Cape Breton's Magazine

A Funny Gaelic Story for the Serious Learner Told by Evelyn Smith, Wreck Cove: But yes, the story about the cat. Now that came from Donald Angus MacLeod from Lewis. I don't know if I told you how it came about. We were up in the Community Hall, 4 years ago this summer. And Donald Angus and his wife, and their daughter and her husband and their two children, 'were there. And we were having a ceilidh for them because they were going back to Scotland. And I think Alice D. B. told a sto? ry. And I had never been telling stories, up until that. And I think Alice told a little story. And maybe I told one, I can't remember. But anjrway, he beck? oned to me. He was sitting down near the back of the hall, and made a sign for me to come. And he whispered that story of the cat into my ear, in Gaelic. And he said-- in Gaelic, he said to me, "I'm shy. I don't want to tell it. But I think it's funny. You tell it." And that's the first time that I told that story. And that came from Lewis, Scotland. And he's an elder in the Free Church in Scotland, so when I tell the story, and I tell the source that it came from...! I don't think anyone thinks it's on the smutty side! (Oh, it's not a bit on the smutty side....) Now, you want me to tell the story in Gaelic. (I want you to tell the story in Gaelic, yes.) Storaidh a' chait Bha Anna agus M6rag a' fuireach ann an taigh beag snog 's na Hearadh. 'S e dithis pheathraichean a bh'unnta. Cha robh 'ad aosd idir.'s e nigheanan dg a bh'unnta, agus cha robh 'ad p6sda. Bha taigh beag snog aca, 's bha 'ad an comhnaidh ag iar? raidh gum biodh a-huile dad 'na 'ite fh6in. Bha aon chat aca--cat boirionn. Agus cha robh 'ad a' leigeil an cat a mach, o lk na dh' oichdhe, a shamhradh na gheam- raidh. 'S tha mi cinnteach gu faod fhios a bhith agaibh gur son nach robh 'ad airson a' chat a leigeil a mach. Na leigeadh 'ad an cat a mach, bha feagal orra gum biodh Suppliers of Commercial Recreational Fencing P.O.Box 98, King St., North Sydney, N. S. B2A 3M1 '"' 794-4773 HAVE OUR AUGER TRUCK DIG YOUR HOLES." piseagan aice, agus gun cuireadh na pisea- gan an taigh beag snog aca treimh' ch6ile. Faodadh tu bhi cinnteach gu robh iomadach , uair nuair a bha an cat gl6 nednach gu fai- gheadh i mach comh' ri na cait eile. nuair a thigeadh na cait firionn timcheall. Ach chan fhaigheadh i mach as a sud. An ceann dine, chaidh M6rag an null gu, mar a chanadh sinn as a' Bheurla, gu'n a "mhainland" a' choimhead airson cosnadh. Agus fhuair i sin. Agus bha Anna aig an taigh leis a' chat. Cha robh fad's am bith gus na choinnich i gille 6g, tapaidh. Agus thdisich a' suiridhe. Agus mar a thachras gl6 thric, an ceann Ciine, rinn 'ad suas an inntinn gum p6sadh 'ad. Agus rinn 'ad sin. Agus dh'fhalbh 'ad air turus mar a ni chuid as motha do mhuinntir 6g an deidh dhaibh pdsadh. Agus bha Anna aig an taigh leatha fh6in, leis a' chat. Agus a h-uile 1', bha i fui? reach, a' feitheamh ach an tigeadh litir bho Mhdrag, ach ciamar a bha gnothaichean a' dol leatha. Bha 1' an deidh 1' a' dol seachad, 's cha robh guth a' tighinn. Ach a 1' seo. chunnaic i 'm post' a' tighinn, agus chuir e litir m6r dhan a' mhailbox. A mach gun a ghabh Anna. Thuirt i rithe fh6in, "Oh, gheibh mi naidheachd a nisd ach ciamar a tha Morag a' faighinn air adhart." Thug i a' litir a stigh 's riab i fosgailt' e. Ach an deidh fhosgladh, nuair a sheall i, cha robh sgread air a' sgriobhadh as a' litir, ach na ceithir facail seo: "Leig a-mach an cat!"