How Fionn got Bran (2)
I’m going to tell you how Fionn MacCumhail got his dog, Bran. He had
the looker, and the listener. He had the gripper and the thief, the
climber and the archer. They reached the King’s palace.
The King was sad. ‘What’s upsetting you?’ asked Fionn.
‘We expect that the Queen will give birth tonight,’ explained the King.
‘But our two other boys were stolen. We fear that the new baby will be
stolen.’
Fionn asked the looker and the gripper to keep an eye on the Queen. The
baby was born. Shortly after that, a large hand came through the roof.
The looker saw it. The gripper took hold of it. He pulled and the hand
fell to the floor. But the gripper fell flat on his back. Another hand
came through the roof. The new hand stole the baby.
Fionn and his companions left in a birlinn. They reached a fortress
with a high wall. The wall was covered with eel skins. It was as
slippery as a bottle.
Fionn asked the climber to climb the wall. He found a giant with just
one hand on the far side. He had a baby in his hand. Two other young
lads were playing in the room.
‘Jump on the climber’s shoulder,’ said Fionn to the thief. ‘Steal the
children and bring them here.’
The thief stole the baby and the boys. There were two puppies in the
room. He stole the puppies also.
Everybody went aboard. There was a large bitch swimming after them. She
was the mother of the puppies. She was wild. Fionn dropped one of the
puppies into the sea. The bitch stopped and she took the puppy to land.
Then the giant was swimming towards them. He had just one eye in his
forehead.
‘Put an arrow through his eye,’ said Fionn to the archer. The archer
did that.
Fionn and his companions continued. They gave the children to the King.
Fionn kept the puppy for himself and he named it Bran. That’s how Fionn
MacCumhail got Bran. Cheerio.
Mar a Fhuair Fionn Bran (2)
Tha mi a’ dol a dh’innse dhuibh mar a fhuair Fionn MacCumhail a chù, Bran.
Bha am fear-amhairc aige, agus am fear-èistidh. Bha an greimiche aige agus
am mèirleach, an sreapadair agus am boghadair. Ràinig iad lùchairt aig
Rìgh.
Bha an Rìgh brònach. ‘Dè tha a’ cur oirbh?’ dh’fhaighnich Fionn.
‘Tha sinn an dùil gun tèid leanabh ùr a bhreith don Bhanrigh a-nochd,’
mhìnich an Rìgh. ‘Ach chaidh an dithis bhalach eile againn a ghoid. Tha an
t-eagal orm gum bi an leanabh ùr air a ghoid.’
Dh’iarr Fionn air an fhear-amhairc agus air a’ ghreimiche sùil a chumail
air a’ Bhanrigh. Rugadh an leanabh. Goirid an dèidh sin, thàinig làmh mhòr
tron mhullach. Chunnaic am fear-amhairc i. Ghabh an greimiche grèim oirre.
Tharraing e agus thuit an làmh don ùrlar. Ach thuit an greimiche air a
dhruim dìreach. Thàinig làmh eile tron mhullach. Ghoid an làmh ùr an
leanabh.
Dh’fhalbh Fionn is a chompanaich ann am birlinn. Ràinig iad daingneach le
balla àrd. Bha am balla còmhdaichte le craiceannan easgannan. Bha e cho
sleamhainn ri botal.
Dh’iarr Fionn air an t-sreapadair am balla a dhìreadh. Lorg e famhair le
dìreach aon làmh air an taobh thall. Bha leanabh aige na làimh. Bha dithis
bhalach òg eile a’ cluich anns an t-seòmar.’
‘Leum air gualann an t-sreapadair,’ thuirt Fionn ris a’ mhèirleach. ‘Goid
a’ chlann agus thoir an seo iad.’
Ghoid am mèirleach an leanabh agus na balaich. Bha dà chuilean anns an
t-seòmar. Ghoid e na cuileanan cuideachd.
Chaidh a h-uile duine air bòrd. Bha galla mhòr a’ snàmh às an dèidh. B’ ise
màthair nan cuileanan. Bha i fiadhaich. Leig Fionn fear de na cuileanan don
mhuir. Stad a’ ghalla agus thug i an cuilean gu tìr.
An uair sin, bha am famhair a’ snàmh gan ionnsaigh. Bha dìreach aon sùil
aige na bhathais.
‘Cuir saighead tron t-sùil aige,’ thuirt Fionn ris a’ bhoghadair. Rinn am
boghadair sin.
Lean Fionn agus a chompanaich orra. Thug iad a’ chlann don Rìgh. Chùm Fionn
an cuilean dha fhèin agus chuir e ainm air – Bran. ʼS ann mar sin a fhuair
Fionn MacCumhail Bran. Mar sin leibh.
