An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Deo-gréine > Volume 16, October 1920-September 1921

AN DEO-GREINE.
25
SGEULACHD FEAR A CHOTA SHLIB-
ISTICH 1.IATHGHLAIS.
Bha Fionn, le cuid eile de na Fianntan, ann
an Eirinn, agns chaidh © latha do’n bheinn
sheilg, 1© buidheann de’n Fheinn. Mharbh
iad moran fhiadh, agus shuidh iad a’ leigeil an
sgios ann an ait© fasgach, air chill gaoithe agus
air aodann greine.
Chunnaic Fionn gu’n robh barrachd sithne
aca na b’ urrainn daibh a ghiulan dhachaidh,
agus thubhairt e, “ B’ fhearr leam gu’n robh
fear giiilan eallach agam! ” Thog e a shiiil,
agus chunnaic e coite air an traigh, agus fear
mor le cota slibisteach, liath-ghlas, a’ leum
aisde.
Thainig e far an robh Fionn, agus thubhairt
an Righ ris, “ cia an taobh as an do tharruing
thusa? ”
[“ As a h-uile h-aite anns an robh mi riamh,
co dhiiibh a gheabh mi as a so, gus nach
fhaigh.”
“ Agus co thu fein 1 ”] f
“ Is gill© math mi, ag iarraidh maighstir.”
“ Ciod e a’ cheaird air an fhearr thu. ” ars’
an Rlgh.
“ Giulan ©allachan,” ars’ an gill©.
“ Is tu a’ ch©art fhear a bha dhith orm,” arsa
Fionn.
“ Mu’n dean mi cumhnant riut,” arsa Fear
a’ Chota Shlibistich, Liath-Ghlais,” is fheudar
dhuit a ghealltuinn dhomh gu’n cuir thu
dhachaidh le onoir mi.”
Bha an Righ toileach an cumhnant so
’dheanamh ris, a bharrachd air tuarasdal math
airson a sheirbhis.
Dh’ iarr © an sin rbp, anns an ceangladh e
an t-sithionn. Bha leth cheud fiadh ann, a
bharrachd air sithionn eile.
Thug iad dha rop an deidh ropa, ach na
h-uil© ropa a gheibheadh e, an uair a theann-
aicheadh e iad, [bhristeadh iad].
Mu dheireadh, thilg e air falbh na h-uil©
ropa dhiiibh, agus thug e rop as a phdca
fein, agus cheangail e an t-sithionn ann, agus
dh’ iarr © orra an eallach a thogail air a
mhuin.
Cha b’ urrainn dhaibh sin a dheanamh ; ach
thilg e fhein thar a ghuallain e, agus dh’
fhalbh ©, ag radh, iad a ghreasad ’na dheidh,
agus gu’n deasaicheadh © an dinneir dhaibh.
Cha chumadh a h-aon aca ris an coiseachd,
agus an uair a rainig e, dh’ fhionn © seachd
feidh, agus bhruich agus dh’ ith e iad, an uair
THE TALE OF THE MAN WITH THE
SLOVENLY GREY GREEN CLOAK.
Fionn was in Eirin. With him were others
of the Fianns. He went one day to the hunt¬
ing hill with a troop of them. They killed
many stags, and then in order to let their
fatigue pass from them, they sat them down in
a sheltered spot at the back of the wind and
in the face of the sun.
Fionn saw that they had more venison than
they could carry home, and he said, “ I do
wish that I had someone to carry burdens.”
Raising his eyes, he saw a coracle on the shore,
and a stalwart mao with a loose slovenly grey
green cloak jumped out of it.
He came to where Fionn was, and the King
said to him, “ Whence hast thou come? ”
[“ From every place in which I ever have
been, whether I escape out of this, or no.”
“ And who art thou ? ”] f
“ I am a good lad, wanting a master.”
“ What trade art thou best at ? ” asked the
King.
“ Carrying burdens,” said the lad.
“ Thou art the very man I want,” said Fionn.
“ Before I make any covenant with thee,”
said the Man of the Slovenly Grey Green Coat,
“ thou must promise that thou wilt send me'
home with honour.”
The King was quite ready to make the
covenant with him, and he gave him besides
good wages for his services.
He then asked for a rope, in which he might
tie up the venison. Fifty stags there were,
besides other game.
They gave him rope after rope, but every
rope he got broke when he tightened them.
At last he threw away every one of the ropes,
and brought a rope out of his own packet, and
tied the venison up in that, and then asked
them to hoist the burden up on to his back for
him.
That they were not able to do so ; so he himself
flung the burden over his shoulders, and set
off, saying that they were to hasten after him,
and that he would prepare the dinner for them.
None of them could keep up with him in
walking, and when he got home he skinned
seven deer and cooked and ate them. He only
t The sentences between square brackets, which were taken from another tale, were inter¬
polated in order to give a reasonable amount of sequence to the conversation.