Va Billy beg as Thom beg daa ghreasee cruittagh as v'ad baghey oooidjagh ayns croit ny lomarcan er - gerrey dys Delbee. Va Billy beg ny s'tustee as ny s'cuoutee na Thom beg, as ren eh freeyll eh fo e smaght. Laa dy row hug Billy beg lorg da Thom beg, as dooyrt eh rish :

" Hom beg, gow magh dys y clieau ab ourlhiat yn aheyrrey vane thie."

Ghow Thom beg yn lorg ayns e laue as hie eh dye y eheau, agh cha noddagh eh feddyn yn cheyrrey vane. Fy-yerrey, tra v'eh foddey voish y thie as keeiragh-ny-hole gheet er, req eh amooinaghtyn rish-hene bare da goll thie. Va oie kiune ayn, ae rollageyn as eayst corran keyl ayns yn aer. Caha row sheean ry-ahlashtyn agh feddanagh gyere y chrottag. Va Thom jannoo siyr dy gheddyn thie as v'eh bunuys eo Glion Rushen tra ren kay lheeah ghym-sagh as hie eh er shaghryn ass y chassan. Agh ayne tmaa gerrid hrog yn kay smse as hooar Thom beg eh-hene ayns glion glass lheid as nagb naãk eh rieau roie, ga heill eh dy row fys echey er dy-ehooilley ghlian gheu-sthie jeh queig meeilaghyn, son v'eh ruggiit as troggit ayns y naboonys shen. V'eh goaill yindys mooar rish-hene cre'n voayl v'eh ayn, tra ahluin eh feiyr foddey veih as myr tayrn ny sniessey da. " Aw," dooyrt eh rish-hene, " to ny emoo na mee-hene er-y-ehosh or ny sleityn noght. Yioyms shesbaght."

Ny syrjey as ny syrjey va'n feiyr gaase. Hoshiaght cheayll eh myr dy beagh eh cronnane shellanyn, eisht myr feiyr spooyt mooar ayns Glion Meay, as ec y gerrey myr eheean troaalt ymmodee sleih. She'n gbeehaght-ehaggee mooinjer-veggey v'ayn. Chelleeragh va'n glion lung-lane jeh cabbil mooarey as jeh sleih veggey markiagh oumoo, lesh soilshaghyn er nyn mayrnyn jiargey londymee myr whilleeA rollageyu er-mynrekyn as jannoo laa glal jeh'a oie.

Va sbeidey eayrnyn, as bennalt mlleeyn, as kiaull bingys, as gownstyTnere ymmodee moddee veggey. Smoainee Thom beg risb-hene cha naik eh rieau shilley ny s'aalin na hommick eh ayns-shoh. Ayna mean nyn gloie-caggee as daunseeyn as kvauflleeaght hug few jeu my-new Thom, as eisht hounick Thom cheet ny whail yn dooinney beg s'ooasle hug eh rieau e hooillyn err, soit magh dy-stoamey lesh airh as argid, as lesh sheeidey soilshean myr skian y feagh mooar.

" S'olk yn traa Vou er reih dy heet yn raad shoh," dooyrt yn dooinney beg, v'eshyn ny ree.

" Cha nee ayns-shoh to mee laccal dy ve," dooyrt Thom.

Eisht dooyrt y ree : " Vel oo for jin noght, Thom ?"

" Ta mish dy shiokyrys dhen," dooyrt Thom.

"Eisht, "dooyrt y ree, "bee eh yn currym ayd dy ghoaill fockle ny harrey noght. Shegin dhyt shasooo ec cass ny glionney, as myr ta dy-chooilley heshaght goll shaghey, shegin dhyt goaill fockle ny harrey, te Jelhein, Jemayrt, Jecrean, Jerdein, Jeheiney, Jesarn."

" Neeme shen lesh oree dy lieh," dooyrt Thom.

