Page 32 - Joe Neil MacNeil Tells a Fenian Tale

ISSUE : Issue 22

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1979/6/1

fhiadh. Bha e buannachd air beag air bheag ach bha 'm fiadh a deanamh air abhainn. Agus nuair a ruigeadh am fiadh bruaich na h-aibhneadh 's a leumadh e fairis, 'nuair a bhualadh e air an taoibh eile cha robh air an t-saoghal neo air an domhan gu leir aon neach a bheireadh air. Ach 'nuair a chunnaic Fear a' Chota Liathghlais gu robh an gnothach air chunnart • gu'm faigheadh am fiadh teicheadh air • dh'astaraich e na bu luaithe na bha e deanamh agus anns an am a bha 'm fiadh a' tomhas a leum airson a dhol fairis air an t-sruth • air an abh? ainn • ghlac Fear a* Chota Liathghlais am fiadh • s leag. e e. Agus chaidh am fiadh a mharbhadh 's a ghiulan air n-ais. Agus, o, nuair a ranaig iad dhachaidh an uair sin neo-arthaing nach d'rinn ise eud mor ri Fear a' Chota Liathghlais (bean Fionn) agus rinn i eud cho mor ris agus gur ann a bha i airson cur as do dh'Fhionn. Agus thuirt i ri Fionn, "Tha," ors' ise, "tha mise 'gad chur fo Gheasaibh, agus fo chroisibh. Agus fo naoidh buar mathraichean Silein, siubhlain, seachrain. • S an t-uan as meataiche 'is as mi- Threoraiche na thu fhein A thoirt dhiot do chinn, agus do chluais Agus do chaitheamh-beatha Mura toir thu thugamsa ceann an Fheamain- Fheoir." (Agus tha mi cinnteach nach bitheadh sin furasda fhaighinn ge b-e an seorsa bea- thach a bh'ann.) Agus b'fheudar dhaibh an uair sin tois- eachadh air long a thogail. Agus ge b-e 'n uine a bha iad a togail na long a bha sin faodar a'bhith cinnteach gurobh iad greis de dh'uine rithe. Agus nuair a bha an long deiseil 's a fhuaireadh a sgioba a chaidh air bbrd, sheol iad. Agus thug iad aimsir...uine mhor a' seol- adh agus mu dheiredh rainig iad a* chear- But when the Man of the Light Gray Coat saw that the matter was in danger • that the deer could get away from him • he made his way faster than he had done before, and just as the deer was measuring his leap to go across the stream • the river • the Man of the Light Gray Coat caught the deer and brought it down. And the deer was killed and carried back. And, oh, when they reached home then wasn't she (Fionn's wife) envious of the Man of the Light Gray Coat; so envious of him that she wanted to do away with Fionn, And she said to Fionn, "I am," said she, "putting you under Spells, and under crosses. And under nine constraints of the walking. Wandering fairy mothers. And the lamb weaker and more misguided Than yourself. To take from you your head and your ear. And your livelihood. Unless you bring to me the head of the Feaman-Feoir." (And I am certain that would not be easy to get, whatever sort of creature that was.) So they had to begin building a ship. And however long it took them to build the ship, we can be certain that they spent a long time at it. And when it was ready and a crew was found to go on board, they sailed. They spent a long time sailing and at last they reached the region where the creature was whose head was to be taken. And when they came into harbour, they pulled the ship up seven times its own length on the green earth where the impertinent little boys of the big town would not be teasing them. And forward they went. And whatever things happened to them, or came in their path, and whatever they had to do, at the CONTINUED NEXT PAGE SUBARU 4-Wheel Drive _ _ CHRYSLEK Marine 'VOU'VO AUTHORIZED SALES AND SERVICE KEN YAZER MOTORS LIMITED SYDNEY 539-1500 NOVA SCOTIA A Neighborhood Store in a Beautiful Village Neirs Harbour CO-OP Warmth, Comfort and Farm-fashioned Hospitality await you at the Inn, INVERARY INN, Baddeck, Nova Scotia Our Licensed Dining Room is famed for its Scottish Fare. Isobel and Dan MacAulay, Innkeepers GIFT SHOP rpj'e Inn (an old farmhouse), the Barn, pine-paneled Cottages and modern Motel Units are located on the outskirts of Baddeck, just off the Trans-Canada Highway. A Berkshire Traveller Country Inn For Reservations Phone 902-295-26?' SWIMMING POOL

Cape Breton's Magazine