uair a chonnaic an mháthair a leanbh ag imeacht as a radharc do tháinig buartha uirthe
agus do bhí aon deoir amhain do ghaibh sí n-a hainnciosúr titithe uaithe nuair a
chuimhnigh sí ar an gcómhairle thug an Madra dhi. Agus ise ag féachaint ar a
hainnciosúr is amhlaidh a bhí fáinne déanta de'n deóir a bhí silte aice agus do
bhuail sí ar a méir an fáinne agus bhí sé an-oireamhneach di. Bhí sí ag
féachaint ar an bhfáinne agus tháinig ana-bhuairt uirthe i dtaobh an deóir a bhí
silte aice acht do chroth sí suas í féin. Le na linn sin, cé phreab chuiche ná Madra
na nOcht gCos ar a haghaidh amach agus gealach n-a dhá shúil le neart feirge agus
dúirt sé lei, Níor dhéinis mo chomhairle agus mar sin ní bheidh agat anseo acht
tig fuar dealbh agus comh maith le sin, ní fheicfir mise de ló nó d'oiche go cheann
chúig mblian. D'imthig sé ansan agus do bhí chúig bliana fada uaigneacha aici i
mbothán dealbh gan daoine. Ní tuisce bhí sé imithe ná tháinig an t-athrú a dúirt
sé ar an dtig.
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38. When the mother saw her child disappearing she was very upset and she let a single tear
fall into her handkerchief when she remembered the advice which the Dog with Eight Legs
had given her.
As she looked at the tear in her handkerchief she saw that it had changed
into a ring. She put it onto her finger and it fitted perfectly. As she was gazing at the
ring she grew very sad that she had shed the tear, but she gathered herself together. At
this time, who should come towards her but the Dog with Eight Legs and there was fire in
his eyes with anger and he told her, You didn't follow my instructions and because of
that you will only have this cold miserable hovel to live in and as well as that, you
won't see me by day or by night, for the next five years. He went off then and it was
five long, lonely years that she had, completely alone in the poor, bare hovel. He was no
sooner gone than the change which he had spoken of came on the house.
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39. Nuair a bhí na cuig bliana caithte ná tháinig sé ag triall uirthe arís agus dúirt
sé lei gluaiseacht uirthe mar go gcaithfeadh sí an áit seo fhágaint anois. Níor thug
sé aon marchiocht di i n-aon chor i n-aon áit dar ghaibh sé. Níor fhág sé aon
achrann ná fluichara ná choillte ná drisleacha gan siúl lei ar feadh an lae. Do bhí
a cuid éadaigh go léir strachaithe agus a lán d'á croicheann géartha ó'n achrann
go léir gur ghaibh sé léi. Nuair a tháinig an oiche, thaispeán sé di botháinín ar
thaobh an bhóthar agus dúirt sé lei dul isteach ann agus bheith istigh iarraidh ar son
Mhadra na nOcht gCos agus mbuailfeadh sé féinig síos suas dó féinig féachaint an
bhfaghadh sé aon ní le n-ithe. "Agus," ar seisean, "táirse go dtí an áit seo tar éis
do bhreicfeásta a dh'ithe ar maidin amáireach agus béadsa annso romhat."
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39. When the five years were up, he came in a great hurry to her again and said that she
should make haste because she must leave this place now. He set off and he in the shape
of a dog again but this time he didn't give her any ride anywhere he went. He did not
leave any brambly place in the forest that he did not lead her into throughout the whole
day....All her clothes were rent and torn and a lot of her skin was scratched by the
entanglements he took her through. When night came, he pointed out a miserable little
house by the roadside and told her to go in and ask for lodging for the night for the
sake of the Dog with Eight Legs and that he himself would search up and down for
something to eat..."And," he said, "Come to this place tomorrow, as soon as you have had
your breakfast and I will be here before you."
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40. Chuaidh sí isteach agus d'iarr sí loistín na hoiche ar son Mhadra na nOcht gCos.
"Gheóbhair agus fáilte, acht ní le grá dhuit é !"
Níor fhuair an bhanprionsa aon ní
le n-ithe acht ní ann is mó a bhí suim aice 'á chur acht i ngarsúin a bhí ag
rástáil síos suas ar fud an tí do féin agus do shamhlaigh sí go raibh sé ar an
ngarsún ba deise do chonnaic sí riamh. Nuair éirigh sí ar maidin do fuair sí saghas
eigin breifeásta agus d'ith sí é agus beagán fonn uirthe.
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40. She went in and asked for lodging for the night for the sake of the Dog with Eight
Legs. "You will get it, and welcome but not for love of you !" The princess got nothing to
eat but she paid that no heed . Her whole attention was taken by a little boy who was
racing up and down throughout the house for himself and she thought that he was the most
beautiful little boy she had ever seen. When she arose in the morning she got some sort of
breakfast and she ate it with little enjoyment.
