麻豆社

Bidh m貌ran agaibh e貌lach air Gleann Truim. 鈥橲 e sin an gleann anns a bheil an rathad m貌r eadar Inbhir Nis is Peairt, an A9, faisg air Dail Chuinnidh. Tha Abhainn Truim a鈥� ruith s矛os bhon Druim Uachdair gu ruige Abhainn Sp猫, no Uisge Sp猫 mar a chanas muinntir an 脿ite, faisg air Bail鈥� 脵r an t-Sl猫ibh.

Fada mus robh guth air an A9 bha rathad tron ghleann. Tha fhios gu robh daoine a鈥� coiseachd air thairis air ceudan bhliadhnaichean, a鈥� toirt crodh gu margaidh air a鈥� Mhachair Ghallda. Agus thog an Seanailear Wade rathad ceart ann san ochdamh linn deug. Tha p脿irt dheth sin comasach air carbadan a ghabhail fhathast.

Ann am badeigin air an rathad sin, faisg air seann drochaid, bha craobh-chaorainn ann uaireigin. Bha i ainmeil airson seilleanan agus rachadh muinntir an 脿ite ga h-ionnsaigh airson mil. Dh鈥檉halbh a鈥� chraobh o chionn fhada air s脿illeamh seann aois. Faodaidh mi a bhith cinnteach 脿s a sin, oir cha bhiodh na Gaidheil a鈥� leigeal craobh-chaorainn uair sam bith. Canaidh feadhainn gur e d矛reach saobh-chr脿bhadh a th鈥� ann a sin, ach tha m貌ran ann a chumas ris fhathast.

A r猫ir beul-aithris, bha droch fhaireachdainn co-cheangailte ris an drochaid. Nuair a bhiodh a鈥� ghealach l脿n, cha d鈥檙achadh muinntir an 脿ite tarsainn oirre. Rachadh iad s矛os an abhainn agus bhiodh iad a鈥� lorg ath airson a dhol a-null. Dh猫anadh na h-eich aca an dearbh rud! Agus bhiodh coin a chunnaic an drochaid a鈥� comhartaich. Chitheadh iad rudeigin nach fhaiceadh daoine. No a鈥� chuid a bu mh貌 de dhaoine, oir bha feadhainn ann a chanadh gum fac鈥� iad pearsa air choreigin ann an aodach geal faisg air clach mh貌r ri taobh na drochaid.

Uill, oidhche a bha seo, thug fear de mhuinntir an 脿ite geall gun d鈥檙achadh aige air a dhol a-null, thar na drochaid, gun dragh sam bith, air an oidhche. 鈥楽 d貌cha nach robh misneachd gu le貌r aige, ge-t脿, oir dh鈥櫭瞝 e uiread de dh鈥檜isge-beatha ro l脿imh. Chuir sin misneachd na chuislean!

Co-dhi霉, chaidh e a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na drochaid air muin-eich. Ach cha robh an t-each air mhisg agus dhi霉lt esan a-muigh no mach dhol ro fhaisg air an drochaid. Mar sin, dh鈥檉h脿g ar caraid an t-each faisg air a鈥� chraoibh-chaorainn, agus chum e a dol leis fh猫in, air cois, a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na drochaid. Agus ann a sin, aig bonn na cloiche m貌ire, tha e coltach gun do dh鈥櫭╥rich boireannach geal mu a choinneimh. No 鈥檚 e sin a bha muinntir an 脿ite a鈥� cumail a-mach as d猫idh l脿imh, oir chan fhaca duine aca gu d猫 a thachair.

Air an l脿rna-mh脿ireach, leis nach do nochd an duine, chaidh feadhainn a-mach, ann an solas an l脿, airson a lorg. Fhuair iad e ann an d矛g ri taobh an rathaid, mu chairteal mh矛le air falbh bhon drochaid agus aodann ann an glumag. Bha e marbh. Bha an t-each aige ag ionaltradh gu s矛theil faisg air l脿imh.

