Suiridhe a' Mhadaidh-ruaidh, Caibideil a dhà
Ach nuair a bha an sionnach faisg air don taigh na ban-oighre chuir e roimhe gun tadhladh e aig a mhnaoi-eòlas, a' phioghaid, airson a faigheadh e gach naidheachd bha ' falbh.
Bha ' phioghaid ro chaoimhneil ris. "Ach," ars' ise, "Dè thug sibh fhèin cho fada bhon bhaile? Mura mì-mhodhail r' a fhaighneachd e."
*/ But when the fox was near the heiress's house, he decided to visit the magpie, a gossip, to find out all the news going around.
The magpie was very charming to him. "But," she said, "what made you come so far from town? If it's not rude to ask." /*
"Ma-tà, le ur cead," fhreagair esan, "bha aon adhbhar mòr agam, tighinn a chòmhradh ri mnaoi-uasail cho glic, fhiosrach ribh fhèin. Ach a thuilleadh air seo, b' èiginn dhomh a' chùirt san robh mi fhàgail. Bha a' bhan-leòmhann, bean an rìgh, agus mise mòr aig a chèile. Ghabh an rìgh na a' cheann gun robh gaol aice orm nas fheàrr. Thòisich esan, am burraidh mòr, ri eudach rithe. Smaoinich mise gum bu chòir dhomh a bhith a' falbh. Chan fhealla-dhà leòmhann a bhios ri eudach."
*/ Well, with your permission," he answered, "one big reason I had was to talk with a lady as wise and knowledgeable as yourself. But more than that, I was in a fix at court that I was leaving. The lioness, the king's wife, and I were great friends. The king got it in his head that she loved me better. He started, the big blockhead, to be jealous of her. I decided that it would be better for me to leave. A jealous lion is no joke. /*
"Ach ciamar a leig e air falbh sibh?" ars' a' phioghaid. "Ciamar a nach do mharbh e sibh?"
"O! 'S ann tha e ro-chaomhneil rium," ars' esan, "nuair a nach bithinn còmhla ris a' bhan-righ. Agus mar dhearbhadh air a chàirdeas, thug e dhomh a rud luachmhor."
"Dè sin? Dè sin?" ars' a' phioghaid.
"Chan fhaod sibh innseadh," ars' an sionnach.
"Air facal onorach na pioghaid cha chluinnear diog uamsa dheth gu bràth!" thuirt ise.
*/ "But why did he let you leave?" said the magpie. "Why didn't he kill you?"
"Oh! He was very friendly with me," he said, "when I wasn't with queen. And as a show of friendship, he gave me a very precious thing."
"What was that?" said the magpie.
"You can't tell anyone," said the fox.
"On my word of honour as a magpie, no one will hear a syllable from me of it," she said. /*
"Is e 'n rud a th' ann; trì fuilteanan a bha air a' chòigeamh cois aig a' bheathach mhòr a bha 'n Loch-odha,* thuirt an sionnach.
"Dè am beathach mòr? Dè na esan? Dè na fuilteanan? Innis dhomh! Innis dhomh!" ars' a' phioghaid. Bha a guth air crith agus a sùilean a' lasadh le h-iongnadh.
"Nach eil fios agaibh mu 'n bheathach mhòr a tha 'n Loch-odha? Tha e anns an loch bho chionn trì cheud bliadhna. Tha dà dheug cois air agus tha trì fuilteanan ann a bha aig bun na h-ionga mòire aig a' chòigeamh cois. An tè aig am bi na trì fuilteanan seo, bidh ise cho àlainn ri òigh, gun liathach, gun phreasadh, gun seargadh, ged a biodh a beò cho fada ris a' bheathach mòr fhèin. Fhuair mi iad seo bhon rìgh a tha iad agam air mo shiubhal."
*/ The thing that it is; three hairs from the fifth leg of the great beast that was in Loch Awe," said the fox.
"What great beast? What of it? What of the hairs? Tell me! Tell me!" said the magpie. Her eyes were flashing and her voice quivering with surprise.
"You don't know about the great beast that is in Loch Awe? It has been in the loch for three hundred years. It has twelve legs and there are three hairs at the base of the great claw on the fifth leg. One who has these three hairs will be as beautiful as a maiden, without greying, without wrinkling, without withering, be she live so long as the great beast itself. I got these from the king and I have carried them on my travels." /*
"O! Nach leig sibh fhaicinn iad?" ars' a' phioghaid..
