An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Deo-gréine > Volume 17, October 1921 to September 1922

AN DEO-GRfilNE.
119
mh6r a’ tighinn, agus bha fiacail mhor a
mach air dorus a beoil, a dheanadh lorg dhi
fo a h-uchd.
Theich Bloinigein a stigh, agus chaidh e
an sin air an fharadh am falach.
Th&inig a’ chailleach a stigh, agus thug i
s&deadh m6r do’n ghriosaich, agus sguaib i
a’ ghriosach air feadh an tighe.
Thuirt Bloinigein, “Thud! a chailleach!
ged a sgar thu mo ghriosach, na loisg mo
thigh!’’
“Am bheil thusa an sin, a Bhloinigein ?’ ’
“Tha,’’ thuirt esan.
“Thig a nuas,’’ thuirt ise.
“Cha tig. ’’
“Thig a nuas, agus gu’m faic mi thu: is
toigh learn thu, agus bu toigh learn do
shebrsa.”
“Tha eagal orm nach ’eil agad ach
miodal. ’’
“Chan e miodal a tha mi ’deanamh: bu
toigh learn na daoine a thkinig romhad, agus
is toigh leam thu ihbin air an sgath. ’ ’
Thbinig Bloinigein a nuas far an robh
a’ chailleach, agus rug a’ chailleach air,
agus sparr i ’na poca e, agus dh’fhalbh i
leis.
Agus tra rbinig i dachaidh leis, sp&rr i anns
a’ choire e ann am measg uisge, agus chuir
i am brod air a’ choire gu dliith, daingeann,
agus chuir i an coire air an t-slabhruidh os
cionn an teine.
Dh’fhkg i a h-ighean a’ cumail gealbhain
air ris a’ choire, agus chaidh i fhbin do’n
choillidh a dh’iarraidh connaidh.
Theireadh Bloinigein, “Is ann is breagha
a bhi an so am measg a’ bhuirn bhlkith;*
is mor an t-aighear, agus an sblas a bhi an
so am measg a’ bhiiim bhlkith:’” agus
theireadh nighean na caillich,
“An leig thu mise ann?’’
Agus theireadh Bloinigein,
“Tha an t-kite so ro thaitneach leam
fhdin, agus is anabarrach tlusail an t-aite
so: chan iarrainn na b’fhearr na bhi ann.’’
Agus mu dheireadh, thog nighean na caillich
am brod bharr a’ choire, agus thuirt i ri
Bloinigein,
“Thig a mach, a thrusdair; agus leig
leam-sa mo char fhbin ’fhaotainn anns an
bite sin: thuirt mo mhbthair mu’n deach i
a mach, gu’n robh sinn ri greis mu seach
’fhaotainn ann.’’
Thainig Bloinigein a mach, agus thuirt e,
“Chan fhaigh thu ach tacan beag dheth. ’’
great cailleach coming towards him. She
had a great tooth sticking out of her mouth,
big enough to make her a staff to lean on.
Bloinigein fled indoors, and up to the loft
to hide.
The cailleach came in, and blew the
embers up with a mighty blowing, and
scattered them all over the house.
Bloinigein cried, “Hoot! thou cailleach!
though thou hast scattered the embers of
my fire, do not bum down my house! ’’
“Art thou there, Bloinigein?’’
“Yes, 1 am,’’ he replied.
“Come down,’’ said she.
“I will not.’’
“Come down that I may see thee; I am
fond of thee, and I was fond of thy
kindred.’’
“I fear that thou art only flattering.’’
“I am not flattering at all; I was fond
of thy ancestors who were before thee, and
I am fond of thee for their sake. ”
Bloinigein came down to where the
cailleach was, but she seized on him, thrust
him into her poke, and went off with him.
When she reached home with him, she
thrust him into the cauldron right in the
middle of the water, put the lid on closely
and firmly, and hung the cauldron on the
chain above the fire.
She left her daughter keeping up a good
fire to heat the cauldron, while she herself
went into the forest to fetch firewood.
Now Bloinigein kept talking and saying,
“How nice it is to be here in the nice warm
water; it is most delightful and pleasant to
be here in the middle of the nice warm
water,” and the old cailleach’s daughter
would say,
“Wilt thou not let me come in?”
And Bloinigein would reply,
“But I find this place so very pleasant
myself; it is an exceedingly comfortable
place; I could wish for nothing better than
to be here,” until at last, the cailleach’s
daughter lifted the lid off the cauldron, and
said to Bloinigein.
“Come out, thou rascal; and let me have
my turn in the vessel: my mother said
before she went out, that we were to have
turn about in it. ”
Bloinigein came out, saying,
“Thou shalt only have a short time in it. ”
* “burn” is not applied to salt water.—“Loch” is applied to salt-water, to an arm of the sea. “Loch-
uisge” to a fresh-water loch.