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Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu na bràithrean Ailig is Eairdsidh agus mar a bha Eairdsidh a’ tòiseachadh air sguaban fraoich a dhèanamh. Tharraing e fraoch – tuilleadh ʼs a chòir dheth – agus chaidh e dhachaigh leis. Rinn e sguab ach – mo chreach – bha i cho mòr is trom ʼs gur gann gun robh comas aige a togail.

            ‘Cha cheannaich duine sin bhuat,’ thuirt Ailig. ‘Tha i ro mhòr is trom.’

            ‘Chan eil fhios a’m,’ fhreagair Eairdsidh. ‘Bha am fear-siubhail a’ faighinn bonn-a-sia air gach sguaib. ʼS dòcha gum faigh mise tastan airson na tè seo.’

            Bha e na b’ fhasa a ràdh seach a dhèanamh. Chaidh Eairdsidh bho chroit gu croit is bho thaigh-tuathanaich gu taigh-tuathanaich, ach cha cheannaicheadh duine an sguab. Bha i dìreach ro mhòr. Bha i a’ fàs trom air a ghualainn ach bha Eairdsidh deimhinne gun robh e a’ dol ga reic ro dhol fodha na grèine. Gu fortanach dha, ʼs e an samhradh a bh’ ann agus bha an latha fada.

            Mu dheireadh, ràinig e àite anns nach robh e air a bhith roimhe. Bha taigh geal air mullach cnuic pìos mòr far an rathaid. Chaidh Eairdsidh ann agus ghnog e air an doras. Thàinig boireannach. Agus – Shìorraidh – bha i reamhar. Bha i cho mòr na leud ʼs a bha i na h-àird. ‘Feasgar math,’ thuirt i. ‘Dè nì mi dhuibh?’

            ‘Bu mhath leam sguab a reic dhuibh,’ ars esan.

            ‘O, sguab,’ ars ise. ‘Tha mi a’ coimhead airson tè mhòr. A bheil an tè agaibhse mòr gu leòr dhomh?’

            ‘Seo an sguab as motha a chì sibh,’ thuirt Eairdsidh. Agus leig e an sguab far a ghuailne.

            ‘Tha i sgoinneil,’ thuirt an tè reamhar, a’ coimhead oirre gu dlùth. ‘Dè chosgas i?’

            ‘Bonn-a-sia,’ ars Eairdsidh. Leis an fhìrinn innse, bha e air a bhith toilichte faighinn cuidhteas i air prìs na bu shaoire na sin.

            Thog an tè reamhar bonn-a-sia a-mach à pòcaid agus thuirt i, ‘Seo agaibh bonn draoidheil. Gach turas a chosgas tu e bidh e a’ nochdadh às ùr. Cha bhi thu bochd tuilleadh.’

Bha Eairdsidh cho sona ris an rìgh. Chaidh e dhachaigh leis a’ bhonn draoidheil na phòcaid, agus tha e a’ falbh às mo chunntas.

            Ach Magaidh Reamhar – oir b’ e sin ainm na tè – uill, tuigidh sibh gur e bana-bhuidseach a bh’ innte. Bha i air a bhith glaiste a-staigh oir cha robh sguab mòr gu leòr aice airson a bhith a’ siubhal. Bha na bana-bhuidsich eile toilichte mu dheidhinn sin oir cha robh iad measail air Magaidh Reamhar. ʼS e burraidh a bh’ innte.

            An ath latha, bha na bana-bhuidsich a’ coinneachadh ann an innis ann an coille-bheithe. Bha iad a’ smaoineachadh nach biodh Magaidh Reamhar ann oir cha robh sguab aice a bheireadh i ann. Gu h-obann, ge-tà, nochd Magaidh air an sguaib ùir aice.

‘Ha ha!’ thuirt i, ‘tha mi ann a-nise agus nì sibh uile na tha mi ag iarraidh oirbh. A bharrachd air sin, ʼs e mi fhìn an aon duine a dh’itealaicheas dhachaigh an dèidh làimhe.’ Le sin, chaidh i timcheall a h-uile bana-bhuidseach eile. Thog i sguab a h-uile tè agus thilg i iad suas a dhuilleach nan craobhan-beithe. Agus chì sibh iad an sin fhathast – sguaban bhana-bhuidseach – a’ cur nar cuimhne mar a thilg Magaidh Reamhar iad ann o chionn fhada.

Faclan na Litreach: tastan: shilling; air a ghualainn: on his shoulder; bonn-a-sia: sixpence; bonn draoidheil: a magic coin; Magaidh Reamhar: Fat Maggie; bana-bhuidseach: witch; glaiste: locked; burraidh: bully.

Abairtean na Litreach: mar a bha Eairdsidh a’ tòiseachadh air sguaban fraoich a dhèanamh: how Archie was starting to make heather brooms; cha cheannaich duine sin bhuat: nobody will buy that from you; bha am fear-siubhail a’ faighinn bonn-a-sia air gach sguaib: the travelling man was getting sixpence for each broom; na b’ fhasa a ràdh seach a dhèanamh: easier to say than to do; cha cheannaicheadh duine an sguab: nobody would buy the broom; bha Eairdsidh deimhinne gun robh e a’ dol ga reic ro dhol fodha na grèine: Archie was determined that he was going to sell it before sundown; ʼs e an samhradh a bh’ ann: it was summer; anns nach robh e air a bhith roimhe: in which he had never been; Shìorraidh – bha i reamhar: my goodness – she was fat; cho mòr na leud ʼs a bha i na h-àird: as broad as she was tall; seo an sguab as motha a chì sibh: this is the biggest broom you’ll see; bha e air a bhith toilichte faighinn cuidhteas i air prìs na bu shaoire: he would have been pleased to get rid of it at a cheaper price; far a ghuailne: off his shoulder; gach turas a chosgas tu e bidh e a’ nochdadh às ùr: every time you spend it, it will reappear anew; tha e a’ falbh às mo chunntas: he leaves my account; ann an innis ann an coille-bheithe: in a clearing in a birch wood; an aon duine a dh’itealaicheas dhachaigh: the one person who flies home; thilg i iad suas a dhuilleach nan craobhan-beithe: she threw them up into the foliage of the birch trees.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: bha i cho mòr is trom ʼs gur gann gun robh comas aige a togail: it was so big and heavy that he hardly had the ability to lift it. Do you understand why it is togail and not thogail? The possessive article is present and refers to a feminine noun (sguab); the feminine possessive is not lenited. If it had referred to a masculine noun (which does cause lenition), it would have been a thogail. Here are a couple of other examples: ʼs gann gun robh comas aige do thogail ‘he could hardly lift you’; ʼs gann gun robh comas aige mo thogail ‘he could hardly lift me’. 

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: tuilleadh ʼs a chòir dheth: heaps of it.