"Is ro-dhuilich leam ur diùltadh," ars' an sionnach, "ach gheall mi don rìgh nach leiginn fhaicinn iad do thè gu bràth ach an tè a phòsas mi - gabhaidh mo leisgeul."
B' èiginn don phioghaid cur suas leis an diùltadh. Dh'innis ise dhàsan gach nì a bha ' dol air aghaidh mun àite, agus mòran naidheachdan mun chat 's na suiridhichean. Bha an sionnach tuilleadh 's carach, glic gus a h-uile rud a chual' e a chreidsinn ach thuig e gun robh an cat glè mhòr aiste fhèin agus gun taitneach miodal is moladh gu math rithe.
*/ O, won't you let me see them?" said the magpie.
"I am excessively sorry to refuse you," said the fox, "but I promised the king that I wouldn't let anyone see them but the one marry - please excuse me."
The magpie was forced to put up with the refusal. She told him everything that was going on around the area, and most of the news was about the cat and her suitors. The fox was far too shifty and wise to believe everything he heard but he thought that the cat was very good for hersef and that it would be quite pleasant to flatter and praise her. /*
Dh'fhàg e beannachd aig a' phioghaid, ag earalachadh oirre gun diog a ràdhainn mu na chual' i.
'S e a' phioghaid diombach don sionnach. " 'N e mise?" ars' ise. "Chan an den t-seòrsa sin mi!"
Dh'fhalbh an sionnach 's ghabh e mu thàmh rè na h-oidhche sin. 'S a' mhadainn am màireach, chuala gach beathach na h-uile facal a bha eadar on sionnach 's a' phioghaid agus fhuair gach maighdeann 'sa bhaile a-mach am fiosrachadh as cudromaiche. Bha fios aig an cat cuideachd.
Cha do chaill an sionnach mòran uine gun dol an còmhradh an cat. Bha e cho eireachdail clis 's gur toigh leis an cat e uabhasach math gu luath. Bha ' cuilbheart a' dèanamh. Bha gach nì a' dol mar bu mhath leis.
*/ He took his leave of the magpie, warning her not to say a word about what she had heard.The magpie was indignant with the fox. "Me?" she said. "I'm not that sort!"
The fox left and rested through that night. The next morning, all the beasts had heard of every word that passed between the fox and the magpie and every maiden knew the most important piece of information. The cat knew as well.
The fox lost no time going to chat with the cat. He was so handsome and nimble that the cat quickly liked him very much. His plan was working. Everything was going just as he wanted. /*
Bha ' phioghaid ro chaoimhneil ris. "Ach," ars' ise, "Dè thug sibh fhèin cho fada bhon bhaile? Mura mì-mhodhail r' a fhaighneachd e."
*/ But when the fox was near the heiress's house, he decided to visit the magpie, a gossip, to find out all the news going around.
The magpie was very charming to him. "But," she said, "what made you come so far from town? If it's not rude to ask." /*
"Ma-tà, le ur cead," fhreagair esan, "bha aon adhbhar mòr agam, tighinn a chòmhradh ri mnaoi-uasail cho glic, fhiosrach ribh fhèin. Ach a thuilleadh air seo, b' èiginn dhomh a' chùirt san robh mi fhàgail. Bha a' bhan-leòmhann, bean an rìgh, agus mise mòr aig a chèile. Ghabh an rìgh na a' cheann gun robh gaol aice orm nas fheàrr. Thòisich esan, am burraidh mòr, ri eudach rithe. Smaoinich mise gum bu chòir dhomh a bhith a' falbh. Chan fhealla-dhà leòmhann a bhios ri eudach."
*/ Well, with your permission," he answered, "one big reason I had was to talk with a lady as wise and knowledgeable as yourself. But more than that, I was in a fix at court that I was leaving. The lioness, the king's wife, and I were great friends. The king got it in his head that she loved me better. He started, the big blockhead, to be jealous of her. I decided that it would be better for me to leave. A jealous lion is no joke. /*
"Ach ciamar a leig e air falbh sibh?" ars' a' phioghaid. "Ciamar a nach do mharbh e sibh?"
"O! 'S ann tha e ro-chaomhneil rium," ars' esan, "nuair a nach bithinn còmhla ris a' bhan-righ. Agus mar dhearbhadh air a chàirdeas, thug e dhomh a rud luachmhor."
"Dè sin? Dè sin?" ars' a' phioghaid.
"Chan fhaod sibh innseadh," ars' an sionnach.
"Air facal onorach na pioghaid cha chluinnear diog uamsa dheth gu bràth!" thuirt ise.
