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17/05/2010

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

5 minutes

Last on

Mon 17 May 2010 19:00

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An Litir Bheag 262

Bha Conall agus C霉 Chulainn聽c脿irdeach do ch猫ile. Bha iad nan co-oghaichean.聽Dh鈥檌onnsaich iad c貌mhla聽san aon oilthigh. Bha iad dl霉th ri聽ch猫ile.聽Thug Conall mionnan. A鈥 chiad聽duine a bheireadh naidheachd b脿s Ch霉聽Chulainn dha, chailleadh e a bheatha.聽Th脿inig an latha nuair a thuit C霉聽Chulainn ann am batail. Thuirt e ri a聽chompanach Laoghaire, 鈥淚nns do聽Chonall sgeul mo bh脿is. Ach inns sin聽dha ann an dubh-fhacal. No bidh thu聽fh猫in ann an cunnart.鈥澛燙haochail C霉 Chulainn.聽Dh鈥檉halbh Laoghaire airson naidheachd聽a bh脿is innse do Chonall. R脿inig聽Laoghaire Conall. Thuirt Conall,聽鈥淐iamar a tha mo charaid, C霉聽Chulainn?鈥澛犫淭ha gu math,鈥 arsa Laoghaire.聽Bha e ag innse breug. 鈥淩inn e taigh 霉r.聽Tha an taigh 矛osal cumhang. Nuair a聽sh矛neas e a chasan, ruigidh a cheann聽uachdar an taighe, ruigidh a chasan聽矛ochdar an taighe, agus ruigidh a shr貌n聽mullach an taighe.鈥澛燭huig Conall an teachdaireachd.聽鈥淎 bheil mo charaid marbh?鈥 thuirt e.聽鈥淭huirt thu fh猫in sin,鈥 fhreagair聽Laoghaire. Bha e a-nise s脿bhailte.聽Dh鈥檉halbh Conall is Laoghaire.聽Lorg iad gach teaghlach a bha聽n脿imhdeil do Ch霉 Chulainn. Chaidh聽Conall a-steach do na dachaighean aca.聽Thug e a-mach an cinn. Bha eagal air a聽h-uile teaghlach anns an t矛r.聽R脿inig iad baile. Bha nighean聽貌g uasal a鈥 fuireach ann. Bha eagal air聽na daoine. Ach cha robh eagal air an聽nighinn. 鈥淣a bithibh fo eagal,鈥 ars ise聽ri c脿ch. 鈥淐uiridh mi Conall gu s矛th.鈥澛燭hug i cuireadh do Chonall is聽Laoghaire thighinn gu d矛nnear.聽Nuair a bha an d矛nnear seachad,聽chaidh a h-uile duine a-mach.聽Chunnaic iad na cinn a bha aig Conall聽is Laoghaire. Ach thug iad an creidsinn聽nach robh eagal orra.聽鈥淎 Laoghaire,鈥 thuirt Conall,聽鈥渕ura h-eil cinn gu le貌r agad, bheir聽sinn do cheann fh猫in dheth. Sin no mo聽cheann fh猫in.鈥澛犫淐ha toir,鈥 fhreagair Laoghaire.聽鈥淐ha bu toigh leam sin.鈥澛犫淐ha bu toigh leamsa nas聽motha,鈥 dh鈥檃ontaich Conall.聽Agus tha e coltach nach do rinn聽an dithis cron sam bith eile air na聽seann n脿imhdean aig C霉 Chulainn.

The Little Letter 262

Conall and Cuchullin were related聽to each other. They were cousins.聽They learned together in the same聽university. They were close to each聽other.聽Conall made a pledge. The first聽person who would tell him the news聽of Cuchullin鈥檚 death, he would lose聽his life. The day came when聽Cuchullin fell in battle. He said to聽his companion Laoghaire, 鈥淭ell聽Conall the story of my death. But tell聽him that in a riddle. Or you yourself聽will be in danger.鈥澛燙uchullin died. Laoghaire left聽to tell the news of his death to聽Conall. Laoghaire reached Conall.聽Conall said, 鈥淗ow is my friend,聽Cuchullin?鈥澛犫淗e鈥檚 well,鈥 said Laoghaire.聽He was telling a lie. 鈥淗e made a聽new house. The house is low and聽narrow. When he stretches out his聽feet, his head reaches the upper end聽of the house, his feet reach the lower聽end of the house, and his nose聽reaches the roof of the house.鈥澛燙onall understood the message.聽鈥淚s my friend dead?鈥 he said.聽鈥淵ou said that yourself,鈥澛爎eplied Laoghaire. He was now safe.聽Conall and Laoghaire left.聽They found every family that were聽enemies of Cuchullin. Conall went聽into their homes. He brought out聽their heads. Every family in the land聽was afraid.聽They reached a village. A聽noble young woman was living聽there. The people were afraid. But聽the young woman wasn鈥檛 afraid.聽鈥淒on鈥檛 be afraid,鈥 she said to the聽others. 鈥淚 will make Conall聽peaceful.鈥 She invited Conall and聽Laoghaire to dinner.聽When the dinner was over,聽everybody went out. They saw the聽heads that Conall and Laoghaire聽had. But they pretended that they聽were not afraid.聽鈥淟aoghaire,鈥 said Conall, 鈥渋f聽you do not have enough heads, we鈥檒l聽take your own head off. That or my聽own head.鈥澛犫淣o,鈥 replied Laoghaire. 鈥淚聽wouldn鈥檛 like that.鈥澛犫淚 wouldn鈥檛 like [it] either,鈥澛燼greed Conall.聽And it appears that the pair did聽no more harm to the old enemies of聽Cuchullin.

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  • Mon 17 May 2010 19:00

All the letters

Tha gach Litir Bheag an seo / All the Little Letters are here.

Podcast: An Litir Bheag

The Little Letter for Gaelic Learners

An Litir Bheag air LearnGaelic

An Litir Bheag is also on LearnGaelic (with PDFs)

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