The Three Bog Cotton Shirts (4)
I’m going to finish ‘The Three Bog Cotton Shirts’. The queen was
pregnant again. But she continued to spin and weave the three bog
cotton shirts. That was to free her brothers from a spell.
The queen gave birth to a baby boy – the second one. The midwife
determined not to fall asleep. But, after a week, she was too tired.
She fell asleep.
A big hand came in through the window. It stole the baby. When the
midwife woke, she killed a kitten. She wiped the kitten’s blood on the
mouth of the queen. She went to the king. ‘That woman is evil,’ she
said. ‘She ate her own baby.’
‘Oh, she is just foolish,’ said the king.
The same thing happened once more. The midwife killed a puppy. She
wiped the puppy’s blood on the queen’s mouth. She went to the king.
‘That woman is evil,’ she said. ‘She ate her own baby.’
This time, the king had a different opinion. ‘We’ll hang her tomorrow,’
he said.
The three bog cotton shirts were now ready. The news was spread about
the the hanging of the queen. The three grey dogs came. But they were
in the form of three young men. Each had with him a young boy.
The queen asked her eldest brother to remove his clothes. She put a bog
cotton shirt on him. ‘[I hope] that your will enjoy your shirt,
brother,’ she said.
Then she asked her second brother to remove his clothes. She put a
shirt on him. ‘[I hope] that your will enjoy your shirt, brother,’ she
said.
She asked the youngest one to remove his clothes. She put a shirt on
him, with the same wish.
The brothers admitted that it was them that stole the babies. ‘We were
scared that you were going to speak to them, and that we would be under
spells forever.’ And they gave her her sons.
The king was pleased. He heard his wife’s voice for the first time. He, the
queen and their three sons returned to the palace, where they were happy
together.
Na Trì Lèintean Canaich (4)
Tha mi a’ dol a chur crìoch air ‘Na Trì Lèintean Canaich’. Bha a’ bhanrigh
trom a-rithist. Ach lean i oirre le bhith a’ snìomh agus a’ fighe nan trì
lèintean canaich. Bha sin airson a bràithrean a shaoradh bho gheas.
Rug a’ bhanrigh leanabh-gille – an dàrna fear. Chuir a’ bhean-ghlùine
roimhpe gun cadal fhaighinn. Ach, an dèidh seachdain, bha i ro sgìth.
Thàinig an cadal oirre.
Thàinig làmh mhòr a-steach air an uinneig. Ghoid i an leanabh. Nuair a
dhùisg a’ bhean-ghlùine, mharbh i piseag. Shuath ri fuil na piseig ri beul
na banrigh. Chaidh i far an robh an rìgh. ‘Tha am boireannach sin olc,’
thuirt i. ‘Dh’ith i a leanabh fhèin.’
‘Hut, chan eil i ach gòrach,’ thuirt an rìgh.
Thachair an aon rud turas eile. Mharbh a’ bhean-ghlùine cuilean. Shuath i
fuil a’ chuilein air beul na banrigh. Chaidh i far an robh an rìgh. ‘Tha am
boireannach sin olc,’ thuirt i. ‘Dh’ith i a leanabh fhèin.’
An turas seo, bha beachd eadar-dhealaichte aig an rìgh. ‘Crochaidh sinn
a-màireach i,’ thuirt e.
Bha na trì lèintean canaich a-nise deiseil. Chaidh fios a-mach mu chrochadh
na banrigh. Thàinig na trì coin ghlasa. Ach bha iad nan trì gillean òga.
Bha balachan beag leis a h-uile fear aca.
Dh’iarr a’ bhanrigh air a bràthair a bu shine a chuid aodaich a chur dheth.
Chuir i lèine chanaich air. ‘Gun còrd do lèine riut, a bhràthair,’ ars ise.
Dh’iarr i an uair sin air a dàrna bràthair a chuid aodaich a chur dheth.
Chuir i lèine air. ‘Gun còrd do lèine riut, a bhràthair,’ thuirt i.
Dh’iarr i air an fhear a b’ òige a chuid aodaich a chur dheth. Chuir i
lèine air, leis an aon bheannachd.
Dh’aidich na bràithrean gur iadsan a ghoid na leanaban. ‘Bha an t-eagal
oirnn gun robh thu a’ dol a bhruidhinn riutha, agus gum biomaid fo
gheasaibh gu sìorraidh.’ Agus thug iad a mic dhi.
Bha an rìgh toilichte. Chuala e guth a mhnà airson a’ chiad turais. Thill e
fhèin, a’ bhanrigh agus an triùir mhac don lùchairt, far an robh iad sona
còmhla.