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41. Do bhi si d'a socru fein chun imeacht nuair a dhuirt bean a' ti lei: "An bhfuilleann
tu ag imeacht anois ?" "Taim," arsa sise. "Imigh, ma's eadh, agus beir leat do mhac agus is
olc an gno ata agam le breis is seacht mbliana, arsa bean an ti, a chothu duit agus sid e
annan e agat agus tog leat uaim an doras amach e agus na filleadh a thuille orm."
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41. She was getting herself ready to depart when the woman of the house said to her, "Are
you going ?" "I am," she said. "Go then and take your child with you for I've had great
trouble looking after him for you for more than seven years," said the woman. "Take him out
the door now and don't ever come back ! "
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42. Do rug an bhanphrionsa ar lamh ar an ngarsúin agus do thóg sí lei é agus nuair a
chuadar amach go dtí san áit gur fhág sí an Madra an oiche roimhe sin, do bhí sé
ann cheanna féin. Do chomáin sé leis arís i gcaitheamh an lae tré gach aon áit
silleathacht agus da acharnaighe do bhuail uime agus do lean an bheanphrionsa agus an
garsúinín é comh maith is d'fhéadadar chun gur tháinig an oiche arís ortha. Dúirt
an Madra lei dul isteach i mbotháinín ar thaobh an bhóthar agus iarr bheith istigh i
gcóir na hoiche ar son an Madra na nOcht gCos agus go mbfhéidir go bhfaghadh sí é agus
amáireach tar éis an breicfásta bheit ithte aice teacht go dtí an áit seo agus go
mbeadh sé fein ag feitheamh uirthe. Chuaidh sí isteach agus d'iarr.
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42. The princess got hold of the little boy's hand and took him with her when they left
and when they got to the agreed place the Dog was waiting there for her already.
Well, he
kept on the whole day through every difficult and dripping place and the princess and the
little boy followed as well as they were able until the night fell on them once more. The
Dog told her to go into a little wretched hovel at the side of the road and to ask for
lodging for the night and perhaps she would get it. And that he would be waiting for her
at this place tomorrow after she had eaten her breakfast. She went in and asked as she
had been told.
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43. Gheobhar, acht ní le grá dhuit é acht ar son an Mhadra na nOcht gCos, mar ní fiú
tusa aoinní do thabhairt duit ná do dhéanamh duit.
"Ní bhfuair sí aon ní fhóganta
ann i gcómhair na hoiche acht gach aon ní da olcas. Níor chuir sí acht beagán súime
ar an ndroch-chóir a bhí aici a fháil mar do thóg garsúinín a bhí ag rith síos
suas ar fud an tí a haigne ar fad: níl aon áit go ngabhadh sé ná go mbíodh sí ag
féachaint air i gcaoi gur thug bean a' tí fé ndeara í agus duirt lei gur dreathár
do'n gharsún san a bhí i n-éinfheacht lei sin. Agus is olc an gnó atá agamsa, arsa
sise 'á chothú dhuit le morán aimsire agus caithfir a bhreith leat ar maidin. Do
thaithn an tárna garsún i bhfad níos fearr ná an chéad garsún 'dtaobh is gur
shámhlaigh sí ná féadfadh sí aoinne d'fheiscint do bheadh ní-sa bhreátha ná é
agus da mhéid trioblóid aigne a bhí uirthi do dhéin sé sasamh mór aigne uirthe a
leanbh a bheith le fáil aici ar maidin.
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43. "You will get shelter indeed, but not for any love for yourself but out of regard for
the Dog with Eight Legs, for you are not worth doing anything for or giving anything to.
The princess didn't get anything very nice that night but everything that was of the
poorest. However she paid no attention to that because her whole mind was occupied by a
little boy who was running up and down the house. There was no place he would go that she
wouldn't be watching him so that at last the woman of the house noticed and told her that
he was the brother of the one she had with her. And it's a bad time I had of it looking
after him for you for a long time and you must take him with you in the morning. She liked
the second boy much more than the first because she thought that she had never seen
anything more beautiful than him. And no matter how much trouble of mind she had it was a
great comfort to her that she would have her child to take with her tomorrow morning.
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44. Nuair a bhí saghas bréicfásta ithte ag an bhanphrionsa ar maidin amáireach, do
thug an bhean a' tí chuiche a beirt mhac agus dúirt sí lei iad san a thógaint lei
agus gan filleadh annso a thuille. Do thog sí lei a béirt mhac agus i dtaobh san is
eile bhí athas uirthe iad a bheith i n-éinfheacht lei. Do chomáineadar leo agus do
bhuail an Madra leo fé mar a dúirt sé lei aréir roimhe sin agus do chomáin se roimpe
amach trí gach áit da-mífhortúnaigh i gcaitheamh an lae. Nuair a bhí an oiche ag
teacht ortha do bhuail botháinín eile leo agus dúirt an Madra leis an bhanphrionsa
lena beirt mac dul annsan agus lóistín na h-oiche iarraidh ann ar son Mhadra na nOcht
gCos. Agus buailfeadsa annso síos suas dom féinig féachaint an bhfaghainn aoinní le
n-ithe dom féin. arsa seisean.
