Transcript

Bhí fear fadó ann agus bhí triúr mac aige. Dúirt sé (go gcuirfeadh) sé an triúr ansin dhá mbeathú ag fear eile. Tháinig an fear go dtí é agus rinne sé margadh leis.

"Anois," a deir sé, "tabhair caoireoil dho dhuine acu agus mairteoil dhon cheann eile agus muiceoil dhon cheann eile."

"Déanfad sin," a deir an fear.

I gceann bliana, tháinig an triúr mac go dtí é.

"Anois," a deir sé leis an mac is sine, "céard tá tusa in ann a dhéanamh?"

"Tá mé in ann caisleán a chaitheamh," a deir sé, "dho léim." Sin é fear na caoireola.

D'fhiafraigh sé dh'fhear na mairteola céard a bhí sé féin in ann a dhéanamh.

"Tá mé in ann crann ar bith dhá láidre," a deir sé, "a tharraingt as an talamh."

D'fhiafraigh sé dh'fhear na muiceola céard a bhí sé féin in ann a dhéanamh.

"Tá mé in ann muiceoil a ithe ar chuma ar bith," a deir sé, "ach sin an méid."

Translation

There was a man long ago and he had three sons. He said he would send the three of them to another man to be looked after. The man came to him and he made an arrangement with him.

"Now," he said, "give mutton to one of them and beef to the other one and bacon to the other one again."

"I'll do that," said the man.

In a year's time, the three sons came to him.

"Now," he said to the eldest son, "what can you do?"

"I can clear a castle," he said, "in one jump." That was the man who ate mutton.

He asked the man who was eating beef what he could do.

"I can pull any tree no matter how strong," he said, "out of the ground."

He asked the man who was eating bacon what he could do.

"I can eat bacon at any rate," he said, "but that's all."

Commentary

This short story is likely meant to be a joke, with the wit coming from the unexpected and anticlimactic ending. Narratives of a similar nature in oral tradition are referred to as 'Shaggy Dog' stories, which are often long, meandering tales that finish abruptly, with a disappointing conclusion. See Eric Partridge, The ‘Shaggy Dog’ story: its origin, development and nature (London, 1953). See also Jan Harold Brunvand, 'A classification for Shaggy Dog stories', The Journal of American Folklore 76:299 (1963), 42-68.