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30/04/2007

Tha litir bheag na seachdain aig Ruairidh MacIlleathain.

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An Litir Bheag 102

O chionn fhada bha fear ann air an robh Calum Beag mar ainm. Bha e beag ach l脿idir. Bha e a鈥 fuireach ann an 脌ird Chlach. Bha taigh aige faisg air Uisge 脠ireann 鈥 the Findhorn River. Bha an taigh far a bheil an talamh 脿rd a鈥 t貌iseachadh.

Ann am Beurla 鈥檚 e an t-ainm a th鈥 air an 脿ite 鈥 The Streens no Streens of Findhorn. Seo na sgr矛obh an s脿r-e貌laiche, Uilleam MacBh脿tair: Na Srianaibh, the Streens of Findhorn, the Bridles ... a graphic and appropriate name for this remarkable gorge. 鈥橲 e Na Srianan a chanas sinn ris an 脿ite ann an G脿idhlig an-diugh. Seo na th鈥 aig Iain Mac an T脿illeir air an liosta aige de dh鈥檃inmean-脿ite (a th鈥 air an eadar-l矛on): Na Srianan. 鈥淭he Restraint鈥 referring to narrows in the River Findhorn.

Co-dhi霉, air ais gu Calum Beag. Nuair a bha e 貌g, bha e ag obair aig Caisteal Chaladair. Bha e ag obair mar bhuachaille. Latha a bha seo, bha e a鈥 buachailleachd treud de chrodh G脿idhealach. Th脿inig ceatharnaich a-nuas air. Chuir iad an gr猫im e. Th貌isich na ceatharnaich air slighe gu taobh an iar na G脿idhealtachd. Bha Calum c貌mhla riutha. D猫 bha e a鈥 dol a dh猫anamh?

Uill, bha breacan air. Breacan de she貌rsa 脿raidh. Bha a h-uile duine anns an sg矛re e貌lach air breacan Chaluim. Reub e dheth p矛osan beaga dhen bhreacan. Leig e don talamh iad. Cha robh fios aig na ceatharnaich gun robh e a鈥 d猫anamh sin.

An ath latha bha muinntir Chaladair a鈥 coimhead airson a鈥 chruidh. Lorg fear p矛os breacain. Bha fios aige gur e p矛os de bhreacan Chaluim a bh鈥 ann. Lorg cuideigin eile d脿rna p矛os. Mar sin lean iad an rathad a ghabh Calum is na ceatharnaich.

Lorg iad iad ann an ceann shuas Srath 脠ireann. Bha na ceatharnaich agus Calum nan suidhe ann an lagan. Bha iad a鈥 r貌stadh mart. Fhuair muinntir Chaladair an crodh air ais. Fhuair Calum Beag duais bhon uachdaran.

Nuair a chaochail a ph脿rantan, fhuair Calum an taigh aca anns na Srianan. Bha sin ann an 脿ite air a bheil Straneorn ann am Beurla. Tha mi a鈥 d猫anamh dheth gur e sin Srath an E貌rna. Ph貌s Calum t猫 bhon talamh 矛osal. Ach bha i gu math d矛leas dha. Agus th貌isich Calum air a bhith na cheatharnach e fh猫in. Ghoid e iomadh mart. Bheir sinn s霉il a bharrachd air a bheatha anns an ath Litir.

Faclan is abairtean

Faclan is abairtean: O chionn fhada: a long time ago; bha fear ann air an robh Calum Beag mar ainm: there was a man who was named Wee Calum; 脌ird Chlach: Ardclach; Uisge 脠ireann: Findhorn River; far a bheil an talamh 脿rd a鈥 t貌iseachadh: where the high ground starts; seo na sgr矛obh an s脿r-e貌laiche: here鈥檚 what the expert wrote; a chanas sinn ris an 脿ite: which we call the place; Caisteal Chaladair: Cawdor Castle; bha e ag obair mar bhuachaille: he was working as a herdsman; a鈥 buachailleachd treud de chrodh G脿idhealach: tending a herd of Highland cattle; th脿inig ceatharnaich a-nuas air: caterans (freebooters) came down upon him; chuir iad an gr猫im e: they captured him; air slighe gu taobh an iar na G脿idhealtachd: on a route to the West Highlands; c貌mhla riutha: along with them; breacan de she貌rsa 脿raidh: a plaid of an unusual type; reub e dheth: he ripped off; a鈥 coimhead airson a鈥 chruidh: looking for the cattle; lorg cuideigin eile d脿rna p矛os: somebody else found a second piece; lean iad an rathad a ghabh Calum is na ceatharnaich: they followed the route that Calum and the caterans took; ceann shuas Srath 脠ireann: the upper part of Strathdearn; nan suidhe ann an lagan: sitting in a hollow; a鈥 r貌stadh mart: roasting a stirk; duais bhon uachdaran: a reward from the laird; nuair a chaochail a ph脿rantan: when his parents died; tha mi a鈥 d猫anamh dheth: I reckon; ph貌s Calum t猫 bhon talamh 矛osal: Calum married a woman from the low country; bha i gu math d矛leas dha: she was very loyal to him; th貌isich Calum air a bhith na cheatharnach, e fh猫in: Calum started to be a cateran himself; ghoid e iomadh mart: he stole many cows.

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Tha gach Litir Bheag an seo / All the Little Letters are here.

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