Transcript

Do chuas lá Domhnaigh go dtí an tAifreann le cois m'athar. Agus nuair a bhí an tAifreann léite d'iompaigh sé abhaile ón séipéal agus mise ina dhiaidh, é féin agus comharsa dhó. Bhí sé ag cur de romham amach agus do thugas-sa neamhshuim ann agus do chuaigh sé amú orm. Ansan do chuas as an mbóthar agus do bhíos ag gol. Do chuas timpeall ceathrú mhíle agus do chonac go raibh tigh scoile ansan. Do chasas thar n-ais agus do thánag ar an mbóthar arís. Do bhuail comharsain 'om ann agus d'aithin sé mé.

"A Shéamais," ar seisean, "cad tá ort?" ar seisean.

"Táim amú," arsa mise. "Bhíos le cois mh'athar agus d'imigh sé uaim," arsa mise, "agus ní aimseoinn an bóthar."

Do rug sé ar láimh orm agus do thug sé abhaile mé go dtí mh'athair agus mo mháthair agus do bhíodar ana-bhaoch de.

Translation

One Sunday I went to Mass along with my father. And when the Mass was read he headed home from the church and I was behind him, him and a neighbour of his. He was heading off in front of me and I didn't pay attention to him and I lost him. Then I went off the road and I was crying. I went about a quarter of a mile and I saw that there was a schoolhouse there. I turned back and found the road again. A neighbour of mine bumped into me there and he recognized me.

"Séamas," he said, "what's wrong?" he said.

"I'm lost," I said. "I was with my father and he went away from me," I said, "and I couldn't find the road."

He took me by the hand and he brought me home to my father and mother and they were very grateful to him.

Commentary

This story is a personal anecdote about the author getting lost when he was a child and does not appear to contain any particular folkloric content.