.

homáin sé leis na ba agus comh luath a's shamhlaigh sé go raibh an máistir imithe, chomáimn sé leis isteach sa choill iad. Ní rabhadar i bhfad ann aige, nuair airigh sé chuige arís an fothrom agus na crainn d'á stracadh agus dá leagadh, ag athach mór na gcúig gceann na gcuig mbeann agus na gcuig muinéal fada ramhra ar aon cholainn a's é ag déanamh fé n-a dhéin. “An tusa bhí annso inné a arachtai ghránna,” ars an t-athach, “do mharbh mo dhreathair óg , do chuireas amach ag feiscint an abhalóirdín agus gur le heaspa adhmad do cuireadh as a chliabhán é ? ” “Ba dheas an leanbh insa chliabhán agat é!” arsa Seán, “no cad é an t-aos a bhí sé ?” “Ní raibh sé acht trí chead blian,” a duirt an t-athach. “Agus cad é an t-aos tú féinig ?” a duirt Seán. “Táim cúig chead blian,” ars eisean. “Tánn tú criona do dhóthain chun tú mharbhadh,” a duirt Seán. 33. He continued with the cows and as soon as he thought that the master would be gone he drove them into the wood. He hadn't got them very far in when he heard coming towards him the noise of the trees snapping and being felled by a giant with five heads and five long thick necks on one body.“Are you the one who was here yesterday, you ugly wretch,” said the giant, “and who killed my young brother that I got out of his cradle to look after the orchard and go and get some firewood?” “He was a fine lump of a child you had in the cradle !” said Seán. “What age was he ?” “He was only three hundred years old,” said the giant. “And how old are you yourself ?” asked Seán. “I am five hundred years old,” he said. “You're old enough to kill, then,” said Seán. 34. “O, mhuise! maireóbhad tusa ar dtúis,” aduirt an t-athach. “áire dhuit,” aduirt Seán, “do bhí an fear inné chomh mór leat fothrom.” “Leig dod' deá-labhairt liom,” ars' an t-athach, “acht cia 'ca is fearr leat iomrascáil chruaidh cholgánta nó gabhail do chlaíotaibh geara glasa i mbun is i mbarr asnaieacaibh ar a chéile ?” “Is fearr liom mo chleith,” arsa Seán. “'Seadh! Biodh sí agat,” arsa an t-athach ag déanamh ar Sheán le n-a chlaíomh. Agus ma's eadh chuir Seán an buille le n-a chleith. Tharraic an t-athach an tarna hiarracht air le n-a chlaiomh, chun an dhá chois a bhaint uaidh. Le n-a linn sin, chuimhnigh Séan ar an ursail agus do leim sé ó'n athach amach agus do rith sé tríd an gcoill – mar ná cuirfeadh aon-ní eagla air acht tabhairt fé na luirgne aige. Mar a dheineadh a mháthair. Ní fada chuaidh sé nuair a bhí an t-athach ag teacht suas leis agus gach aon bheich aige. 34. “Oh, I'll kill you first,” said the giant. “Be careful now,” said Seán,”The man yesterday was as full of noise as you.” “Stop your fine talk,” said the giant,” and tell me which you prefer, hard wrestling or cutting about each others' ribs with sharp swords ?” “I prefer my club,” said Seán. “Well then, you've made your choice,” said the giant, making towards Seán with his sword. As he did so, Seán knocked it aside with his club. The giant made a second slash at him with the sword and tried to cut the two feet from under Seán. Just then, Seán remembered his mother and the tongs and he jumped back from the giant and turned to run through the forest – for he feared nothing so much as the tongs. He hadn't gone far when the giant began to catch up with him and he was roaring and shouting. 35. Nuair a shíl Seán go raibh an t-athach suas leis, thug sé casadh do féinig agus bhuail sé buille d'á chleith uaidh siar air, ag iarraidh é féin a chosaint agus do leag sé an t-athach. D'iompaigh Seán ar an athach nuair a fuair sé ar lar é, agus thainig an-chráiste air. D'éirigh sé de leim os chionn an talamh agus do bhuail sé an tarna buille ar an athach agus d'fhan sé sinte. “Cinn díot a óglai ghranna !” arsa Seán. “Ná déan,” ars' an t-athach,” agus ná bain mo chinn na mo choimead beatha dhíom agus béad mar buachaill choidhche agat agus tabharfaidh mé an t-each cluas dhearg donn atá agam duit a thabharfaidh slán as gach cath thu agus mo chulaidh airm agus eadaigh.” “Cá bhfuil siad agat ?” aduirt Seán. “Táid siad thiar istigh am' stabla agam,” ^ aduirt an t-athach. “Beidh siad san agus do chinn agam,” aduirt Seán agus bhí sé á'bhualadh