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25/01/2010

Tha litir bheag na seachdain-sa aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain. This week's short letter for learners is introduced by Ruaraidh MacLean.

5 minutes

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Mon 25 Jan 2010 19:00

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An Litir Bheag 246

Tha mi a鈥 dol a chur cr矛och air an聽sgeulachd Bodach Dubh na M貌r-bheinne.聽Tha i 脿s a鈥 Bhr脿igh Mh貌r ann聽an Gallaibh. Bha na fir an t貌ir air a鈥櫬燘hodach. Bha sin air an t-seachdamh聽latha dhen Iuchar. Chaidh am bodach 脿聽sealladh tro fhosgladh air cliathaich na聽beinne. Bha e ag 猫igheachd rudan聽ne貌nach ann an G脿idhlig. Bha e a鈥櫬爁euchainn ris an ce貌 a thoirt a-nuas.聽Ach, air an t-seachdamh latha dhen t-seachdamh聽m矛os, cha robh an comas聽sin aige.聽Bha clach a鈥 mhuilinn thairis air聽an fhosgladh. Bha am Bodach a鈥櫬爈osgadh saighdean tron toll. Mu聽dheireadh, thilg am Bodach a鈥 chlach聽don taobh. Leum e a-mach agus ruith e聽air falbh.聽Chaidh na fir a-steach. Bha an聽uamh l脿n ionmhais. Chuir na fir聽saighead anns an talamh. Bha sin聽airson am fosgladh a chomharrachadh.聽Ruith iad 脿s d猫idh a鈥 Bhodaich. Thuit聽am Bodach. Chuir na fir an gr猫im e.聽Dh鈥檌arr am Bodach orra gun a聽mharbhadh. 鈥淭hoir m鈥 ionmhas ach na聽toir mo bheatha,鈥 thuirt e. 鈥淢a聽mharbhas sibh mi, chan fhaigh sibh m鈥櫬爄onmhas gu br脿th.鈥澛燭ha mi a鈥 dol a chur cr矛och air an聽sgeulachd Bodach Dubh na M貌r-bheinne.聽Tha i 脿s a鈥 Bhr脿igh Mh貌r ann聽an Gallaibh. Bha na fir an t貌ir air a鈥櫬燘hodach. Bha sin air an t-seachdamh 聽latha dhen Iuchar. Chaidh am bodach 脿聽sealladh tro fhosgladh air cliathaich na聽beinne. Bha e ag 猫igheachd rudan聽ne貌nach ann an G脿idhlig. Bha e a鈥櫬爁euchainn ris an ce貌 a thoirt a-nuas.聽Ach, air an t-seachdamh latha dhen t-seachdamh聽m矛os, cha robh an comas聽sin aige.聽Bha clach a鈥 mhuilinn thairis air聽an fhosgladh. Bha am Bodach a鈥櫬爈osgadh saighdean tron toll. Mu聽dheireadh, thilg am Bodach a鈥 chlach聽don taobh. Leum e a-mach agus ruith e聽air falbh.聽Chaidh na fir a-steach. Bha an聽uamh l脿n ionmhais. Chuir na fir聽saighead anns an talamh. Bha sin聽airson am fosgladh a chomharrachadh.聽Ruith iad 脿s d猫idh a鈥 Bhodaich. Thuit聽am Bodach. Chuir na fir an gr猫im e.聽Dh鈥檌arr am Bodach orra gun a聽mharbhadh. 鈥淭hoir m鈥 ionmhas ach na聽toir mo bheatha,鈥 thuirt e. 鈥淢a聽mharbhas sibh mi, chan fhaigh sibh m鈥櫬爄onmhas gu br脿th.鈥澛燭ha mi a鈥 dol a chur cr矛och air an聽sgeulachd Bodach Dubh na M貌r-bheinne.聽Tha i 脿s a鈥 Bhr脿igh Mh貌r ann聽an Gallaibh. Bha na fir an t貌ir air a鈥櫬燘hodach. Bha sin air an t-seachdamh聽latha dhen Iuchar. Chaidh am bodach 脿聽sealladh tro fhosgladh air cliathaich na聽beinne. Bha e ag 猫igheachd rudan聽ne貌nach ann an G脿idhlig. Bha e a鈥櫬爁euchainn ris an ce貌 a thoirt a-nuas.聽Ach, air an t-seachdamh latha dhen t-seachdamh聽m矛os, cha robh an comas聽sin aige.聽Bha clach a鈥 mhuilinn thairis air聽an fhosgladh. Bha am Bodach a鈥櫬爈osgadh saighdean tron toll. Mu聽dheireadh, thilg am Bodach a鈥 chlach聽don taobh. Leum e a-mach agus ruith e聽air falbh.聽Chaidh na fir a-steach. Bha an聽uamh l脿n ionmhais. Chuir na fir聽saighead anns an talamh. Bha sin聽airson am fosgladh a chomharrachadh.聽Ruith iad 脿s d猫idh a鈥 Bhodaich. Thuit 聽am Bodach. Chuir na fir an gr猫im e.聽Dh鈥檌arr am Bodach orra gun a聽mharbhadh. 鈥淭hoir m鈥 ionmhas ach na聽toir mo bheatha,鈥 thuirt e. 鈥淢a聽mharbhas sibh mi, chan fhaigh sibh m鈥櫬爄onmhas gu br脿th.鈥澛犫淎maideas!鈥 thuirt na fir.聽鈥淐iamar a bheir e an t-ionmhas聽bhuainn nuair a tha e marbh?鈥澛犫淭hug mi crodh, biadh is聽ionmhas bhuaibh,鈥 thuirt am Bodach,聽鈥渁ch cha do mharbh mi duine. Am fear聽a bheir beatha duine air falbh, cha bhi聽e beartach a-chaoidh.鈥澛燙ha robh na fir ag 猫isteachd ris.聽Rinn iad teine m貌r. Thilg iad am Bodach聽don teine.聽Thill iad don uaimh. Ach cha聽robh sgeul air an t-saigheid no air a鈥櫬燾hloich. Bha na ceudan saighdean ann.聽Bha iad air feadh na beinne. Cha do聽lorg na daoine an uamh. Agus cha do聽lorg iad an t-ionmhas.聽Bhon uair sin, chunnaic feadhainn聽a bha a鈥 coiseachd air a鈥 bheinn a鈥櫬燾hlach mhuilinn. Thug iad muinntir an聽脿ite ann airson a faicinn. Ach cha robh聽sgeul oirre. Agus, nuair a tha t脿irneanaich聽air a鈥 Mh貌r-bheinn, tuigidh聽sibh gur e sin guth a鈥 Bhodaich. Tha e聽ag iarraidh air daoine gun a dhol faisg聽air an ionmhas 鈥 a bhuineas fhathast聽dha fh猫in agus don bheinn.

