|
YN DAA LHIANNOO FERISH.
|
THE FAIRY TWINS.
|
|
Ayns glion coon, ta dowin ayns mean yn Ellan ta boghlane dy henn tholtan ta jiu ry akin, boayl va cliaghtey ve thie feer yesh as bwaagh.
|
In a narrow glen deep in the mountains ol the Island, where once stood a neat little cottage, is to be seen to-day an old ruin.
|
|
Ymmoddee bleeantyn er-dy-henney, tra va “Yn Stanlagh Mooar,” ny ree harrish “Mannin veg veen,” va bochil as e ven doaieagh baghey cooidjagh ayns y thie shen, as s’maynrey v’ad dy jarroo, son, mysh toshiaght yn arree, va ruggit lannoonyn daue, as ren yn voir boandyrys lesh kiarail veigh ad.
|
Many years ago, when “The Great Stanley” was King over “Mannin Veg Veen” there were dwelling in this cottage a worthy shepherd and his wife, and happy enough they were indeed, for, about the first of spring, were born twins unto them, and their mother nursed them very tenderly.
|
|
Er laa dy row, tra va’n bochil mooie er ny sleityn, jeeaghyn lurg ny kirree, haink ben naboo dys y thie, as ren ee shirrey er yn ven thie dy heet maree fegooish cumrail, son va’n ayr eck er e lhiabbee-vaaish.
|
One day, when the shepherd was out on the mountain looking after the sheep, a neighbour woman came to the cottage, and she asked the woman of the house to come with her without delay, for her father was on his death bed.
|
|
Nish va thie y naboo foddey jeh, as cha row ben y thie booiagh goll, as faagail yn daa lhiannoo veen lioroo-hene ayns y thie ny lomarcan, son cheayll ee dy row ry-akin sheshaght jeh’n “vooinjer veggey”, ayns y ghlion yn laa roish shen. Ny-yeih, ren ee myr va’n naboo er ny hirrey urree, as hie ee maree.
|
Now, the neighbour’s honse was far away, and the woman did not wish to go and leave the two dear children by themselves in the house alone, for she had heard that there had been seen a troop of the “little people” in the glen the day before. However, she did as the eighbour begged her, and went, along with her.
|
|
Cha leah’s oddagh ee, haink ee thie, agh huitt aggle mooar as yindys urree tra honnick ee mysh feed ferish ayns ny fillaghyn-beggey gorrym çhea ersooyl fud ny biljyn, er-gerrey da’n thie, ga nagh row eh agh mun-laa. Roie ee stiagh, agh va’n daa lhiannoo ayns y clean as fakin dy row dy-chooilley red ayns y thie myr ve roie.
|
As soon as she was able she returned home, but great was her fear and wonder when she saw some twenty fairies in short blue skirts vanish away among the trees near to the house, though it was but midday. She ran in, but the two children were in one cradle and everything as usual.
|
|
Lurg yn bochil v’eh er-jeet thie ayns yn astyr, dinsh yn ven thie da ooilley v’er daghyrt j’ee, agh tra cheayll eh yn skeeal, ren eh toshiaght dy ghearey, as ayns traa giare hug ee yn imnea eck er-gooyl.
|
When the shepherd came home in the evening, she told him what had happened, but when he heard the tale he began to laugh, and in a short time she put her anxiety away.
|
|
Hie mee ny jees shaghey, as fy-yerrey ren yn voir smooinaghtyn dy row red ennagh aggairagh, son, ga va ny lannoonyn gee myr veagh accrys mooar dy kinjagh orrroo, daa row ad gaase veg smoo, as cha daink rieau fockle ass nyn meeal agh keayney, lesh scoylgagh graney.
|
A month or two went past, and at last the mother thought there was something wrong, for, though the twins did eat as if they were always greatly hungry, they did not grow at all, and never a word came out of their mouths but screeching and melancholy cries.
|
|
As myrgeddin va drogh neeal er nyn eddin cha quaagh as grouw dy row yn voir fo aggle reesht. Tra cheayll yn bochil dy row aggle urree reesht, ren eh gamman j’ee, agh cha hrog ee y chree lesh ooilley shenn, as fy-yerrey, dooyrt eh ree:
|
And also their aspect was so strange and gloomy that the mother’s fear returned to her. When the shephers heard that she was afraid again he mocked at her, but her heart was not lightened by that, and, at last, says he to her:
|
|
“My nee oo yn coyrle ayms y ghoaill hed oo dys shenn Chaillag-ny-Faihteag er Cronk Fedjag, son ta fys echey er dy-chooilley red fo’n ghrian; nee eh cur yn coyrle share dhyts ta er ny gheddyn eddyr yn daa cheayn.”
|
“I would recommend thee to go to the old prophet wizard on Cronk Fedjag, for he knows everything under the sun; he will give thee the best advice that can be got between the two seas.”
|
|
“Hem’s,” dooyrt yn ven.
|
“I will go” answered the wife.
|
|
Myr shen, dirree yn ven thie seose dy moghey laa-ny-vairagh, as hie ee harrish sleityn mooar as raaidyn garroo as cassanyn camlaagagh dys haink ee dys Cronk-ny-Fedjag, as eisht dinsh ee yn seaghyn eck da’n Faihteag.
