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Litir 299: Sgeulachd Morachan is Mionachan, P脿irt 2

An t-seachdain sa chaidh th貌isich mi air an sgeulachd thraidiseanta, 鈥淢orachan is Mionachan鈥. Sguir sinn mu dheireadh le Morachan ag iarraidh luch.

鈥淐han fhaigh thu mise,鈥 ars鈥 an luch, 鈥渕ura faigh thu cat a ruitheas mi.鈥 Chaidh e far an robh cat. 鈥淐脿鈥檌l thu a鈥 dol?鈥 dh鈥檉haighnich an cat. 鈥淭ha mi ag iarraidh cat,鈥 arsa Morachan, 鈥渃at a ruitheas luch, luch a sgr貌bas 矛m, 矛m chasan gadhair, gadhar a ruitheas fiadh, fiadh a shn脿mhas uisge, uisge a fhliuchas clach, clach a bhleitheas tuagh, tuagh a bhuaineas slat, slat a ghabhas air Mionachan gus nach ith e cus de na cnothan.鈥

鈥淯ill, chan fhaigh thu mise,鈥 ars鈥 an cat, 鈥渕ura faigh thu bainne a dh鈥櫭瞝as mi.鈥 Chaidh e far an robh bainne. 鈥淐脿鈥檌l thu a鈥 dol?鈥 dh鈥檉haighnich am bainne. 鈥淭ha mi ag iarraidh bainne,鈥 arsa Morachan, 鈥渂ainn鈥 a dh鈥櫭瞝as cat, cat a ruitheas luch, luch a sgr貌bas 矛m, 矛m chasan gadhair, gadhar a ruitheas fiadh, fiadh a shn脿mhas uisge, uisge a fhliuchas clach, clach a bhleitheas tuagh, tuagh a bhuaineas slat, slat a ghabhas air Mionachan gus nach ith e cus de na cnothan.鈥

鈥淯ill, chan fhaigh thu mise,鈥 ars鈥 am bainne, 鈥渕ura faigh thu b貌 a bhleoghaineas mi.鈥 Chaidh e far an robh b貌. 鈥淐脿鈥檌l thu a鈥 dol?鈥 dh鈥檉haighnich a鈥 bh貌. 鈥淭ha mi ag iarraidh b貌,鈥 arsa Morachan, 鈥渂貌 a bhleoghaineas bainne, bainn鈥 a dh鈥櫭瞝as cat, cat a ruitheas luch, luch a sgr貌bas 矛m, 矛m chasan gadhair, gadhar a ruitheas fiadh, fiadh a shn脿mhas uisge, uisge a fhliuchas clach, clach a bhleitheas tuagh, tuagh a bhuaineas slat, slat a ghabhas air Mionachan gus nach ith e cus de na cnothan.鈥

鈥淯ill, chan fhaigh thu mise,鈥 ars鈥 a鈥 bh貌, 鈥渕ura faigh thu sop a dh鈥檌theas mi.鈥 Chaidh e far an robh sop. 鈥淐脿鈥檌l thu a鈥 dol?鈥 dh鈥檉haighnich an sop. 鈥淭ha mi ag iarraidh sop,鈥 arsa Morachan, 鈥渟op a dh鈥檌theas b貌, b貌 a bhleoghaineas bainne, bainn鈥 a dh鈥櫭瞝as cat, cat a ruitheas luch, luch a sgr貌bas 矛m, 矛m chasan gadhair, gadhar a ruitheas fiadh, fiadh a shn脿mhas uisge, uisge a fhliuchas clach, clach a bhleitheas tuagh, tuagh a bhuaineas slat, slat a ghabhas air Mionachan gus nach ith e cus de na cnothan.鈥

