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Bho chionn fada nan cian bha figheadair beag, crotach a’ còmhnaidh an Loch Raonasa. Latha agus e a’dol don bheinn a bhuain
rainich, thainig e gu h-obann air buidheann shìbhrich agus iad mu theinn a’ damhsadh ann an lagan uaine, grianach, uaigneach. Làn neònachais laigh e sìos aig cùl garaidh-balla a chum ’s gum faiceadh e iad rin cleasachd. Bu lùthmhor ’s bu sgiobalta iad air an damhsadh, agus b’ e am port-a-beul a bh’ aca ‘ Di-Luain, ’s Di-Mairt, Di-Luain ’s Di-Mairt.’ Cha b’ fhada gus an d’ fhàs e sgìth den phort ghoirid seo agus leum e gu a chasan agus ghlaodh e mach “ ’s Di-ciadain.”
Mu theinn a’ damhsadh = trang a’ dannsadh – busy dancing*
*teinn – cabhag – haste, hurry
Neònachas = iongnadh
Sgiobalta = clis – luath
Air faicinn duine an dlùths dhaibh, chlisg na daoine beaga, ach cha do chuir sin stad air an àbhachdas; lean iad air damhsadh ris a’ phort,’ DiLuain, DiMàirt, ’s DiCiadain,’ agus chunnaic iad gum b’fheàirrde am port an car a chuir am figheadair ann.
Chlisg – ghabh giorag – get a fright
Àbhachdas – spòrs – fealla-dhà – fun
Chum an taingealachd a nochdadh dha, thug iad a’ chroit bharr a dhroma ’s chuir iad air mullach a’ gharaidh-balla i. Chaidh am figheadair dhachaidh gu suigeartach cho aotrom ri iteig ’s cho dìreach ri ràite.
Chum – gus
A’ chroit = the hump
Bharr – far – off
Gu suigeartach – gu sunndach
Iteag – feather – cho aotrom ri iteig – as light as a feather
Ràite– ramrod* *A rod used to force the charge into a muzzleloading firearm. 2. A rod used to clean the barrel of a firearm.
Thuit gun robh figheadair crotach eile a’ còmhnaidh an Loch Raonasa aig a’ cheart àm seo, agus air dha chluinntinn mar fhuair a choimhearsnach rèidh de a chroit, chuir e roimhe gum feuchadh esan an seòl ceudna chum faotainn rèidh de a chroit fhèin.
Thuit gun robh = thachair gun robh – it so happened that…
Aig a’ cheart àm seo = aig an aon/dearbh àm seo
Faigh rèidh de – faigh saor de – getting rid/free of
An seòl ceudna – an aon dòigh – the same way
Suas gabhar e thun na beinne far an robh na sìbhrich, agus fhuair e iad an sin a’ damhsadh cho lùthmhor ’s a bha iad riamh. Dh’èist e riutha car tiotan, agus an sin ghlaodh e mach ‘ Diluain, Dimàirt, Diciadain, Diardaoin, Dihaoine, DiSathairne ‘ ; ach an àite gleus a b’fheàrr chur air a’ phort, ’s ann a mhill e a-muigh ’s a-mach e.
Thun na beinne = chun na beinne – to the mountain
Car tiotan = for a little while
a-muigh ’s a-mach = outright, completely
Bha na daoine beaga cho diombach dheth airson a’ phuirt a mhilleadh, ’s gun do thog iad croit an fhir eile bharr a’ gharaidh, agus spàrr iad an darna croit air muin na croit’ eile ’s chuir iad dhachaidh e dà uair na bu chrotaiche na bha e roimhe.
Diombach dheth – annoyed with him
Spàrr iad – they forced
Dà uair na bu chrotaiche – twice as humpbacked
Ceistean
- Dè bha am figheadair a’ dèanamh nuair a chunnaic e na sìbhrich (sìthichean) a’ dannsadh?
- Càit an robh iad?
- An robh innealan-ciùil aig na sìbhrich?
- Carson a dh’fhàs am figheadair sgìth den phort?
- Carson a bha na sìbhrich taingeil don fhigheadair?
- Dè rinn iad airson an taingealachd a nochdadh dha?
- Carson a chaidh am fidheadair crotach eile suas chun na beinne?
- Carson a ghabh na sìbhrich diomb den fhigheadair eile?
- Dè rinn iad mar dhìoghaltas?
THE HUNCHBACKED WEAVER
Long ago there was a hunchbacked weaver dwelling in Loch
Ranza. One day as he was going to the hill to cut brackens, he
suddenly came upon a band of fairies as they were actively engaged at dancing in a green, sunny, secluded hollow. Full of curiosity he lay down at the back of a turf dyke in order to observe their antics. Active and nimble were they at the dancing, and the tune they had was ‘ Monday, Tuesday ; Monday Tuesday.’ He soon got tired of this short tune, and he jumped to his feet, and shouted out ‘ and Wednesday.’
On seeing a man near them, the little folk started, but that did not put a stop to their diversion; they continued dancing to the tune ‘ Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday,’ and conceived that the tune was the better of the turn the weaver put in it. In order to show him their gratitude, they took the hump off his back and placed it on the top of the turf dyke. The weaver went home rejoicing, light as a feather and straight as a ramrod.
It happened that another diminutive hunchbacked weaver resided at Loch Ranza at the very same time, and on hearing how his neighbour got rid of his hump, he determined that he would try the same plan in order to get rid of his own hump. Up he goes to the hill where the fairies were,and he found them there dancing as lively as ever. He listened for a short time, and then shouted out, ‘ Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,Thursday, Friday, Saturday ‘ ; but instead of improving on the tune, he spoiled it out and out. The little folk were so displeased at him for spoiling the tune, that they lifted the other man’s hump off the dyke and placed a second hump on the top of the other, and sent him home twice as hunched as he was before.
[Told of fairies in Scotland and Ireland, of pixies in Cornwall, of corrigans in Brittany. In a Japanese version the affliction is not a hump but a wen on the forehead. In all cases the essential idea is the same.]
