Page 21 - Lauchie MacLellan Tells "Lauchie's Dream"

ISSUE : Issue 23

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1979/8/1

Bha mis' an uair sin mu ochd bliadhn' deug a dh'aois agus thuit mi ann an trom-ghaol le oifigeach 6g a bha anns an arm. 'S e Raghnall a bha mar ainm air. Thanaig e far na robh mise air feasgar a bha an sin agus thuirt e, 'Tha mise dol air sgriob mun cu? airt air feadh an airm a choimhead feuch a bheil a h-uile sian an brdugh. Bithidh mi air ais feasgar am maireach. Tha fainne- posaidh agam 'nam phoca agus pbsaidh mi fhin agus thu fhein feasgar am maireach.' Ach mo chreach!'Cha do thill Raghnall bochd. Ge b'e de dh'eirich dha, cha d'fhu- air mise amaoh riamh. Bha oighreachd mhor, bheairteach aig m'ath- air. Chaochail mo mhathair bho nach robh mise ach tri bliadhn' deug'a dh'aois. Phbs m'athair da bhliadhn' an deidh sin. Bha mo mhuime 'na bhoireannach gle sgileil agus fbghlumaichte ach bha meas mor aice air maoin an t-saoghail. Bu thoil leath' gu bitheadh oighreachd m'athar aice uileadh. A' fuireach beagan mhiltean bho chaisteal m'athar bha bana-bhuidseach ris an canadh iad Cailleach Pbin nam Magan. Bha i air leth dona gu buiddeachd. Theireadh daoine nach robh aice • aig a' chailleach • ach dileag dhe'n uisge a thoirt as a' phbn ann an cupan cloicheadh agus gu deanadh i bi- adh dhi fhein dhe sheorsa sam bith. 'Se e fior dhroch-bhoireannach a bh'innte. Air latha de na lathaichean, thanaig Cailleach Pbin nam Magan gu caisteal m'athar'agus thuirt i ri'm mhuime, 'Tha thusa, binseach bhochd, a' deanamh amach gu bi an oigh? reachd seo agad fhein nuair a dh'eugas a' righ. Ach cha'n ann mar sin a bhitheas an fnothach. Bithidh i aig Corra Chriostag* • s e sin an t-ainm a th'ormsa). 'Gu de ni mi?' orsa mo mhuime. 'What shall I do?' asked my stepmother. 'I'll give you a little sip of water from the Toad Pond, and you will put it into Corra Chriostag's drink and say these words: I'm putting you under crosses and spells. So that you will be an ugly old hag Disagreeable and contemptible. Like the Old Hag of the Toad Pond, Until you find the man born on the same day. And at the same hour and the same minute as yourself. You will find him stretched out unaer a tree beside a shore in a far-off quarter of the world. And you are to take him with you until the two of you find the soul of the giant which is in the middle of the green rock on the rocky cliffs of the Is? land of the Giant. In the middle of the rock is a black wether (a gelded male sheep). Inside the wether is a wild duck, inside the duck is an egg, and the giant's soul is inside the egg.' Highland Heights Inn lONA, CAPE BRETON, PHONE 622-2360 (Next to N. S. Highland Village Overlooking the Bras d'Or Lake Licensed Dining Room, Color TV, 16 Units, Personalized Service Your Hosts Norma & Walter MacKay "Gad Mile Failte" Choice Red Brand Beef Gentleman Jim Fully Licensed Restaurant 7 DAYS ATIEEK at Sydney Shopping Mall Tourist Brochures & Colour Printjlng A Specialty PRINTERS LIMITED 180 TOWNSEND STREET, SYDNEY. N.S. TEL'HONE (902) S64?MS Celebratina 75 Years of Service

Cape Breton's Magazine