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Bu toigh leam an sgeul traidiseanta ‘Cinn Tàile A-rithist’ innse dhuibh an-diugh. Bha uaireigin bodach a’ fuireach ann an Cinn Tàile air taobh an iar na Gàidhealtachd. Bha e na chroitear agus na iasgair. Latha a bha seo, bha e a-muigh ag iasgach còmhla ri a chuid mhac. Bha bàta-seòlaidh aca.Ìý

Thàinig droch shìde. Bha aca ri seòladh seachad air rubha. Ach bha e follaiseach nach biodh iad comasach air sin a dhèanamh. Cha robh fuasgladh ann ach leigeil leis a’ bhàta dhol air a’ chladach. Bhris iad druim a’ bhàta.

Choisich iad dhachaigh agus mus tàinig dorchadas na h-oidhche, chaidh am bodach don choille, feuch fiodh a lorg airson druim ùr a dhèanamh. Ach cha do lorg e dad a bha freagarrach.

Thàinig an oidhche agus chaill an duine a rathad sa choille. Ach lorg e taigh agus chaidh a-steach. Bha triùir sheann bhoireannach ann. Thuirt iad ris gum faigheadh e leabaidh aig ceann shìos an taighe.

Chaidh e ann, laigh e sìos agus smàil e an solas. Goirid an dèidh sin, thàinig tè de na boireannaich a-steach. Leig am bodach air gun robh e na chadal. Chaidh am boireannach gu ciste agus thug i bonaid a-mach. Cheangail i a’ bhonaid ri a ceann, thuirt i, ‘Lunnainn a-rithist!’ agus dh’fhalbh i à fianais.

Thàinig dàrna boireannach. Thug i bonaid eile a-mach às an aon chiste, thuirt i ‘Lunnainn a-rithist!’ agus cha robh sgeul oirre tuilleadh. Thàinig an treas boireannach a-steach agus thachair an dearbh rud a-rithist.

Dh’èirich am bodach airson falbh, ach thug e sùil anns a’ chiste. Bha bonaid eile ann. Chuir e air a cheann i. Thuirt e ‘Lunnainn a-rithist!’ agus taobh a-staigh tiotan bha e ann an seilear uisge-bheatha ann an Lunnainn. Bha an triùir bhoireannach an sin, sìnte air an làr. Bha iad air mhisg.Ìý

Bha na boireannaich air tapaichean nam baraillean fhàgail fosgailte agus bha an t-uisge-beatha ag aoidion asta. Dh’fheuch am bodach an t-uisge-beatha. Shuidh e sìos, chuir e a bhonaid na phòcaid agus ghabh e norrag. An ath rud a mhothaich e, bha fear a’ trod ris. ‘Bleigeard a th’ annad!’ thuirt am fear eile. ‘Tha thu air a bhith a’ tighinn an seo cho tric mar mhèirleach agus tha thu agam a-nise!’

B’ e am peanas a bha roimhe a bhith air a chrochadh gu bàs. Chuir an crochadair air a’ chroich e agus chuir e an lùb-ròpa timcheall air amhaich. ‘Tha deich mionaidean agad airson dad a ràdh a thogras tu,’ thuirt e.

‘Ach tha mi neoichiontach,’ thuirt am bodach.

‘Chan eil no neoichiontach,’ fhreagair an crochadair.

Fhuair am bodach a’ bhonaid às a’ phòcaid aige. ‘Am faod mi seo a chur air mo cheann?’ dh’fhaighnich e.

‘Cuir rud sam bith a thogras tu air do cheann,’ ars am fear eile.

Chuir am bodach a’ bhonaid air a cheann agus thuirt e, ‘Cinn Tàile A-rithist!’

Chaidh e fhèin, an crochadair agus a’ chroich suas don adhar. Phut e an crochadair dheth agus an ath mhionaid bha e ann an Cinn Tàile, agus a’ chroich na chois. Bha a-nise pìos fiodha aige a bhiodh freagarrach mar dhruim ùr airson a bhàta!

Faclan na Litreach: Cinn Tàile: Kintail; bàta-seòlaidh: sailing boat; druim: keel; freagarrach: suitable; ciste: chest; Lunnainn: London; mèirleach: thief; peanas: punishment; neoichiontach: innocent.

Abairtean na Litreach: Bha e na chroitear agus na iasgair: he was a crofter and fisherman; bha aca ri seòladh seachad air rubha: they had to sail past a headland; leigeil leis a’ bhàta dhol air a’ chladach: to let the boat go on to the shore; triùir sheann bhoireannach: three old women; làigh e sìos agus smàil e an solas: he lay down and extinguished the light; cheangail i a’ bhonaid ri a ceann: she tied the bonnet to her head; dh’fhalbh i à fianais: she disappeared; thachair an dearbh rud a-rithist: the very same thing happened again; thug e sùil anns a’ chiste: he looked in the chest; taobh a-staigh tiotan bha e ann an seilear uisge-bheatha: in an instant he was in a whisky cellar; bha na boireannaich air tapaichean nam baraillean fhàgail fosgailte: the women had left the taps of the barrels open; bha an t-uisge-beatha ag aoidion asta: the whisky was leaking out of them; ghabh e norrag: he had a snooze; an ath rud a mhothaich e: the next thing he noticed; bha fear a’ trod ris: a man was scolding him; bleigeard a th’ annad: you’re a scoundrel; a bhith air a chrochadh gu bàs: to be hanged to death; chuir an crochadair air a’ chroich e: the hangman put him on the gibbet; chuir e an lùb-ròpa timcheall air amhaich: he put the noose around his neck; tha deich mionaidean agad airson dad a ràdh a thogras tu: you have ten minutes to say anything you want; agus a’ chroich na chois: along with the gibbet; pìos fiodha: a piece of wood.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: a-muigh ag iasgach còmhla ri a chuid mhac: out fishing with his sons. Cuid is used here to identify his particular sons and it commands a noun in the genitive, here a genitive plural. Mac slenderises to mic ‘sons’ in the nominative plural case, so the genitive plural form is the same as the nominative singular i.e. nam mac ‘of the sons’. When we drop the article nam we lenite the noun so the indefinite genitive plural of mac is mhac.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Bha iad air mhisg: they were drunk/intoxicated.