uachdaran. B鈥� fheudar don bhanntraich feitheamh gu feasgar an ath-l脿 mus do nochd an r矛gh. Chrom i i fh猫in aig casan an r矛gh agus ghuidh i air beatha a mic a sh脿bhaladh.

Thuirt an r矛gh gun d猫anadh e rannsachadh air a鈥� ch霉is nuair a ruigeadh e Caisteal Ceann na Drochaid, agus dh鈥檌arr e air a鈥� bhanntraich a leantainn ann. Rinn i sin. Cho luath 鈥檚 a r脿inig an r矛gh an caisteal thog e cuspair Shanndaidh MhicLe貌id leis an uachdaran. Mh矛nich an t-uachdaran mar a thachair bho a shealladh-san.

Thuirt an r矛gh gum faigheadh Sanndaidh cothrom a bheatha a sh脿bhaladh. Chuireadh a mh脿thair air leac air taobh thall Uisge Chluainidh. B鈥� e sin an t-脿ite 脿s an do loisg Sanndaidh air an torc. Dh鈥檉heumadh Sanndaidh fuireach air drochaid-thogalach a鈥� chaisteil. Chuireadh f脿d m貌nach air ceann na banntraich. Nan d猫anadh Sanndaidh a鈥� ch霉is le bhith ga bhualadh le saighead bhiodh e air a leigeil ma sgaoil.

Bha an t-eagal air a鈥� ghille, ach b鈥� e sin an aon chothrom aige. Dh鈥檌arr e gum biodh am bogha aige fh猫in air a thoirt dha, agus an d脿 shaigheid a bha aige nuair a chaidh a chur an gr猫im. Fhuair e sin.

Air taobh thall Uisge Chluainidh, bha m脿thair a鈥� ghille. Bha i na seasamh le f脿d m貌nach air a ceann. Dh鈥檃mais Sanndaidh gu c霉ramach agus leig e sreang a鈥� bhogha. Bhuail an t-saighead anns an fh脿d agus thuit am f脿d far ceann a mh脿thar. Rinn a h-uile duine a bha ga choimhead g脿irdeachas.

Dh鈥檌arr an r矛gh air Sanndaidh tighinn air a bheulaibh. 鈥淚s math a rinn thu, 鈥檌lle,鈥� thuirt e, 鈥渁ch carson a dh鈥檌arr thu d脿 shaigheid? Tha fios agad, nan robh thu air f脿ilneachadh le aon t猫, gum biodh tu air do chrochadh.鈥�

鈥淣an robh mi air f脿ilneachadh leis a鈥� chiad t猫,鈥� fhreagair an gille, 鈥渁gus nan robh mi air mo mh脿thair a mharbhadh, bha mi air an d脿rna t猫 a chur annaibh fh猫in.鈥� Bha an t-uabhas air an t-sluagh a bha ag 猫isteachd ach rinn an r矛gh lachan-g脿ire. 鈥淚s math a thuirt thu!鈥� dh鈥櫭╥gh e, agus leig e an gille ma sgaoil. Thill Sanndaidh agus a mh脿thair don taigh aca ann an Gleann an t-Slugain agus dh鈥檉huirich iad ann an sin gu s矛theil. Thathar ag r脿dh nach do tharraing Sanndaidh sreang bogha a-rithist an d猫idh an l脿 sin.

Faclan na Litreach: Calum a鈥� Chinn Mh貌ir: Malcolm Canmore; drochaid-thogalach: drawbridge; lachan-g脿ire: a hearty laugh.

Abairtean na Litreach: a dol a chall na b脿 aice: going to lose her cow; airson an torc nimhe a bhiathadh: to feed the wild boar; binn b脿is: a death sentence; bhathar a鈥� dol ga chrochadh: he was going to be hanged; mus ruigeadh e an caisteal: before he reached the castle; Bealach a鈥� Ch霉irn Bhuilg: the Cairnwell Pass; b鈥� e sin an oidhche a chuir Sanndaidh seachad anns an toll-dhubh: that is the night Sandy spent in the dungeon; chrom i i fh猫in aig casan an r矛gh: she bent at the feet of the king; dh鈥檌arr e air a鈥� bhanntraich a leantainn ann: he asked the widow to follow him there; mh矛nich an t-uachdaran mar a thachair bho a shealladh-san: the landlord explained what happened from his standpoint; chuireadh a mh脿thair air leac: his mother was put on a rocky ledge; chuireadh f脿d m貌nach air: a peat was put on; nan d猫anadh X a鈥� ch霉is le bhith ga bhualadh le saighead: if X succeeded by hitting it with an arrow; bhiodh e air a leigeil ma sgaoil: he would be released; dh鈥檌arr e gum biodh am bogha aige fh猫in air a thoirt dha: he asked that he be given his own bow; an d脿 shaigheid a bha aige nuair a chaidh a chur an gr猫im: the two arrows he had when he was arrested: dh鈥檃mais X gu c霉ramach agus leig e sreang a鈥� bhogha: X aimed carefully and released the bowstring; rinn a h-uile duine a bha ga choimhead g脿irdeachas: everyone that was watching expressed their pleasure; nan robh thu air f脿ilneachadh le aon t猫: if you had failed with one [of them]; gum biodh tu air do chrochadh: that you would be hanged; bha mi air an d脿rna t猫 a chur annaibh fh猫in: I would have put the second one in you; bha an t-uabhas air an t-sluagh: the people were horrified; leig e an gille ma sgaoil: he released the lad.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: ghuidh i air beatha a mic a sh脿bhaladh: she implored him to save the life of her son. Are you comfortable with the inflected forms of mac, 鈥渁 son鈥�? Mic means 鈥渙f a son鈥�; a鈥� mhic means 鈥渙f a son鈥�; a mhic means 鈥渙f his son鈥� and a mic is 鈥渙f her son鈥�. These are all genitive singular forms. Examples of the nominative singular with possessive articles are a mac (her son) and a mhac (his son). The genitive plurals of this type of word, which pluralise in the nominative by slenderisation (ie the plural of mac is mic) are like the nominative singular, so a mhac can also mean 鈥渙f his sons鈥�, and a mac can also mean 鈥渙f her sons鈥�.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: is math a rinn thu, 鈥檌lle: you did well, lad.