Chuir sin eagal air a鈥� mh貌r-shluagh agus cha d鈥檙achadh gin aca faisg air an drochaid air an oidhche bho sin a-mach. Ach a-mh脿in aon duine. Chaidh esan a-mach gu s脿mhach agus chum e am falach faisg air an drochaid. As d猫idh greis, dh鈥櫭╥rich solas br猫agha geal air c霉l na cloiche m貌ire agus, na chois, boireannach geal le a g脿irdeanan air an s矛neadh a-mach. Bha eagal a bheatha air, ach choimhead e air a鈥� bhoireannach airson c貌ig mionaidean mus do dh鈥檉halbh i agus an solas leatha. Rinn e air an taigh aige agus dh鈥檌nnis e mu na chunnaic e. Is tha a naidheachd againn fhathast an-diugh ged nach fhacas am boireannach geal airson 霉ine mh貌ir.

Faclan na seachdaine: Dail Chuinnidh: Dalwhinnie; Druim Uachdair: Drumochter; Bail鈥� 脵r an t-Sl猫ibh: Newtonmore; saobh-chr脿bhadh: superstition; rachadh iad: they would go; coin: dogs; a鈥� comhartaich: barking; air cois: on foot; an l脿rna-mh脿ireach: the morrow, next day; d矛g: ditch.

Abairtean na seachdaine: fada mus robh guth air an A9: long before the A9 was in existence; a鈥� toirt crodh gu margaidh air a鈥� Mhachair Ghallda: taking cattle to market in the Lowlands; tha p脿irt dheth sin comasach air carbadan a ghabhail fhathast: part of that is still able to carry vehicles; ann am badeigin air an rathad, bha craobh-chaorainn ann uaireigin: somewhere on the road, there was at one time a rowan tree; tha m貌ran ann a chumas ris fhathast: there are many who adhere to it yet; bhiodh iad a鈥� lorg ath airson a dhol a-null: they would look for a ford to go over; dh猫anadh na h-eich aca an dearbh rud: their horses would do the very same thing; chitheadh iad rudeigin nach fhaiceadh daoine: they would see something that people would not see; thug X geall gun d鈥檙achadh aige air a dhol a-null: X bet that he would manage to get across; chuir sin misneachd na chuislean: that put courage in his veins; cha robh an t-each air mhisg: the horse was not drunk; dhi霉lt esan a-muigh no mach: he absolutely refused; aig bonn na cloiche m貌ire: at the base of the big stone; agus aodann ann an glumag: with his face in a puddle, pool; ach a-mh脿in aon duine: except for one man; chum e am falach: he hid; air c霉l na cloiche m貌ire: behind the big stone; ged nach fhacas am boireannach geal airson 霉ine mh貌ir: although the white woman has not been seen for a long time..

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Chaidh e a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na drochaid air muin-eich. He went towards the bridge on horseback. Do you understand why it is a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na drochaid and not a dh鈥檌onnsaigh an drochaid? A dh鈥檌onnsaigh is a compound preposition so it commands nouns in the genitive case. Drochaid is a feminine noun so it is unlenited and has the article 鈥渘a鈥� in the genitive singular. Ri taobh na drochaid is exactly the same type of construction as is thar na drochaid, even though thar looks like a simple preposition. Note that traditionally 鈥渙f the bridge鈥� would have been na drochaide with a terminal 鈥渆鈥�. In modern Gaelic the terminal 鈥渆鈥� in the genitive singular of feminine words is tending to disappear and can be considered optional by a learner. Can you think of a place name in the Highlands which should remind Gaelic learners of the genitive of drochaid? Close to Loch Ness is Drumnadrochit, in Gaelic Druim na Drochaid. There is a ridge there and a bridge 鈥� the name does not only sounds nice, it makes perfect sense.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Faodaidh mi a bhith cinnteach 脿s a sin: I can be certain of that.