The book Arran; - Cook Clan

260 THE BOOK OF ARRAN
cidsin tuathanaich an Eirinn far an robh bean-an-taighe 'na laighe
ri uchd a' bhais, agus gach scan chailleach 's an ^ite a' frithealadh
dhi. Ann am priobadh na sWa spiol na sithichean a' bhean bhochd
air falbh, agus dh'fhag iad 'na h-aite ploc fiodha an cruth na mnatha.
An sin thog iad orra thun an dachaidh air a' cheart d6igh anns an d'
fhag iad, 'us Macmhurchaidh agus bean an tuathanaich 'nan cuideachd.
Nuair a rainig iad an cnocan-sithe an Druim-a-ghineir, thug iad a'
bhean do Macmhurchaidh airson gu'n deachaidh e leotha do dh'
Eirinn, 'us dh'fhan i leis mar a bhean-ph6sda.
Seachd bliadhna an deidh so, air feasgar blath samhraidh thainig
deirceach bochd Eirionnach an rathad agus air dha bhi sgith, shuidh
e air a' chloich-chnotaidh ^ ri taobh dorus Mhicmhurchaidh. Bha
bean-an-taighe a' bleoghan nam bd agus gach uair a rachadh i seachad
eadar a' bhathaich 's an taigh-bainne, theireadh an d6irceach :
' Ma tk,
mux bitheadh gu'n do chuir mi mo bhean le mo dha laimh fh^in anns
a' chiste-mhairbh mhionnaichinn gu "m bu tusa i.' B'e deireadh
an sge6il gu'n d'fhalbh a' bhean leis an deirceach Eirionnach—
fear-posda dUgheach.
THE FAIRIES
A long time ago a band of fairies had their abode in Cnoc 'ic
Eoghain in Druimaghineir. They and a certain farmer named
MacMurchie were very friendly with each other. He would often
be going to visit them, but always took the precaution to thrust a
knife, a darning-needle or a piece of iron of that kind above the
door so as to keep the way clear for him to come out. One of the
nights on which he went to visit them, he found them all assembled
on the top of the hillock, busily preparing for some journey. Each
one of them pulled a ragwort, and having repeated some mystic
words they went astride the ragwort, and up they went into the air
as light as a feather. MacMurchie did the same thing, he pulled
a ragwort, went astride on it, and having repeated the fairy words
up he goes after them as swiftly and lightly as any of themselves.
They directed their course over beyond the Mull of Kintyre by the
shortest route to Ireland. In a short time MacMurchie found himself
' Also called ' clach-chnocaidli ' locally.
a