leis chun gur bhain sé na cúig cínn de'n athach. Fuair se gad sceiche gan scotha agus tharraing sé na trí cínn le chéile agus chroch sé i n-áirde iad ar gheag eile chrainn       35. When Seán thought that the giant had caught up with him, he quickly turned round and gave a blow behind him so as to defend himself and he knocked the giant to the ground. Seán turned on the giant then, when he had him stretched out on the ground and a rage came on him. He jumped up in the air and gave the giant another blow and the giant never got up again. “I'll cut your head off, you ugly blackguard !” cried Seán. “Oh, don't cut my head off or take my life,” said the giant, “ and I'll always be your slave and I'll give you the brown, red-eared steed which I have, that will always take you safely out of any battle and I'll give you my suit of armour and my clothes.” “Where are they ?” asked Seán. “They're back in the stable,” said the giant. “I'll have them and your heads,” said Seán and he started striking until he had cut the five heads off the giant. He then took the heads and fastened them up in the branch of a tree. 36. Do chomáin sé leis abhaile arís a bha agus is iad a bhí go bolg-lán tar éis an lae. Bhí ocras a dhóthain air nuair a chuaidh sé abhaile agus bhí sé ana-dhéineach san oiche nuair a tháinig an máistir abhaile agus d'fhiafraigh sé a' raibh na ba go léir aige tar éis an lae. Duirt Seán go raibh. Ar maidin amáireach bhí Seán ag comáint na mba nuair lean an máistir é agus duirt sé leis go caithfidh sé féin dul go dtí tigh an rí arís inniu agus áire mhaith thabhairt do sna ba ar aon cuma,”agus táim ana-bhuioch díot,” ars' eisean. O ná bíodh eagla ort,” arsa Seán. 36. He drove them home again and their bellies were very full after the day. He himself was hungry enough because it was late at night when the master came home and he asked if he had all the cows after the day. Seán said that he had. Next morning Seán was driving out the cows when the master told him that he himself must go to the king's house again that day and that he should take good care of the cows anyway, "and I'm very grateful to you," he said. "O. don't mention it," said Seán. 37. D'imigh an máistir uaidh agus scaoil Seán na ba isteach sa choill. Chuir sé tamall maith isteach iad mar ní chuirfeadh aon eagla air do bhí oiread san meisnigh air tar éis an ghaisce bhí déanta aige an dá lá roimhe sin. Ní raibh sé ró-fhada sa choill nuair airigh sé chuige an fothrom ba mhó ná fothrom an dá lae roimhe sin. D'fheac sé 'na thimpeall agus is ró-ghearr go bhfacaidh sé an tseana-bhean ag teacht agus stiúr nímhe uirthe, a dá súil ar dearg-lasadh agus a gruaig 'na coilg- sheasamh. "Greadadh chugat a sprealairín ghranna," ars' ise, "An tusa do mharbh mo bheirt mhac athru inné ?" "Is mé, a's do mhareóbhad tu féin inniu!" duirt Seán. Níor fhan sí le n-a thuille cainnte do dhéanamh leis. Rith sí chuige agus sin é nuair a chonnaic Seán sa cheart cad é an saghas í cad é an cor a bhí ceaptha aici a thabhairt do. 37. The master left him and Seán loosed the cows into the forest. He spent a good while there because he had no fear of anything after the feat of courage he had done the day before. He wasn't too long in the forest when he heard a noise which was greater than that which he had heard two days before. He looked about him and it wasn't long before he saw the old woman coming and she had a vicious appearance on her,. Her two eyes were blazing and her hair was standing on end. "Destruction on you, you ugly wretch," she said, "Was it you who killed my two sons the day before yesterday ?" "It was, and I'll kill you too today !" said Seán. She didn't stay to make any further talk with him. She ran at him and that was when Seán saw what she had planned to do to him.       38. Do bhí sé troighthe go leith ar faid is gach aon aon iongain a bhí uirthe agus seacht bpúint chruaidh ar barra gach aon iongan aca, agus í ag iarraidh breith air idir a ladharacha mar dá bhfaghadh sí greim air do chuirfeadh sí na h- iongna seo tríd o thaobh taobh. Do lúigh sé ar é féin a chosaint le n-a chleith, uirthe, agus ag léimrigh anonn 's anall agus an chailleach a' leanúint i gcómhnui. Do bhíodar ar an slí sin ar feadh dá uair a chloig, ag gabháil dá chéile agus bhí Seán bog-chortha aici mar do bhí lámha agus iongna na caillighe ró-fhada do'n chleith agus ní fheadadh sé buille a chuir isteach uirthe. 