|
So, early in the next morning, the woman rose and went away over great mountains and rugged country and zig-zag paths until she came to Cronk Fedjag, and there she told her distress to the wizard.
|
|
Tra cheayll yn Faihteag yn skeeal, dooyrt eh r’ee: “Ta dty heaghyn trome dy jarroo, agh neem ny oddyms er-dty-hon. Tra hig y fouyr bee ny deiney ayns y vagher, agh bee uss freayll thie. Nish tra t’ou uss kiartagh yn jinnair cour ny beayneeyn mysh traa-lhongee, shegin dhyts ymmodee dy vleaystyn oohyn y ghoaill, as jean broit jeh.
|
When the wizard heard the story, says he to her: “Thy trouble is heavy indeed, but I will do what I can for thee.” When the harvest comes the men will be reaping in the field, but thou wilt be keeping house. Now, when thou art preparing dinner for the reapers about noon thou must take a number of egg shells and make broth of them.
|
|
Tra ta’n broit aarlit, shegin dhyts goll magh dys y dorrys as lhig ort dy vel oo gyllagh er ny beayneeyn, shirrey orroo dy heet thie dys jinnair. Eisht shass raad t'ou, as eaisht rish cre ta ny lannoonyn gra.
|
When the broth is ready thou must go to the door, and pretend that thou art summoning the reapers to come to dinner. Then stand still and listen to what the twins will say.
|
|
My chluinys oo ad y haggloo mysh nheeghyn dorraghey, ny nheeghyn ro-chreeney son paitçhyn, gow greim orroo ny neesht ry-cheilley. jean siyr as ceau ayns yn awin ad. Agh my v’ad feagh, gyn boirey as keayney myr v’ad cliaghtey, ny cur laue orroo eddyr.”
|
If thou hearest them speaking of things dark, or things over-wise for infants, lay hold of both, make haste and cast them into the river. But if they are quiet, or troublesome and crying as usual, do not put a hand on them at all.”
|
|
Myr shen, tra haink laa ny buinn, ghow yn voir coyrle Caillagh-ny-Faihteag, as ren ee er e raa, as tra v’ee ny shassoo ec y dorrys geaishtagh rish ny yinnagh ny paiitchyn gra, cheayll ee garaghtee injil, neu-ghooghyssagh er-e-gooyl, as eisht dooyrt unnane jeu rish e heshey:—
|
So, when the reaping day came, the mother did according as Caillag-ny-Faihteag had instructed her, and, when she stood at the door listening to what the children would say, she heard a low unnatural laugh behind her, and then one said to his fellow : —
|
|
“Shimmey red honnick mee
|
“Many a thing have I seen
|
|
Er daink mee dys y theill;
|
Since I have come to the world;
|
|
Shimmey kesmad hooyll mee,
|
Many a step have I walked,
|
|
Ayns my yeih keead blein rouail.
|
In my thousand years of roaming.
|
|
Va fys aym dy row berish ayn roish thammagh,
|
I knew a berry was before a bush,
|
|
As va fys aym dy row ooh ayn roish Kiark:
|
And I knew an egg was before a hen,
|
|
Agh cha naik mee rieau er y thalloo,
|
But never in my life I ever saw,
|
|
Veih Kione-ny-Harey dys y Cholloo,
|
From the Point of Ayre to the Calf,
|
|
Currit da beayneeyn er y vagher
|
Given to reapers on the field
|
|
Lheid y broit bleaystyn ny oohyn shoh.”
|
The like of this egg-shell broth.”
|
|
Eisht, roie ee stiagh, ghow ee greim orroo ass y clean, as ceau ee ad ayns yn awin. Cha leah’s ren ad faagail ny laueyn eck hug ad er scoylgagh — dy tappee haiuk “ny vooinjer veggey,” seose ass yn awin dy hauail ad voish lheid yn cronney.
|
Thereat, she ran in, caught them out of the cradle, and threw them into the river. As soon as they left her hands they put to shrieking — quickly came “the little people” up out of the river to save them from such a fate.
|
|
Eisht, hrog ad orroo dys cronk beg glass ec bun ny glionney lesh garaghtee craidolagh, floutagh, as ayns shallid hie ad ass shilley fo ’halloo.
|
Then they carried them to a little green mound at the bottom of the glen, with mocking, jeering laughter, and in the twinkling of an eye they vanished under the ground.
|
|
As tra haink yn voir thie reesht, hooar ee yn daa lhiannoo villish veen eck-hene, ny hoie, slane follym, ayns y clean. Hug ee y phaagey daue, as v’ad gennal er-bastal, as hroggit va cree ny mayrey lesh wheesh dy voggey.
|
And when the mother returned home, she found her two dear children lying, whole and sound, in the cradle. She kissed them, they smiled pleasantly, and the mother’s heart was filled with joy.
|
|
S. MORRISON.
|
S. MORRISON.
|
|
|
A reference to Jacob’s “Celtic- Fairy Tales” will show that this story is one of the many stories common to the folk-lore of various countries. This will make it none the less interesting to Manx readers, who will find the Manx rendering in many ways more striking and dramatic.
|