Page 25 - Joe MacNeil tells a Wonderful Story: Iain Mac An Iasgair Mhoir

ISSUE : Issue 16

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1977/6/1

reamhar' aig a' ghallaidh. Agus bha triuir mhac aig bean an lasgair Mhoir. Ach co-dhiubh bha an uine a dol seachad a- gus thainig e gu ionnsaidh nan seachd bli? adhna a dh'uine. Ach chaidh an t-Iasgair Mor amach a dh'iasgach mar a b'abhaist ach cha d'thug e leis a mhac. Agus 'nuair a bha e amuigh ag iasgach thainig a' mhaigh- dean-mhara an airde ri taobh a' bhata 's chuir i failt' air. "Cha d'thug thu do mhac an seo idir," ors? ise. "0," ors' esan, "cha do chuimhnich mi airo" "An da," ors' ise, "bheir mi dhuit seachd bliadhna eile a dh'uine. Ach feuch," ors' ise, "nach dean thu diochuimhn' air." Agus co-dhiubh, bha an gnothach a' dol air 'n aghaidh gu math fad seachd bliadhna, agus an ceann seachd bliadhna chaidh an t- lasgair Mor amach. Mar a b'abhaist cha d' thug e leis a mhac. Thainig a mhaighdean- mhara an airde ri taobh a' bhata agus chuir i failt' air. "0," ors* ise, "cha d'thug do mhac an seo an diugh na's motha." Fisherman agreed to give her his promise, so as she left him she put grains of pow? der or some kind of seed into his hand and said to him, "Here. Take care of this and when you reach home put three grains into the food that your wife eats. Put three grains in the oats that you give to the mare, and three grains into the food that you give the she-dog. And I'll wa? ger," she said, "before three years have passed that there will be a change in your house from the way it is today." Anyway, the Big Fisherman went home, and he had caught plenty of fish that even? ing. But even though he was catching fish again he was still somehow fearful con? cerning the state of things. In any event what the mermaid had tolci him came true: before the three years had passed the mare had given birth to three big, fine, black foals, and the she-dog had three fine, fat pups. And the Big Fisherman's wife had three sons. Time passed and the end of the seven years arrived. The Big Fisherman went out fishing as usual, but he did not take his son. But when he was out fishing the- sea? maiden rose up beside his boat and greeted him. "Cha d'thug," ors esan. "Cha do chuimhnich "You did not bring your son here at all,*' mi air a thoirt ann, ged a b'e seo an latha.** she said. **An da,** ors' ise, **faodaidh tu tilleadh dhachaidh. Ach,** ors' ise,, **an ceann ceithir GAELIC AND ENGLISH CONTINUED NEXT PAGE Camping Supplies Gifts Groceries PIPER'S Restaurant andlrailer Court INDIAN BROOK, on the Cabot Trail C & G MadEOD LIMITED Books on Cape Breton The Last Salt Gift of Blood by Mist air MacLeod 8.95 Memoirs of a Cape Breton Doctor by Dr. MacMillan 7.95 Miners _and Steelv/orkers--Labour in Cape Breton Paul MacEwan 12.50 Lion of Scotland (Norman MacLeod of St. Ann's) 3.95 Bread and Molasses by Andy MacDonald 6.95 The Hidden Heritage at St. Ann's by Jambs B. Lamb 2.95 and The Second Collectors' Edition of Cape Breton's Magazine 4.50 The Largest Display of Souvenirs in Cape Breton Mail Orders 361 Charlotte Street - P. O. Box 658 SYDNEY, NOVA SCOTIA CANADA A Specialty

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