'S an am san, feachaint dh'ár thug Sén thairis, chonnaic sé crann mór daraige, tamall uaidh agus chuaidh sé de léim go dtí é agus bhuail sé a dhrom leis. "Anois a chaillichín ghranna," ars' seisean, "biodh geall ná tiocfair ag triall orm !". 38. He was about a foot and a half away from her and she was stretching every fingernail towards him with seven claws on each finger as she tried to to grab him between her fingers because if she did she would be able to stick her fingernails through him. He defended himself from her with his club and he jumped from side to side with the hag following him. They were like that for about two hours and Seán was almost worn out because her fingers an nails were too long for the club and he couldn't get a blow in on her. Then he looked about him and saw a a big oak tree some distance away and he made a leap towards it then put his back to it. "Now you ugly hag," he said, " you'll be sorry you came after me !" 39. D'éirigh an chailleach de léim as a corp as an áit 'na raibh sí fé n-a dhéin cun a h-iongna do ropadh trí Seán agus tríd an gcrann. Nuair a bhí sí ag déanamh air isteach, chuaidh Sé de léim ar an dtaobh eile de'n chrann. Mar do bhí an fuinneamh leis an gcailligh níor fhéad sí baint uaithe féin chun gur chuir sí a h-iongna tríd an gcrann, do chrom sé ar iad a bharradh le n-a chleith chun gur bharr sé iad go leir. " 'S eadh anois, a chaillichín," arsa Seán, "cad fhéadfair a dhéanamh. " do steac sí an crann, geal leis as a phréamhchaibh. Nuair a fuair Seán an crann, geall leis, stractha aici, do bhuail, sé leis an gcleith í agus ar linn tuiteamh di, do strac sí an crann ar fad as a phreamhchaibh agus thit sí féin agus an crann ar an dtalamh. "Bainfidh mé an ceann díot anois ar mo shuaimhneas," arsa Seán. "Ná déan," ars' ise,"agus tabharfaidh mé dhuit an t-each caol bán atá agam chomh geal leis an sneachta agus mo chulaidh eadaigh nár theip riamh i n-aon chath agus leath mo ríochta anois a's mo ríocht go léir ó m'bhás amach." "Beidh siad sin agus do cheann agam a chaillichín," arsa Seán. D'eirigh sé as a corp agus bhuail sé buille de'n chleith ari/s uirthe agus bhain sé an ceann di. Tharraing sé gad trid a cuid ghruaige agus chroc sé an ceann suas ar geag crainn agus chomáin sé leis abhaile na ba. 39. The hag jumped out of the place where she as and tried to tried to stick her fingernails through Seán. As she got close Seán jumped to the other side of the tree and because she struck with such force, she wasn't able to prevent her fingernails going completely through the tree and he immediately started to bend over the nails with his club, so that she couldn't withdraw them. "Ah, you ugly little hag," said Sea/n, "what can you do now!" She almost uprooted the tree out of the grass sods. When Seán found that the tree was almost torn to pieces by her, he hit her with the club and as she fell, she split the tree entirely and both she and the tree fell to the ground. "I'll cut your head off now at my leisure," said Seán. "Oh, don't," she said, "and I'll give you the the steed that's almost as white as snow and my suit of amour that never yet failed in any battle and half my kingdom now and all of it when I die." "I'll have them all now and your head as well," said Seán. He got up and gave her another blow with the club and cut her head off. He pulled a rope through her hair and hung the head up on the branch of a tree, then he drove the cows home       We would like to acknowledge that, because of unavoidable condensing, necessary for fitting this tale into the space available, some alteration in plot has had to be made. Courtesy of Jack & Vivian, IrishPage.com March 2024 Ar mbuiochas le Caoimhghín Ó Brolcháin ar son a chabhair leis an nGaedhilge Click here for A menu of all past Episodes. Replay background music: The Mountains of Morne> Filleadh go clár scéalta Click icon above to go back to story index