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Madra na n-ocht gCos - Dog with 8 legs VII

Conas a d'fhuair Banphrionsa Bláth a triur Páisti thar nais arís agus Conas dob'éigean dófa
Madra na nOcht gCos a leanúint tré'n gCoill agus Mactíre mór donn ar a dTóir."

How Princess Flower got her children back and how they had to follow the Dog with Eight Legs
on a long, weary journey through the forest and how they were chased by a big, brown WOLF ) -- Chapter VII

.

uair a bhí saghas breicfeásta ithte ag an bhanprionsa ar maidin amáireach, do thug an bhean a' tí chuiche a beirt mac agus dúirt sí lei iad a thógaint lei agus gan filleadh annso a thuille. Do thóg sí lei a beirt mac agus i dtaobh nár fhág caint bean a' tí puinn fonn uirthe,ina dhiaidh san is eile bhí athas uirthe an bheirt mac 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 aon áit da-mifhortúnaigh do bhuail uime i gcaitheamh an lae. Agus ba mhór an trua í féin agus a dá bhreánach gharsún chun na hoiche aige. Nuair a bhí an oiche ag teacht ortha do bhuail botháinín eile leo agus dúirt an Madra leis an bhanprionsa agus lena beirt mac, dul annsan agus lóistín na h-oiche iarraidh ann ar son Mhadra na hOcht gCos. "Agus, buailfeadsa annso síos suas dom féinig féachaint an bhfaghainn aon ní le n-ithe dom féin." arsa seisean, "agus tagaidh annso arís ar maidin amáireach tar éis 'úr mbreicfeast a dh'ithe má fagann sibh é agus beadsa annso romhaibh.

47. 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 and never to return there again. She took the two boys and was only too 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 they met the whole day and she and the two boys were in a wretched state by the evening. When the night as 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 after your breakfast and now I'll go up and down, searching for something to eat for myself."
48. 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'iarraidh 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 ón dtine, 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 sise, agus lena linn sin do chuaidh sí i n-achrann innti agus dúirt sí lei, "Tabhair dom i leith, súil an linbh." "Cá bhfaghainn-se súil do linbh ?" arsa an bhanprionsa. " Tá sí annsan mar fháinne ar do mhéir," arsa an bhean ag breith ar a lámh agus ag stracadh an fhainne anuas dá mhéir. Do dhein 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 radhac innti comh maith leis an gceann eile i dtreó ná haithneóchadh aoinne go raibh sí riamh as. "Suídhidh chun na tine ar aon chuma," arsa ise leis an mbanprionsa, "i dtaobh is nach le hurraim agus le grá duitse táim acht le hurraim agus le grá do Mhadra na nOcht gCos agus dá triúr mac athá annso."

48, In they went and the first thing she saw was a beautiful little 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'm keeping my hands off you and not to be tearing you to pieces," she said. With that she grappled with the princess and said, "Give me the child's eye !" "Where would I get your 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 as missing and no sooner had she done that than the boy got an eye and his sight as well a 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 and love for the Dog with Eight Legs and his three sons here that I am doing it."

49. Do shuíeadar agus do thug an bhean a' tí gach aon 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'iompaigh sí isteach. "Caidé an gnó atá agat diom ?" ar sise. "An fhad a bheith uisce ag rith ná féar ag fás, ná fill ormsa annso arís mar ní fhéadaim mé féin a cosaint ort gan tú stracadh as a chéile agus bí buioch go maith dhiom tú léagaint slán anois."

49. 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 her face for the door to go. "Come back in 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.

50. Do chomáin an bhanprionsa lei agus do chuir sí an bheirt mhac críonna ar a taobh deas agus an garsúinín óg ar a taobh clé agus do chuadar go dtí an áit 'nar fhág sí an Madra aréir roimhe sin agus bhí sé ann rompa. Do chomáin sé leis amach arís agus do ghluais an bhanprionsa agus a triúr clainne n-a dhiadh agus í ag glaoch air agus dh'a fhiafraige dhe an amhlaidh ná raibh aon toradh aige ar a thriúr clainne ná uirthe féin ná fánfadh sé leo agus ná labharfaigh sé amháin leo acht níor léigh sé air go n-áirigheadh sé í acht ag slabharáil leis tré gach aon saghas baill agus í a d'iarraidh é leanúint ar a dícheall agus ba deachair dí é mar bhí an beirt ba shine corrtha tar éis siúbhlóide an dá lae roimis sin agus ní raibh an ceann 'óg laidir a dhóthain.

50. The princess carried on and she put the two eldest on her right side and the youngest little boy on her left side and they went to the place where they had left the Dog the previous evening and he was there before them. He set out again and the princess and her three children following after and calling to him asking if he had no regard for his three children nor for herself and that he didn't even speak to them, but he never let on that he heard them only carried on splashing through every sort of place and she trying her best to follow though it was difficult for her since the two eldest were worn out by the walking of the two previous days and the young one wasn't strong enough.

51. B'in é an lá ba dícheallaighe rug riamh ar an mbanprionsa 'ghá dtarrac lei ar a bacalainn gach ré nduine aca agus go mór mhór an cheann ab' óige mar chaith sí é bhreith lei furmhór na slí. Níor bh'é sin ba chás léi acht radharc a choimead ar an Madra ar eagla go n-imtheóchadh sé as a radharc ma bhí sé ag chuir na slí dhe go himnioch. Do bhíodar ar an dtnáta sain go dtí meán lae chun gur casadh trí bhreac-coill iad a bhí achacarnach agus tamall isteach sa choill dóibh. Bhí an garsún ba shine fanta tamaillín n-a dhiaidh. D'airigh an mhathair liúgh aige dhá chur as agus d'fhéach sí n-a diaidh agus is amhlaidh a bhí an garsún ag teacht i dtanaiste an anama agus gach aon scread aige agus machtire ag rith n-a dhiaidh chun beirthe air.

51. That was the day when the princess had to do her best to carry each of them on her back and especially the youngest whom she had to carry most of the way. That wasn't her main concern but she had to try to keep the Dog in view in case he would go out of sight because he as travelling anxiously at a very fast pace. They were in a state of exhaustion until midday when they came to undergrowth that was a little distance into the forest. The eldest boy was lagging behind a little way. His mother heard him give a scream and she looked back and saw the boy running for fear of his life crying out as a wolf ran after him trying to grab hold of him.

to be continued

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. We have, however, tried to use own beautiful West Cork Gaelic as far as possible.

Courtesy of Jack & Vivian, IrishPage.com July 2024
Click here for Madra Chapter I
Click here for
Madra Chapter II
Click here for
Madra Chapter III
Click here for
Madra Chapter IV
Click here for
Madra Chapter V
Click here for
Madra Chapter VI
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Madra Chapter VII
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