Eachtraí na hÓige: IV (1954)

Áralt Ó Tnúthail, composed in Toronto, Ontario

“Ní raibh Micheál ach bliain go leith nuair chuir sé a chabhair beag romham. Ní raibh cúnamh uaim an lá sin agus ní bhfuaireas é in aon chor, ach seo mar an scéal.

Bhíos ag tógailt fuinneoige stoirme síos san tsiléar. Tar éis tamaillín tháinig bean an tí le cupán caife maith te. Thiteas ar an gcathaoir a bhí ann agus ghlac ar an gcupán. D’inis mo bhean cad a bhí á dhéanamh suas san cistín.

‘Ó! bhuel, níl deireadh leis an obair fós,’ arsa mise. ‘Beidh sí críochnaithe i gceann cúpla uaire nó mar sin de.’

Shíneas amach mo láimh, ach ní raibh an casúr ann agus ach an rud ba mheasa, ní raibh Michilín san tsiléar. Chuaigh mé suas agus amach san gáirdín. Mo bhrón!!!

Cad a chonaic mé ach an stócach ag buail’ ar bhfuinneoga siléair mo chomharsain. Do bhí triúir cearnóige gloine briste aige agus bhí sé ag triail na blúiríní beaga gloine do chur amach leis an gcasúr. Ag tógailt fuinneoige a bhí sé, beannacht Dé ar an rógaire.

Chaith mé uair an chloig ag an obair gloine do chur isteach sna bhfuinneoga sin.”

---

“Micheál wansn’t but a year and a half when he helped me a little bit. I didn’t need help that day and I didn’t get it in any way, but here is the story.

I was building a storm window down in the cellar. After a while the woman of the house came with a good hot cup of coffee. I fell into the chair that was there and I accepted the cup. My wife told me what she was making up in the kitchen.

‘Oh! well, The work isn’t done yet,’ I said. ‘It will be finished in a couple hours, round about.’

I stretched out my hand, but the hammer wasn’t there and even worse, Michilín wasn’t in the cellar. I went up and out into the garden. Alas!!!

What did I see but the young fellow striking on the cellar windows of my neighbour. He had broken three glass panes and he was trying to knock out the little fragments of glass with the hammer. Building windows he was, the blessing of God on the rascal.

I spent an hour working to put glass into those windows.”

Adapted from: Ó Tnúthail, Áralt. 1954. “Eachtra na hÓige.” Irisleabhar Ceilteach. 2.3. Cló Chluain Tairbh: Toronto.

For citation, please use: Ó Tnúthail, Áralt. 1954. “Eachtra na hÓige: IV.” Ó Dubhghaill, Dónall. 2024. Na Gaeil san Áit Ró-Fhuar. Gaeltacht an Oileáin Úir: www.gaeilge.ca