麻豆约拍

Bha Sanndaidh MacLe貌id 脿 Gleann an t-Slugain a鈥� dol a mharbhadh an tuirc, air an robh Tad-Losgann mar ainm. Bha an torc m貌r is sanntach. Bha aig a h-uile teaghlach san sg矛re ri b貌 a thoirt don uachdaran airson an torc a bhiathadh. Bha an t-uachdaran a鈥� fuireach ann an Caisteal Ceann na Drochaid ann am Br脿igh Mh脿rr.

Bha Sanndaidh air taobh thall an uillt bho tholl an tuirc. Bha e tr脿th tr脿th sa mhadainn agus bha e fhathast dorch. Anns an dorchadas, chunnaic e freiceadan air b脿rr balla a鈥� chaisteil. Dh鈥檉heumadh Sanndaidh a bhith faiceallach 鈥� agus s脿mhach. Choimhead e a-steach don toll. Cha robh sgeul air an torc. Bhiodh e na chadal anns an t-saobhaidh aige. Thug an gille gr猫im air casan a鈥� chapaill-choille mhairbh a bh鈥� aige. Thilg e closach an e貌in thairis air an allt is a-steach don toll.

Th脿inig an torc a-mach 脿s an t-saobhaidh. Chaidh e gu far an robh closach a鈥� chapaill-choille. Bha Sanndaidh deiseil. Loisg e saighead air. Chaidh an t-saighead tro chridhe an tuirc agus thuit am beathach marbh. Cha do rinn e fuaim sam bith. Rinn Sanndaidh a shlighe dhachaigh agus chaidh e air ais a leabaidh.

Anns a鈥� mhadainn bha muinntir a鈥� chaisteil air bhoil. Bha an torc nimhe aig an uachdaran marbh, agus saighead na chridhe. Thachair e fo shr貌n an fhreiceadain. Bha esan anns an toll-dhubh airson a bhith dearmadach. 鈥橲 e an rud a bu mhios鈥� a bh鈥� ann gu robh d霉il air R矛gh Calum anns an sg矛re an ath-l脿. Bha an t-eagal ann gum feuchadh am boghadair air an r矛gh. Air an l脿imh eile, bha na daoine cumanta toilichte gu robh an torc marbh. Cha bhiodh aca ri b貌 a thoirt seachad don uachdaran tuilleadh.

Bha an t-uachdaran feargach. Chuir esan roimhe am boghadair a lorg. Thug e s霉il gheur air an t-saigheid a mharbh an torc. Bha na h-itean air an cur oirre ann an d貌igh sh貌nraichte. Chuir e fios mun cuairt, feuch faighinn a-mach c貌 am fleistear a bh鈥� ann, c貌 am fear a bhiodh a鈥� d猫anamh shaighdean anns an d貌igh sin. Chuir e daoine a-mach gu gach taigh airson saighdean a lorg a bha coltach ris an t猫 a mharbh Tad-Losgann. Ro chiaradh an fheasgair, thill dithis aca le Sanndaidh MacLe貌id nan cois. Thilg iad Sanndaidh don toll-dhubh.

Air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach, chaidh Sanndaidh a thoirt a-mach. Nochd e mu choinneimh an uachdarain. Mh矛nich an gille don uachdaran mar a mharbh e an torc airson b貌 a mh脿thar a sh脿bhaladh. Ach cha robh tr貌cair sam bith aig an uachdaran dha. Thuirt e ri Sanndaidh gum biodh e air a chrochadh an ath mhadainn air a鈥� chroich air Creag Choinnich.

Bha m脿thair Shanndaidh, a鈥� Bhanntrach NicLe貌id, troimh-a-ch猫ile mu na thachair. Uair is uair choirich i i fh猫in air a shon. Bha i dhen bheachd gum b鈥� ise a bu ch貌ir a bhith a鈥� dol air a鈥� chroich, seach an gille aice. Ach d猫 dh猫anadh i? Bha fios aice nach biodh tr貌cair sam bith aig an uachdaran dhi. 鈥橲 e duine cruaidh, an-iochdmhor a bh鈥� ann. Cha d猫anadh e feum sam bith dhi dhol a dh鈥檌arraidh tr貌cair bhuaithe.

