Transcript

Bhí Murchadh Mór agus Murchadh Beag an-ghaolmhar[1] dá chéile agus bhí an bheirt ina gcónaí insa teach amháin. Bhí Murchadh Mór ina phánaí mhór láidir agus choinníodh sé Murchadh Beag i gcónaí faoina smacht. Aon mhaidin amháin thug Murchadh Mór cupán do Mhurchadh Bheag agus arsa seisean, "Gabh amach 'un na coilleadh agus cruinnigh lán an chupáin de shubh'[2] craobh domh."

Thóg Murchadh Beag an cupán agus d'imigh sé 'un na coilleadh. Chruinnigh sé na subh' craobh agus thug a aghaidh ar an bhaile. Ach goidé a tháinig air ach cioth fearthanna[3] agus fuaigh sé isteach faoi chrann le foscadh a fháil. Nuair a bhí sé ansin thúsaigh sé a dh'amharc ar na subh' craobh milse ' bhí sé ag iompar 'na bhaile chuig Murchadh Mór falsa. Bhuail cíocras é. Cíocras... D'éirigh an cíocras ní ba mhó. D'ith sé subh craobh amháin. D'ith sé an dara ceann. Fuaigh sé ón bheagán go dtí an mórán agus fá dheireadh d'ith sé suas a rabh insa chupán. Thug sé a aghaidh ansin ar an bhaile agus thug an cupán folamh do Mhurchadh Mhór. D'amharc Murchadh Mór air agus d'aithin sé i gceart go rabh subh' craobh ann. Duine dúrúnta mallfhoclach a bhí ann agus níor úirt[4] sé dadaí.

Ar maidin lá harna mhárach thug sé an cupán do Mhurchadh Bheag aríst agus thug sé an t-ordú céanna dó. Thug... D'imigh an fear beag 'un na coilleadh. Chruinnigh sé na subh' craobh. Thug sé a aghaidh ar an bhaile ach tháinig cioth fearthanna air agus fuaigh sé isteach faoin chrann chéanna le foscadh a fháil. Nuair a bhí sé ansin thúsaigh sé a dh'amharc ar na subh' craobh a bhí sé ag iompar 'na bhaile 'uig an fhalsóir mhór. D'ith sé ceann amháin. D'ith sé an dara ceann. Agus fá dheireadh d'ith sé suas a rabh insa chupán. In áit a ghoil ar ais 'un na coilleadh ansin fá choinne tuilleadh thug sé a aghaidh ar an bhaile. Thug sé an cupán do Mhurchadh Mhór. D'amharc Murchadh Mór air agus d'aithin sé i gceart go rabh subh' craobh ann. Ach duine dúrúnta mallfhoclach a bhí ann agus níor úirt sé dadaí.

Ach ar maidin nuair a... nuair a ghlac Murchadh Beag a bhricfeasta labhair an fear mór leis aríst. "Gabh amach 'un na coilleadh inniu," a deir sé, "agus cruinnigh lán an chupáin de shubh' craobh domh ach bíodh a fhios agatsa, má ní tú mar a rinn tú inné agus arthú inné go bhfuil tú ag deireadh do chúrsa."

"Bhuel," arsa Murchadh Beag, "glacfaidh mé bricfeasta maith. Ní dhéanfaidh mé athbhricfeasta."

Rinn sé sin agus d'imigh sé 'un na coilleadh. Chruinnigh sé na subh' craobh agus thug sé a aghaidh ar an bhaile. Ach go mí-ádhúil dó féin tháinig cioth fearthanna ins an áit chéanna agus fuaigh sé isteach faoin chrann chéanna le foscadh a fháil. Nuair a bhí sé ansin thúsaigh sé ag amharc ar na... ar na[5] toradh mhilis. Dar leis féin, "Íosfaidh mé ceann amháin. Ní chronóchaidh sé an oiread sin."

D'ith sé ceann amháin. Dar leis féin ansin, "Íosfaidh mé dhá cheann eile agus tiocfaidh mé le sin."

D'ith sé an dá cheann eile ach bhí an cíocras ag méadú ar fad agus i ndeireadh na dála, d'ith sé suas a rabh sa chupán. Ansin thug sé a aghaidh ar an bhaile. Bhí an fhearg... Bhí fearg iontach ar Mhurchadh Mhór agus deir sé le Murchadh Beag, "Cuirfidh mé 'un báis thú anois. Ní ligfidh mé níos mó leat. D'fhuiling mé ró-fhada uaid ach anois cuirfidh mé 'un báis thú."

