J. F. Campbell Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 2

XLY.
MAC-A-RUSGAICH.
From John Dewar, April 18G0.
rpHEPiE Avas (at) some time a tenant, and he was right
-■- bad to his servants, and there -was a pranky man
■who was called Gille Neumh !Mac-a-Eusgaich (holy lad
son of Skinner), and he heard tell of him, and he went
to the fair, and he took a straw in his mouth, to shew
that he was for taking service.
The dour tenant came the way, and he asked Mac-a-
Rusgaich if he would take service ; and Mac-a-Eusgaich
said that he would take it if he could find a good
master ; and Mac-a-Eusgaich said,
" AVhat shall I have to do if I take with thee ? "
And the dour tenant said, " Thou wilt have to
herd the mountain moor."
And ]\Iac-a-Eusgaich said, " I will do that."
And the tenant gaid, "And tliou wilt have to hold
the plough." *
And Mac-a-Rusgaich said, "I -will do that."
" And thou wilt have ever so many other matters to
do."
And Mac-a-Eusgaich said, " Will these matters be
hard to do ?"
And the other said, " They will not be (so), I will
but ask thee to do the thing that thou art able to do ;
* Crann, a tree.