*/ "But why did he let you leave?" said the magpie. "Why didn't he kill you?"
"Oh! He was very friendly with me," he said, "when I wasn't with queen. And as a show of friendship, he gave me a very precious thing."
"What was that?" said the magpie.
"You can't tell anyone," said the fox.
"On my word of honour as a magpie, no one will hear a syllable from me of it," she said. /*
"Is e 'n rud a th' ann; trì fuilteanan a bha air a' chòigeamh cois aig a' bheathach mhòr a bha 'n Loch-odha,* thuirt an sionnach.
"Dè am beathach mòr? Dè na esan? Dè na fuilteanan? Innis dhomh! Innis dhomh!" ars' a' phioghaid. Bha a guth air crith agus a sùilean a' lasadh le h-iongnadh.
"Nach eil fios agaibh mu 'n bheathach mhòr a tha 'n Loch-odha? Tha e anns an loch bho chionn trì cheud bliadhna. Tha dà dheug cois air agus tha trì fuilteanan ann a bha aig bun na h-ionga mòire aig a' chòigeamh cois. An tè aig am bi na trì fuilteanan seo, bidh ise cho àlainn ri òigh, gun liathach, gun phreasadh, gun seargadh, ged a biodh a beò cho fada ris a' bheathach mòr fhèin. Fhuair mi iad seo bhon rìgh a tha iad agam air mo shiubhal."
*/ The thing that it is; three hairs from the fifth leg of the great beast that was in Loch Awe," said the fox.
"What great beast? What of it? What of the hairs? Tell me! Tell me!" said the magpie. Her eyes were flashing and her voice quivering with surprise.
"You don't know about the great beast that is in Loch Awe? It has been in the loch for three hundred years. It has twelve legs and there are three hairs at the base of the great claw on the fifth leg. One who has these three hairs will be as beautiful as a maiden, without greying, without wrinkling, without withering, be she live so long as the great beast itself. I got these from the king and I have carried them on my travels." /*
"O! Nach leig sibh fhaicinn iad?" ars' a' phioghaid..
"Is ro-dhuilich leam ur diùltadh," ars' an sionnach, "ach gheall mi don rìgh nach leiginn fhaicinn iad do thè gu bràth ach an tè a phòsas mi - gabhaidh mo leisgeul."
B' èiginn don phioghaid cur suas leis an diùltadh. Dh'innis ise dhàsan gach nì a bha ' dol air aghaidh mun àite, agus mòran naidheachdan mun chat 's na suiridhichean. Bha an sionnach tuilleadh 's carach, glic gus a h-uile rud a chual' e a chreidsinn ach thuig e gun robh an cat glè mhòr aiste fhèin agus gun taitneach miodal is moladh gu math rithe.
*/ O, won't you let me see them?" said the magpie.
"I am excessively sorry to refuse you," said the fox, "but I promised the king that I wouldn't let anyone see them but the one marry - please excuse me."
The magpie was forced to put up with the refusal. She told him everything that was going on around the area, and most of the news was about the cat and her suitors. The fox was far too shifty and wise to believe everything he heard but he thought that the cat was very good for hersef and that it would be quite pleasant to flatter and praise her. /*
Dh'fhàg e beannachd aig a' phioghaid, ag earalachadh oirre gun diog a ràdhainn mu na chual' i.
'S e a' phioghaid diombach don sionnach. " 'N e mise?" ars' ise. "Chan an den t-seòrsa sin mi!"
Dh'fhalbh an sionnach 's ghabh e mu thàmh rè na h-oidhche sin. 'S a' mhadainn am màireach, chuala gach beathach na h-uile facal a bha eadar on sionnach 's a' phioghaid agus fhuair gach maighdeann 'sa bhaile a-mach am fiosrachadh as cudromaiche. Bha fios aig an cat cuideachd.
Cha do chaill an sionnach mòran uine gun dol an còmhradh an cat. Bha e cho eireachdail clis 's gur toigh leis an cat e uabhasach math gu luath. Bha ' cuilbheart a' dèanamh. Bha gach nì a' dol mar bu mhath leis.
*/ He took his leave of the magpie, warning her not to say a word about what she had heard.The magpie was indignant with the fox. "Me?" she said. "I'm not that sort!"
The fox left and rested through that night. The next morning, all the beasts had heard of every word that passed between the fox and the magpie and every maiden knew the most important piece of information. The cat knew as well.
The fox lost no time going to chat with the cat. He was so handsome and nimble that the cat quickly liked him very much. His plan was working. Everything was going just as he wanted. /*