Ní thearn an fear mó-... an pánaí mór dadaí ach bior iarainn a chur isteach insa tinidh go rabh sé dearg te. Ansin dhóigh sé an dá shúil i gclaiginn Mhurchaidh Bhig. Nuair a bhí an méid sin déanta aige, "Anois," deir sé leis an fhear bheag, "fágfaidh mé[6] thú insa tseanchill sin thall. Ní rabh duine ar bith astoigh ansin nach rabh marbh ar maidin."

Translation

Big Murrough and Little Murrough were closely related to each other and the two were living in the one house. Big Murrough was a big strong plump man and he always kept Little Murrough under his control. One morning, Big Murrough gave a cup to Little Murrough and he said, "Go out to the forest and gather a cupful of raspberries for me."

Little Murrough took the cup and he went to the forest. He gathered the raspberries and he headed for home. But a shower of rain came on him and he went in under a tree to find shelter. When he was there he started looking at the sweet raspberries he was carrying home to lazy Big Murrough. He became hungry. He became very hungry. He ate one raspberry. He ate another one. He went from the few to the many and in the end he ate up all that was in the cup. He then headed for home and gave the empty cup to Big Murrough. Big Murrough looked at him and he knew well that there had been raspberries there. He was a secretive slow-speaking person and he said nothing.

The following morning he gave the cup to Little Murrough again and he gave him the same order. The little man went to the forest. He gathered the raspberries. He headed for home but a shower of rain came on him and he went in under the same tree to find shelter. When he was there he started looking at the raspberries he was carrying home to the big lazy fellow. He ate one. He ate another one. And in the end he ate all that was in the cup. Instead of going back to the forest for more he headed for home. He gave the cup to Big Murrough. Big Murrough looked at him and he knew well that the raspberries had been there. But he was a secretive slow-speaking person and he said nothing.

But in the morning when Little Murrough had his breakfast the big man spoke to him again. "Go out to the forest today," he said, "and gather a cupful of raspberries for me but know that if you do what you did yesterday, and the day before, that you are at the end of your road."

"Well," said Little Murrough, "I will have a good breakfast, I won't eat a second breakfast."

He did that and he went to the forest. He gathered the raspberries and headed for home. But unluckily for himself a shower of rain came in the same place and he went in under the same tree to find shelter. When he was there he started looking at the sweet fruit. He said to himself then, "I'll eat one. He won't miss that much."

He ate one. He then said to himself, "I'll eat another two and I will leave it at that."

He ate the other two but the craving was growing and in the end he ate up all that was in the cup. Then he headed for home. Big Murrough was very angry and he said to Little Murrough, "I'm going to kill you now. I won't let you get away with anything else. I have suffered you long enough but now I am going to kill you."

The big plump fellow did nothing but put an iron spike into the fire until it was red hot. Then he burned the two eyes in Little Murrough's head. When he had done that, "Now," he said to the little man, "I will leave you in the old graveyard beyond. There was no one in there this morning who wasn't dead."

Footnotes

Commentary

This story of Murchadh Mór and Murchadh Beag and the eating of berries seems to be a version of a cumulative tale that was known throughout Ireland and Gaelic Scotland, although not many versions have been recorded. See Tomás Ó Cillín, 'Murchadh Mór agus Murchadh Beag', Béaloideas 4:2 (1933), 201-3. In the more expanded versions outlined elsewhere, Murchadh Mór wants to hang Murchadh Beag rather than poke his eyes out, and so goes to find a withy suitable for choking him. The withy speaks to him and tells him to find an axe, he finds the axe and the axe commands him to find the sharpening stone. The story progresses further, with an ever-increasing series of tasks Murchadh Mór must complete in order to cut the withy, and by the time he has completed them, Murchadh Beag has escaped. This kind of cumulative tale is well recognised in international folklore, and includes popular examples such as 'The house that Jack built' or 'The old lady who swallowed a fly'. For a full list of these tale types (ATU 2009-ATU 2075), see Hans Jorg Uther, The types of international folktales: a classification and bibliography (3 vols, Helsinki, 2004).

This story is transcribed also in Róise Ní Bhaoill, Ulster Gaelic voices: bailiúchán Doegen 1931 (Belfast, 2010), 118-23. A version appears also in Nollaig Mac Congáil and Ciarán Ó Duibhín, Glórtha ón tseanaimsir (Gleann an Iolair, 2009), 33-5.