651: The witches' brooms (2) 651: Sguaban nam bana-bhuidseach (2)
Litir shìmplidh sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is eadar-theangachadh. A simple weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and translation.
Tha an litir bheag ag obrachadh leis an fhaclair. Tagh an taba ‘teacsa Gàidhlig’ agus tagh facal sam bith san teacsa agus fosglaidh am faclair ann an taba ùr agus bidh mìneachadh den fhacal ann. The little letter is integrated with the dictionary. Select the tab ‘Gaelic text’ and choose any word and the dictionary will open and you will see the English explanation of the Gaelic word.
Sguaban nam bana-bhuidseach (2)
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Ailig is Eairdsidh. Bha Eairdsidh a’ tòiseachadh air sguaban fraoich a dhèanamh. Tharraing e fraoch – tuilleadh ʼs a chòir dheth – agus chaidh e dhachaigh leis. Rinn e sguab ach bha i cianail mòr is trom.
Chaidh e bho thaigh gu taigh. Ach cha cheannaicheadh duine an sguab. Bha i ro mhòr. Mu dheireadh, chunnaic e taigh geal air mullach cnuic. Chaidh e ann. Ghnog e air an doras. Thàinig boireannach. Bha i uabhasach reamhar. ‘Tha mi a’ reic sguab,’ thuirt Eairdsidh.
‘O,’ ars ise. ‘Tha mi a’ coimhead airson tè mhòr. A bheil an tè agaibhse mòr gu leòr dhomh?’
‘Seo an sguab as motha a chì sibh,’ thuirt Eairdsidh. Leig e an sguab far a ghuailne.
‘Tha i sgoinneil,’ thuirt an tè reamhar. ‘Dè chosgas i?’
‘Bonn-a-sia,’ ars Eairdsidh.
Lorg am boireannach bonn-a-sia agus thuirt i, ‘Seo agaibh bonn draoidheil. Gach turas a chosgas tu e bidh e a’ nochdadh às ùr.’
Bha Eairdsidh sona. Chaidh e dhachaigh leis a’ bhonn draoidheil agus tha e a’ falbh às mo chunntas.
Ach Magaidh Reamhar – oir b’ e sin ainm na tè – uill, tuigidh sibh gur e bana-bhuidseach a bha innte. Bha i air a bhith glaiste a-staigh oir cha robh sguab mòr gu leòr aice airson a bhith a’ siubhal. Bha na bana-bhuidsich eile toilichte oir cha robh iad measail air Magaidh Reamhar. ʼS e burraidh a bha innte.
An ath latha, bha na bana-bhuidsich a’ coinneachadh ann an innis ann an coille-bheithe. Bha iad a’ smaoineachadh nach biodh Magaidh Reamhar ann oir cha robh sguab aice. Gu h-obann, ge-tà, nochd Magaidh air an sguaib ùir aice.
‘Ha ha!’ thuirt i, ‘tha mi ann a-nise. Nì sibh uile na tha mi ag iarraidh oirbh. A bharrachd air sin, ʼs e mi fhìn an aon duine a dh’itealaicheas dhachaigh. Chaidh i timcheall a h-uile bana-bhuidseach eile. Thog i sguab a h-uile tè agus thilg i iad suas a dhuilleach nan craobhan-beithe. Agus chì sibh iad an sin fhathast – sguaban bhana-bhuidseach – a’ cur nar cuimhne mar a thilg Magaidh Reamhar iad ann o chionn fhada.
The witches' brooms (2)
I was telling you about Alex and Archie. Archie was starting to make heather brooms. He pulled heather – a heap of it – and he went home with it. He made a broom but it was incredibly large and heavy.
He went from house to house. But nobody would buy the broom. It was too big. Finally, he saw a white house on a hilltop. He went there. He knocked on the door. A woman came. She was extremely fat. ‘I’m selling a brush,’ said Archie.
‘Oh,’ said she. ‘I’m looking for a large one. Is your own one big enough for me?’
‘This is the biggest broom you’ll see,’ said Archie. He dropped the broom from his shoulder.
‘Itʼs great,’ said the fat woman. ‘What does it cost?’
‘Sixpence,’ said Archie.
The woman found a sixpence and she said, ‘Here is a magic coin. Every time you spend it, it will reappear anew.’
Archie was happy. He went home with the magic coin and he leaves my account.
