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An Litir Bheag 852

Litir Bheag na seachdain sa le Ruairidh MacIlleathain. Litir 脿ireamh 852. Roddy Maclean is back with this week's short letter for G脿idhlig learners.

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Sun 12 Sep 2021 16:00

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An Litir Bheag 852

Anns a鈥� bhliadhna seachd ceud deug 鈥檚 a c貌ig-deug (1715), th貌isich na Seumasaich ar-a-mach. Ann an Srath 脌rdail ann an Siorrachd Pheairt, thogadh a鈥� bhratach ann an Cill Mh矛cheil. Bha na ceudan an l脿thair.聽

Bha gaoth l脿idir ann. Bha ball 貌ir air mullach a鈥� bhrat-chrainn. Agus thuit e gu l脿r leis a鈥� ghaoith. Bha cuid dhen bheachd gur e droch chomharra a bha ann.

Ach cha robh Tighearna Eas an Tulaich ag aontachadh. 鈥楥oma leibh sin,鈥� thuirt e. 鈥楥ha t脿inig ach rud math riamh bho gu h-脿rd.鈥� Is cinnteach gun robh e a鈥� smaoineachadh air Dia agus N猫amh.聽

Chuimhnich feadhainn an abairt sin. Th脿inig i am b脿rr a-rithist ann an ochd ceud deug, fichead 鈥檚 a sia (1826). Anns a鈥� bhliadhna sin, bha an aimsir cianail fuar. Bha sneachd na laighe fad a鈥� gheamhraidh. Bha na daoine bochda a鈥� fulang. Agus cha robh f脿s math ann as t-samhradh. Bha cuimhne aig daoine air a鈥� bhliadhna sin mar 鈥楤liadhna a鈥� Bh脿rr Ghoirid鈥�.

Bha fear a bha seo ann an Srath 脌rdail. 鈥橲 e duine onarach a bha ann. Bha teaghlach 貌g aige. Bha an t-acras orra fad na h-霉ine.

Bha tuathanach beartach a鈥� fuireach an ath dhoras. Bha slochd aige a bha l脿n bhunt脿ta. Ach cha robh e de貌nach na bunt脿ta a reic. Bha e a鈥� feitheamh gus am biodh pr矛s na b鈥� fhe脿rr orra.聽

Chunnaic cuid mar a bha an teaghlach seo a鈥� fulang. Bha iad airson gnothaichean a chur ceart. Air an oidhche, chaidh iad gu slochd an tuathanaich. L矛on iad pocannan le bunt脿ta. Chaidh iad gu taigh an teaghlaich bhochd.聽

Cha robh iad airson 鈥檚 gum biodh fios aig an teaghlach c貌 脿s a th脿inig am biadh. Bha an taigh 矛osal, le mullach tughaidh. Chaidh na daoine air a鈥� mhullach. Thug iad s霉il s矛os an t-similear. Cha robh teine ann. Bha an teaghlach air an gl霉inean, ag 霉rnaigh airson biadh. Dh貌irt na daoine na ceudan bhunt脿ta s矛os an t-similear.

鈥楿ill,鈥� thuirt fear an taighe, 鈥榠s f矛or na thuirt Tighearna Eas an Tulaich latha togail na brataich 鈥� nach t脿inig droch rud riamh bho gu h-脿rd!鈥�

The Little Letter 852

In the year 1715, the Jacobites started a rebellion. In Strathardle in Perthshire, the banner was raised at Kirkmichael. Hundreds of people were present.

There was a strong wind. There was a golden ball on the top of the flagpole. And it fell to the ground with the wind. Some people were of the opinion that that was a bad omen.

But the Laird of Ashintully did not agree. 鈥楧isregard that,鈥� he said. 鈥楴othing but good things ever came from above.鈥� It鈥檚 certain that he was thinking of God and Heaven.

Some people remembered that saying. It appeared again in 1826. In that year, the weather was extremely cold. Snow was lying all winter long. The poor people were suffering. And there was no good growth in summer. People were remembering that year as 鈥榯he year of the short corn鈥�.

There was a certain man in Strathardle. He was an honest man. He had a young family. They were always hungry.

There was a wealthy farmer living next door. He had a pit full of potatoes. But he wasn鈥檛 willing to sell the potatoes. He was waiting until they would command a higher price.

Some people saw how this family was suffering. They wanted to put matters right. At night, they went to the farmer鈥檚 pit. They filled sacks with potatoes. They went to the house of the poor family.

They didn鈥檛 want the family to know where the food came from. The house was low, with a thatched roof. The men went on the roof. They looked down the chimney. There was no fire. The family were on their knees, praying for food. The men poured hundreds of potatoes down the chimney.

鈥榃ell,鈥� said the man of the house, 鈥榠t鈥檚 true what the Laird of Ashintully said on the day of the banner-raising 鈥� that a bad thing never came from above!鈥�

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