Ge-t脿, bha beagan d貌chais aice, oir chuala i gu robh an r矛gh gu bhith ann an Caisteal Ceann na Drochaid an ath-l脿. Calum a鈥� Chinn Mh貌ir fh猫in. Chuir i roimhpe coinneachadh ris an r矛gh mus ruigeadh e Br脿igh Mh脿rr airson a鈥� ch霉is a mh矛neachadh dha. Agus innsidh mi dhuibh mar a chaidh dhi anns an ath Litir.

Faclan na Litreach: Sanndaidh: Sandy; sanntach: greedy; freiceadan: sentry; saobhaidh: animal den; tr貌cair: mercy.

Abairtean na Litreach: bha aig a h-uile teaghlach ri b貌 a thoirt don uachdaran: every family had to give the landlord a cow; bha e tr脿th tr脿th sa mhadainn: it was very early in the morning; dh鈥檉heumadh Sanndaidh a bhith faiceallach: Sandy would have to be careful; cha robh sgeul air an torc: there was no sign of the boar; thug e gr猫im air casan a鈥� chapaill-choille mhairbh: he took hold of the legs of the dead capercaillie; thilg e closach an e貌in: he threw the bird鈥檚 carcase; chaidh an t-saighead tro chridhe an tuirc: the arrow went through the boar鈥檚 heart; rinn X a shlighe dhachaigh: X made his way home; bha X air bhoil: X were in a frenzy; thachair e fo shr貌n an fhreiceadain: it happened under the sentry鈥檚 nose; anns an toll-dhubh airson a bhith dearmadach: in the dungeon for being negligent; 鈥檚 e an rud a bu mhios鈥� a bh鈥� ann: the worst thing was; gum feuchadh am boghadair air an r矛gh: that the archer would try [to kill] the king; cha bhiodh aca ri b貌 a thoirt seachad tuilleadh: they would no longer have to give away a cow; bha na h-itean air an cur oirre ann an d貌igh sh貌nraichte: the feathers were put on it [fem.] in a particular way; feuch faighinn a-mach c貌 am fleisdear a bh鈥� ann: to try to find out who the fletcher/arrowmaker was: ro chiaradh an fheasgair: before dusk; mar a mharbh e an torc airson b貌 a mh脿thar a sh脿bhaladh: how he killed the boar in order to save his mother鈥檚 cow; gum biodh e air a chrochadh: that he would be hanged; uair is uair choirich i i fh猫in: time and again she blamed herself; gum b鈥� ise a bu ch貌ir a bhith a鈥� dol air a鈥� chroich: that is was herself should be going on the gibbet; 鈥檚 e duine cruaidh, an-iochdmhor a bh鈥� ann: he was a hard, unmerciful man; coinneachadh ris an r矛gh mus ruigeadh e Br脿igh Mh脿rr: to meet the king before he reached Braemar.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: thilg iad Sanndaidh don toll-dhubh: they threw Sandy into the dungeon. I have taken the traditional view of leniting the second element of toll-dubh in the dative singular with the article. But the main point I want to make is the use of the preposition do (or dialectually dha 鈥� I might have said dhan toll-dhubh). In relation to a location, as here, and with the use of a verb like 鈥渢ilg鈥�, it means 鈥渢o and into鈥�. You might have expected me to say, 鈥渢hilg iad Sanndaidh anns an toll-dhubh鈥� but it would be possible to understand from that that Sandy was already in the dungeon and was being thrown about within it. The use of do/dha makes it clear that he is being thrown into the dungeon. Similarly thuit e don abhainn would mean 鈥渉e fell into the river鈥� (from another place eg the bank or a bridge), whereas thuit e san abhainn suggests that he was already in the river when he fell.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: innsidh mi dhuibh mar a chaidh dhi anns an ath Litir: I鈥檒l tell you how she got on in the next Litir.