But Fat Maggie – for that was the womanʼs name – well, you’ll understand that she was a witch. She had been stuck at home as she did not have a large enough broom for travelling. The other witches were pleased as they didn’t like Fat Maggie. She was a bully.
Next day, the witches were meeting in a clearing in a birch wood. They were thinking that Fat Maggie wouldn’t be there because she didn’t have a broom. Suddenly, however, Maggie appeared on her new broom.
‘Ha ha!’ she said, ‘I’m here now. You’ll all do what I want. And in addition, I’m the only one who’ll fly home. She went around every other witch. She grabbed everybodyʼs broom and threw them up into the foliage of the birch trees. And you can see them there still – witches’ brooms – reminding us of how Fat Maggie threw them there a long time ago.
Sguaban nam bana-bhuidseach (2)
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Ailig is Eairdsidh. Bha Eairdsidh a’ tòiseachadh air sguaban fraoich a dhèanamh. Tharraing e fraoch – tuilleadh ʼs a chòir dheth – agus chaidh e dhachaigh leis. Rinn e sguab ach bha i cianail mòr is trom.
Chaidh e bho thaigh gu taigh. Ach cha cheannaicheadh duine an sguab. Bha i ro mhòr. Mu dheireadh, chunnaic e taigh geal air mullach cnuic. Chaidh e ann. Ghnog e air an doras. Thàinig boireannach. Bha i uabhasach reamhar. ‘Tha mi a’ reic sguab,’ thuirt Eairdsidh.
‘O,’ ars ise. ‘Tha mi a’ coimhead airson tè mhòr. A bheil an tè agaibhse mòr gu leòr dhomh?’
‘Seo an sguab as motha a chì sibh,’ thuirt Eairdsidh. Leig e an sguab far a ghuailne.
‘Tha i sgoinneil,’ thuirt an tè reamhar. ‘Dè chosgas i?’
‘Bonn-a-sia,’ ars Eairdsidh.
Lorg am boireannach bonn-a-sia agus thuirt i, ‘Seo agaibh bonn draoidheil. Gach turas a chosgas tu e bidh e a’ nochdadh às ùr.’
Bha Eairdsidh sona. Chaidh e dhachaigh leis a’ bhonn draoidheil agus tha e a’ falbh às mo chunntas.
Ach Magaidh Reamhar – oir b’ e sin ainm na tè – uill, tuigidh sibh gur e bana-bhuidseach a bha innte. Bha i air a bhith glaiste a-staigh oir cha robh sguab mòr gu leòr aice airson a bhith a’ siubhal. Bha na bana-bhuidsich eile toilichte oir cha robh iad measail air Magaidh Reamhar. ʼS e burraidh a bha innte.
An ath latha, bha na bana-bhuidsich a’ coinneachadh ann an innis ann an coille-bheithe. Bha iad a’ smaoineachadh nach biodh Magaidh Reamhar ann oir cha robh sguab aice. Gu h-obann, ge-tà, nochd Magaidh air an sguaib ùir aice.
‘Ha ha!’ thuirt i, ‘tha mi ann a-nise. Nì sibh uile na tha mi ag iarraidh oirbh. A bharrachd air sin, ʼs e mi fhìn an aon duine a dh’itealaicheas dhachaigh. Chaidh i timcheall a h-uile bana-bhuidseach eile. Thog i sguab a h-uile tè agus thilg i iad suas a dhuilleach nan craobhan-beithe. Agus chì sibh iad an sin fhathast – sguaban bhana-bhuidseach – a’ cur nar cuimhne mar a thilg Magaidh Reamhar iad ann o chionn fhada.
Download the text of this week's letter as a PDF:Thoir a-nuas Litir mar PDF:
PDF documents are especially suited for printing out. Most computers can open PDF files, but if you have problems viewing them you may need to install reader software such as Tha faidhleachan PDF gu sònraichte math airson clò-bhualadh. Tha e furasta gu leòr do chuid de choimpiutairean faidhleachan PDF fhosgladh, ach ma tha trioblaid agad ‘s dòcha gum biodh e feumail bathar-bog mar Adobe Acrobat Reader. fhaighinn.
Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh 955
Podcast
BBC offers this litir as a podcast: Visit the programme page for more info and to download or subscribe. Tha am BBC a’ tabhainn seo mar podcast. Tadhail air an duilleag-phrògraim airson barrachd fiosrachaidh no airson podcast fhaighinn