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Bha uaireigin iasgair ann. Bha e fhèin agus a bhean a’ fuireach ann an taigh-tughaidh an cois na mara. Bha iad gu math bochd ach bha iad sona gu leòr.

Ìý

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Latha a bha seo, chaidh am bodach a-mach a dh’iasgach. Cha d’ fhuair e ach aon iasg beag. Agus ’s e iasg neònach a bha ann. Bha dath an òir air. Dh’fhosgail an t-iasg a bheul agus thòisich e air bruidhinn. Agus bha Gàidhlig aige!

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘A dhuine chòir,’ thuirt an t-iasg, ‘na marbh mi.’ Chlisg an t-iasgair. Cha do bhruidhinn iasg ris riamh!

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘A dhuine chòir,’ thuirt an t-iasg a-rithist. ‘Na marbh mi. Tilg mi air ais don mhuir. Ma nì thu sin, gheibh thu duais.’

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Dè an duais?’ dh’fhaighnich an t-iasgair.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Rud sam bith,’ ars an t-iasg.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Hut,’ fhreagair an t-iasgair, ‘chan fhiach thu mòran air an truinnsear – tha thu ro bheag. Agus chan eil mi a’ creidsinn gu bheil cumhachd mar sin agad.’ Thilg e an t-iasg air ais don mhuir, agus dh’fhalbh e dhachaigh.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘An d’ fhuair thu iasg?’ thuirt a bhean ris.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Fhuair,’ fhreagair an t-iasgair.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Agus càite a bheil e?’ ars a bhean.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Ach uill,’ thuirt an t-iasgair, ‘bha e ro bheag. Agus, leis an fhìrinn innse, cha robh mi airson ithe co-dhiù.’

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Carson sin?’ dh’fhaighnich a bhean. ‘Dè bha ceàrr air?’

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Uill, ’s e iasg òir a bh’ ann,’ thuirt an duine aice. ‘Bha coltas air gun robh e air a dhèanamh de dh’òr.’

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘De dh’òr?’ thuirt i.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Chan e sin a-mhàin,’ lean an duine aice, ‘ach bha e a’ bruidhinn rium – ann an Gàidhlig!’

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Choimhead a bhean air mar gun robh e às a rian. Ach chùm an t-iasgair a dol. ‘Thuirt e rium – cuir air ais don mhuir mi agus gheibh thu duais – duais sam bith a dh’iarras tu.’

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Agus dè dh’iarr thu?’

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Cha do dh’iarr dad. Cha robh ann ach iasg beag.’

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Uill,’ thuirt a bhean, ‘chan eil sin math gu leòr. Chan eil biadh sam bith anns an taigh. Thalla air ais don chladach. Iarr air an iasg aran a thoirt dhuinn.’

There was at one time a fisherman. He and his wife were living in a thatched house next to the sea. They were very poor but they were happy enough.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý One day, the old man went out to fish. He only got one small fish. But it was a strange fish. It was golden-coloured. The fish opened its mouth and it began to speak. And it spoke Gaelic!

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Nice man,’ said the fish, ‘don’t kill me.’ The fisherman was startled. No fish had ever spoken to him!

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Nice man,’ said the fish again. ‘Don’t kill me. Throw me back into the sea. If you do that, you’ll get a reward.’

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘What reward?’ the fisherman asked.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Anything,’ said the fish.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Huh,’ replied the fisherman, ‘you’re not worth much on the plate – you’re too small. And I don’t believe you have power like that.’ He threw the fish back into the sea and he went home.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Did you get a fish?’ his wife said to him.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Yes,’ replied the fisherman.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘And where is it?’ said his wife.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Ach well,’ said the fisherman, ‘it was too small. And, to tell the truth, I didn’t want to eat it anyway.’

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Why [is] that?’ his wife asked. ‘What was wrong with it?’

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Well, it was a golden fish,’ said her husband. ‘It appeared as if it were made of gold.’

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Of gold?’ she said.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Not only that,’ continued her husband, ‘but he was speaking to me – in Gaelic!’

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý His wife looked at him as if he had lost his senses. But the fisherman continued. ‘It said to me – return me to the sea and you’ll get a reward – any reward you wish.’

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘And what did you ask for?’

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Nothing. It was only a wee fish.’

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý ‘Well,’ said his wife, ‘that’s not good enough. There is no food in the house. Go back to the shore. Ask the fish to give us bread.’