The Little Letter 246

I鈥檓 going to finish the story The聽Black Bodach of Morven. It鈥檚 from聽Braemore in Caithness. The men聽were in pursuit of the Bodach.聽That was on the seventh of July.聽The Bodach disappeared into an聽opening on the mountainside. He聽was shouting strange things in聽Gaelic. He was trying to bring聽down the mist. But, on the seventh聽day of the seventh month, he didn鈥檛聽have that capability.聽The millstone was over the聽opening. The Bodach was firing聽arrows through the hole. Eventually,聽the Bodach threw aside the聽stone. He jumped out and ran聽away.聽The men went inside. The聽cave was full of treasure. The men聽stuck an arrow in the ground. That聽was to mark the opening. They ran聽after the Bodach. The Bodach fell.聽The men captured him.聽The Bodach asked them not to聽kill him. 鈥淭ake my treasure but聽don鈥檛 take life,鈥 he said. 鈥淚f you聽kill me, you鈥檒l never get my聽treasure.鈥澛犫淔oolishness!鈥 said the men.聽鈥淗ow will he take the treasure聽from us when he is dead?鈥 聽鈥淚 took cattle, food and聽treasure from you,鈥 the Bodach聽said, 鈥渂ut I did not kill a man. The聽man who takes a man鈥檚 life, he鈥檒l聽never be rich.鈥澛燭he men weren鈥檛 listening to聽him. They made a big fire. They聽threw the Bodach into the fire.聽They returned to the cave. But聽there was no sign of the arrow or聽the stone. There were hundreds of聽arrows. They were right across the聽mountain. And they never found聽the treasure.聽Since that time, some people聽who were walking on the mountain聽saw the millstone. They took locals聽there to see it. But there was no聽sign of it. And, when there is thunder聽on Morven, you鈥檒l understand聽that that is the Bodach鈥檚 voice. He聽wants people not to go near the聽treasure 鈥 which still belongs to聽him and to the mountain.

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  • Mon 25 Jan 2010 19:00

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