Track Information
Original Track ID
SA1959.41.A3
Original Tape ID
SA1959.041
Summary
How an otter tricked a crofter.
There was a crofter from Loch Aoineart who came across an otter in a burn. He hit the otter, which then pretended to be dead. He grabbed its tail and put it over his shoulder. However, it was alive as ever, and bit him in the backside. He didn't want to let it go and, as he was sore anyway, decided to carry on back to the house. When he arrived, he asked his wife to kill it with the tongs. The otter moved just as she was about to strike it, and so the man himself received the blow to his back. He fell to the floor and the otter escaped out the door.
Recording Location
County - Inverness-shire
Parish - South Uist
Island - South Uist
Item Location
County - Inverness-shire
Parish - South Uist
Island - South Uist
Language
Gaelic
Genre
Story
Collection
SoSS
Transcription
Aonghas MacIllFhialain: 'S e feareigin ann an Loch Aoineart a-muigh ud, croitear, an àite ri 'n can iad Àirigh nam Ban, agus bha e a' coimhead chaorach anns a' bheinn an latha a bh' ann a sheo. Agus tha allt mòr a-muigh ann, agus 's e Allt [?Bholagair] an t-ainm a th' air. Dè a chunnaic e ann ach biast-dubh. Agus dh'fhalbh e às dèidh na bèiste-duibhe, agus fhuair e aon srac dhen bhata a thoir dhi agus [?stun e] a' bhiast-dubh. Leig i oirre fhèin gun robh i marbh. Rug e air earball oirre 's thilg e air a ghualainn i, agus bha a' bhiast-dubh cho beò 's a bha i riamh. Ach thionndaidh a' bhiast-dubh agus rug i air mhàs air, agus chuir i na fiaclan a thaobh gu chèile roimhe.
Cha robh fios aige dè rud a dhèanadh e. Nan leigeadh e às a' bhiast-dubh, dh'fhalbhadh i air, agus bha e air a lot co-dhiù. Ach smaointich e gun cumadh e aige i gu 'n ruigeadh e an taigh. Chùm e air aghaidh 's nuair a ràinig e an taigh bha a' bhean aige a-staigh, 's dh'iarr e air a' mhnaoi:
"Feuch am faigh thu an clobha," ars esan, "agus am marbh thu an donas sa a th' air mo mhuin, 's i an dèidh mo chur o fheum an t-saoghail," ars esan.
"Dè tha sin?" ars ise.
"Tha biast-dubh," ars esan. "Faigh an clobha, 's thoir deagh bhuille dhi," ars esan.
Dh'fhalbh a bhean 's fhuair i an clobha, 's ghabh ise... tharraing i an clobha a' dol a bhualadh na bèiste-duibhe, 's nuair a chunnaic a' bhiast-dubh an clobha a' tighinn, chuir i car innte fhèin 's fhuair an duine a' bhuille anns an druim, 's thuit e air an ùrlar. Leig e às a' bhiast-dubh, 's siud a-mach a' bhiast-dubh air an doras. Chaill e a' bhiast-dubh an dèidh a h-uile rud, 's cha robh e ach air a lot air sàillibh na bèiste-duibhe.