Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 17, 1906.djvu/229

 "Failt' ort fhein, fhir crom an fhasaich. Co as an drasd' a thainig thu ? "

"Thainig mi a fonn 'us fearann 'us m' fhasach fhein."

"De chuir fonn 'us fearann 'us fasach agadsa, agus sinne gun fonn 'us gun fearann againne?"

"Mo chruas 'us mo luathas 'us mo laidireachd fein, agus gun agadsa, a bheist, na bheir bhuam iad." "De tha thu ag iarruidh air a bheathach so?" putting his hand on one of the oxen.

(Welcome to you yourself, bent man of the wilderness. Whence have you come just now? / I have come from my own land and country and wilderness. / What gave you land and country and wilderness, and us without land and without country of our own? / My own hardihood and my swiftness and strength, and without you (having capacity), you beast, that would take them from me. What are you asking for this beast?)

They then proceed to haggle over the price. "Ten English pounds, or any figure," says the owner, whereupon the drover, pretending anger, and stamping the ground, says, " hat is dear, dear, dear" (tha sin daor, daor, daor), to which the other replies equally emphatically, "it is cheap, cheap, cheap " (tha e saor, saor, saor). The bargaining then goes on, but finally ends in a compromise. When the bargain is completed and payment either made or arranged for, the ox is marched off. The wrestling which follows between the drover and the ox representing no doubt the objection of the latter to leave its companions.

In the Long Island virtually the same game is played as follows:

All but one sit down in a row, as described above. The single individual stands in front of the row and addresses the one at the head of it. "Cait an do chuir thu an t-each mor briagh a thug mi dhuit an uiridh ? " " Dh'ith am madadh ruadh e, agus cha d'fhag e faighleach coraig dheth." "Can thusa ris a' mhadadh ruadh gun cuir mise da chluas chearr air."

(Where did you put the fine big horse I gave you last year? The fox ate it and he has not left a remnant of a finger of it. You say to the fox that I will put two wrong ears on him.)