Billy (2)
Tha mi a’ leantainn leis an sgeulachd
Bilidh. Bha Bilidh ag ionnsachadh
mèirle. Chaidh e dhachaigh le ceud
nota bho fhear an taigh-sheinnse.
Thàinig an duine uasal.
“A bheil thu ionnsaichte a-nis, a
Bhilidh?” dh’fhaighnich e.
“Tha,” fhreagair Bilidh.
“Cha chreid mi gu bheil,” thuirt
an duine uasal. Agus chuir e deuchainn
air Bilidh. Bha e a’ cur chairtean is
chairtearan air falbh. Dh’iarr e air
Bilidh fear de na h-eich aca a ghoid.
Dh’fhalbh na cairtearan. Agus
dh’fhalbh Bilidh. Chaidh e air cùl
cnuic ri taobh an rathaid. Bha na
cairtearan a’ dol a thilleadh air an
rathad sin. Bha toll choineanach ann.
Rug Bilidh air coineanach. Bhris e cas
aig a’ choineanach. Thàinig na cairtearan. Chunnaic iad an coineanach.
Chaidh iad às a dhèidh.
Cha robh duine aig na cairtean.
Thàinig Bilidh. Dh’fhuasgail e fear de
na h-eich. Agus dh’fhalbh e leis.
“Is mèirleach math thu,” thuirt
an duine uasal. “Ach cuiridh mi
deuchainn eile ort. Bidh each ann an
stàball. Bidh còignear ga dhìon.
Feumaidh tu an t-each a ghoid.”
“’S e sin rud doirbh,” arsa
Bilidh.
Chaidh Bilidh don taigh-sheinnse. Thug e a-mach ceithir botail uisge-bheatha. Bha treud mhuc faisg air làimh. Chaidh Bilidh am measg nam muc, agus na botail na phòcaid. Laigh e an sin mar gun robh e marbh.
Mhothaich an fheadhainn aig an stàball gun robh rudeigin a’ dol. Chaidh iad sìos. Lorg iad fear “marbh” am measg nam muc. Thug iad an duine marbh air ais. Chunnaic iad na botail uisge-bheatha. Dh’òl iad an t-uisge-beatha. Bha an deoch orra.
Agus bha iad coma mun each. Dh’fhalbh iad don taigh-sheinnse. Dh’èirich an duine “marbh” – Bilidh – agus thug e leis an t-each.
“Ghoid thu an t-each,” thuirt an duine uasal.
“Ghoid,” arsa Bilidh.
“Cuiridh mi deuchainn eile ort,” thuirt an duine uasal – an deuchainn as dorra agad.”
Agus chì sinn dè bha ann an-ath-sheachdain.
Bilidh (2)
I’m continuing with the story Billy.
Billy was learning thieving. He went
home with a hundred pounds from
the publican. The gentleman came.
“Are you trained now, Billy?”
he asked.
“Yes,” replied Billy.
“I don’t think so,” said the
gentleman. And he set a test for
Billy. He was sending carts and
carters away. He asked Billy to steal
one of their horses.
The carters left. And Billy left.
He went behind a hill beside the
road. The carters were going to
return on that road. There was a
rabbit hole there. Billy caught a
rabbit. He broke one of the rabbit’s
legs. The carters came. They saw the
rabbit. They went after it.
There was nobody at the carts.
Billy came. He untied one of the
horses. He left with it.
“You’re a good thief,” said the
gentleman. “But I’ll set you another
test. There will be a horse in a
stable. Five people will be protecting it. You must steal the horse.”
“That’s a difficult thing,” said
Billy.
Billy went to the pub. He took out four bottles of whisky. There was a herd of pigs nearby. Billy went among the pigs, with the bottles in his pockets. He lay there as if he were dead.
Those at the stable noticed that something was happening. They went down. They found a “dead” man among the pigs. They took the dead man back. They saw the bottles of whisky. They drank the whisky. They were drunk.
And they were indifferent about the horse. They went to the pub. The “dead” man – Billy – arose and he took the horse with him..
“You stole the horse,” said the gentleman.
“Yes,” said Billy.
“I’ll set you another test,” said the gentleman – your most difficult test.”
And we’ll see what it was next week.