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44. When she had eaten some sort of breakfast the next morning, the woman of the house
gave her her two boys and told her to take them with her and never to return there again.
She took the two boys and was only delighted to have them with her never mind what the
woman said to her. They continued on and the Dog met them as he had arranged the previous
day and off he went before them through every misfortunate place as ever they had met
the day before and she and the two boys were in a wretched state by the evening. When
night was falling they came to another wretched hovel and the Dog told them to go in and
ask for lodging for the night for the sake of the Dog with Eight Legs, ... and I don't
know whether you'll get anything or not but whatever, I'll meet you here tomorrow morning
and now I'll go up and down searching for something to eat for myself.
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45. Chuaidh siad isteach agus is é an chéad rud a chonnaic sí nuair a chuaidh sí
isteach garsúinín gleóite go léir agus é ar leath-shúil. Táim a d'iarraigh bheith
istigh, arsa sise, dom féin agus dom' bheirt mhac ar son Mhadra na nOcht gCos. Lena
linn sin, do phreab chuiche anuas seómra do bhí suas ó'n dteine bean luath, laidir,
calma agus faobhar nimhe uirthe agus dúirt sí, Tánn tú agam insa deire agus ní
fheadar cionnus a chornóghaidh mé mo lámha ort gan tú stracadh as a chéile, arsa
ise, - agus le n-a linn sin do chuaidh sí i n-achrann innti agus dúirt sí lei,
Tabhair dom i leith súil mo leinbh. Cá bhfaghainn-se súil do leinbh ? arsa an
bhanprionsa.
Tá sí mar fháinne ar do mhéir, arsa bean an tí, ag bhreith ar a lámh
agus ag strachadh an fháinne anuas d'á meir. Do dhéin sí anonn ar an ngarsún annsan
agus do bhuail sí isteach an fáinne san áit go raibh easnamh na súl air agus ní
túisce chuir sí an fáinne ann ná tháinig an tsúil agus an radharc innti comh maith
leis an gceann eile i dtreó ná haithneóchadh aoinne go raibh sí riamh as. - Suídhidh
chun na teine ar aon chuma, arsa ise leis an mbanphrionsa,i dtaobh is nach le hurraim
agus le grá duitse táim acht le hurruim agus le grá do Mhadra na nOcht gCos agus dá
triúr mac athá annso.
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45. In they went and the first thing she saw was a beautiful boy all together and he only
had one eye. I am here asking for lodging for the night for myself and my two sons for
the sake of the Dog with Eight Legs, she said. At that a big, strong, rough woman burst
down from another room that was to one side of the fireplace and she had a fierce face on
her. I have you at last and I don't know how I am keeping my hands from tearing you to
pieces, she said. With that she grabbed hold of the princess and said, Give me the
child's eye !
Where would I get a child's eye ? asked the princess. You have it there as
a ring on your hand, said the woman, seizing her hand and tearing the ring from her
finger. She went over to the boy and put the ring into the place where his eye was
missing and no sooner had she done that than the boy got an eye and his sight as well
as the other so that no-one could tell the difference between them. Sit in to the fire
anyway, said the woman, though it's only for the sake of the Dog with Eight Legs and his
three sons trhat you are here and that I am doing it.
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46. Do shuíeadar agus do thug an bhean a' tí gach choir dá fheabhas agus dá
bhreáthacht do'n triúr mac agus níor thug sí aon ní fóghanta do'n mháthair. Tar
éis a breicfeást a dh'ithe ar maidin amáireach do thug an bhanprionsa a haghaidh
ar an ndorus chun imeacht. Fill isteach orm, arsa bean an tí. D'iompaigfh sí isteach.
Caidé an gnó atá agat diom? arsa sise. An fhad a bheith uisce ag rith ná féar ag
fás, ná fill ormsa annso arís mar n'i fhéadainn mé fein a chosaint ort gan tú
strachadh as a chéile agus bí bhuioch go maith dhiom tú léagaint slán anois.
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46. They sat in and the woman of the house gave everything of the best and finest to the
three sons but she didn't give anything worthwhile to the mother. After the breakfast was
eaten next morning, the princess turned for the door to go. Come back here to me, said
the woman of the house, She came back in and asked,
What business have you now with me ?
As long as water runs or grass grows, don't you ever return here for I wouldn't be able
to keep my hands from tearing you to pieces. And be thankful that I am letting you go
safely now, she said.
to be continued
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