鈥淯ill, chan fhaigh thu mise,鈥 ars鈥 an sop, 鈥渕ura faigh thu an gille-sabhail.鈥 Chaidh e far an robh an gille-sabhail. 鈥淐脿鈥檌l thu a鈥 dol?鈥 dh鈥檉haighnich an gille-sabhail. 鈥淭ha mi ag iarraidh sop a鈥 ghille-sabhail,鈥 arsa Morachan, 鈥渟op a dh鈥檌theas b貌, b貌 a bhleoghaineas bainne, bainn鈥 a dh鈥櫭瞝as cat, cat a ruitheas luch, luch a sgr貌bas 矛m, 矛m chasan gadhair, gadhar a ruitheas fiadh, fiadh a shn脿mhas uisge, uisge a fhliuchas clach, clach a bhleitheas tuagh, tuagh a bhuaineas slat, slat a ghabhas air Mionachan gus nach ith e cus de na cnothan.鈥

鈥淯ill, chan fhaigh thu mise,鈥 ars鈥 an gille-sabhail, 鈥渕ura faigh thu bonnach a dh鈥檌theas mi.鈥 Dh鈥檉halbh Morachan a dh鈥檌arraidh bean-fhuine. Thuirt e ris a鈥 bhean-fhuine gun robh e ag iarraidh bonnach bhuaipe a dh鈥檌theadh an gille-sabhail. 鈥淐ha d猫an mise bonnach dhut,鈥 ars鈥 a bhean-fhuine, 鈥渕ura faigh thu uisge a fhliuchas a鈥 mhin.鈥 Cha robh soitheach aice, ge-t脿, a bheireadh an t-uisge dhachaigh bhon loch ach criathar!

Dh鈥檉halbh Morachan chun an locha a dh鈥檌arraidh an uisge ach, nuair a thog e an criathar bhon loch nach do ruith a h-uile deur uisge troimhe. Chaidh eun seachad air sg猫ith is thuirt e ris, 鈥淪uath poll bog ris is cumaidh sin l脿n e. Suath poll bog ris.鈥

Ach an do shuath Morachan poll bog ris? Ch矛 sinn an ath-sheachdain nuair a chuireas mi cr矛och air an sgeulachd.

Faclan na Litreach

Faclan na seachdaine: 矛m: butter; gadhar: hunting dog; fiadh: deer; tuagh: axe; slat: rod, stick; bonnach: cake, bannock; soitheach: vessel.

Abairtean na Litreach

Abairtean na seachdaine: 鈥淐han fhaigh thu mise,鈥 ars鈥 an luch: 鈥淵ou won鈥檛 get me,鈥 said the mouse; mura faigh thu cat a ruitheas mi: if you don鈥檛 find a cat which will chase me; mura faigh thu bainne a dh鈥櫭瞝as mi: if you don鈥檛 find milk which I can drink; b貌 a bhleoghaineas bainne: a cow which will give milk; mura faigh thu sop a dh鈥檌theas mi: if you don鈥檛 find a bundle of straw I can eat; mura faigh thu an gille-sabhail: if you don鈥檛 get the man who works in the barn; dh鈥檉halbh Morachan a dh鈥檌arraidh bean-fhuine: Morachan left to find a baker woman; gun robh e ag iarraidh bonnach bhuaipe: that he was wanting a bannock from her; cha d猫an mise bonnach dhut: I won鈥檛 make you a bannock; uisge a fhliuchas a鈥 mhin: water which will moisten the flour; a bheireadh an t-uisge dhachaigh bhon loch ach criathar: which would take the water home from the loch but a sieve; nach do ruith a h-uile deur uisge troimhe: didn鈥檛 every drop of water run through it; chaidh eun seachad air sg猫ith: a bird went past on the wing.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach

Puing-ch脿nain na seachdaine: slat a ghabhas air Mionachan gus nach ith e cus de na cnothan: a rod with which to beat Mionachan so that he doesn鈥檛 eat too many of the nuts. The verb gabh (a鈥 gabhail) is an incredibly useful and flexible one, employed in many idioms, and it is worth giving it some close attention. Colin Mark deals with it comprehensively in his Gaelic-English dictionary (p 318-321), as does Dwelly (p. 466-467). With the preposition air, in this instance, it works as an idiom meaning 鈥渢o beat, strike, belabour鈥. Ghabh iad air (they struck him); tha an t-amadan a鈥 gabhail air fh猫in (the fool is hitting himself).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Suath poll bog ris: rub soft mud into it.

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