Ec brishey yn " ren ny kiaulleyderyn goaill seose nyn greinyn-kiaullee, hayrn seose yn gheshaght-chaggee mooinjer-veggey ad-hene ayns strane-caggee, ren ny kiaulleyderyn cloie roue as cre cha millish va'n bingys shen va lhieeney ooilley 'n aer. Ren dy-dhooilley heshaght cur fockle ny harrey da Thom myr v'ad goll shaghey ass y ghlion -- Jelhein, Jemayrt, Jerean, Jeadein, Jeheiney, Jesarn, as lurg ooilley haink seose yn ree as myrgeddin hug eh eh da Thom - Jelhein, Jemayrt, Jecrean, Jerdein, Jeheiney, Jesarn. Eisht ren eh gyllagh or 'nane jeh'n dedney echey aym Gailck.

" Gow yn droyn jeh'n dreeym echey shoh," as cha row yn fockle ny sleaie ass beeal yn ree dys, va'n droyn skeabit jeh' dreeym Thom as ceauit ayns y chleiy. Cre cha moyrnagh as va Thom nish, som v'eh jeant yn doainney s'jeeree ayns Ellan Vannin! Haink eh noose veih'n clieau as hooor eh thie dy leah 'sy voghrey lesh cree eddyrm as keemad ghiomn. Haink yindys mooor er Billy beg ,tra honnick eh Thcm beg dha jeeragh as lajer, as tra ren Thom beg goaill aash as greim-dy-vee dinsh eh da e skeeal voish bun as baare, cro'n aght ren eh meedteil rish ny guillyn-beggey va cheet dty-chooilley hole dys Glion Rushen son cloie-aaggee.

'Syn oie er-giyn Me Billy beg roish er naad y clieau as haink eh fy-yerrey dys y glion glass. Mysh y mean-oie chluin eh stampey cabbil, yeealley chip, gounstyrnee moddee as feiyr gyn-tort, as cur-my-neir yn mooinjer - veggey as nyn reey as nyn moddee as nyn gabbil ooilley ec cloie-caggee myr wnsh Thom beg da.

Tra homnick ud yn dookiney cruitin duirree ad ooilley, as for jeu haink ny whail as vrle eh gonnagh job ore'n elkin v'echey ayns-shoh.

" Ya mish 'nano jiu hene son noght as beems booiagh dy chooney thieu," dooyrt Billy beg.

Myr shoh hug ad eh dy ghoaill fockle uy harrey-Jelhein, Jemayrt, Jecroan, Jer-dein, Jeheiney, Jesarn. As ec brishey yu laa dooyrt yn ree : "To traa dooaiu dy ve etoooyl," eisht seose haink sheshaght lurg sheshaght cur da Billy beg fockle ny harrey m,yr v'ad goll shaghey-Jelhein, Jemayrt, Jecroan, Jerdein, Jeheiney, Jesarn. Lurg ooilley haink yn ree tesh e gheãneiy as hug eh fockle ny harrey myrgeddin — Jelhein, Jemayrt, Jecroan, Jerdein, Jeheiney, Jesarn.

"AS JYDOONEE," dooyrt Billy beg smooin.aghtyn dy row eh jaunoo eh-hene momr. Eisht va eam ard.

" Fow yn droyn va goit jeh'n for shen riyr as our eh or dreeym yn for shoh," deie yn ree lesh sooillyn ard-lossoy magh ass y kione eahey lesb keoied, sheeyney magh e vair dys yn droyn va ny Ihie fo'n cleiy. Cha leah t'eh loayrt oha leah to jeant.

" Nish" dooyrt yn ree, "gow royd as my yioyms oo ayns-shoh reesht, neems cur droyn elley er y cheu-oar's ayd!"

As er sibon dyllee ad ooilley lesh ard-choraa as jimmee ad roue, as drag ad Billy beg ny hassoo ayes y voayl hooar ad eh lesh droya gaase or dagh geaylin. As haink eh dy valley yu lea er-giyn sleadey cosh lurg cosh, lesh neeal grouw as cha crash as tessin as daa vaidjey, lesh e ghaa droyn or e ghaa reeym, as mannagh vet ad jeh t'ad er foast.

Not far from Dalby, Billy beg and Tom beg, two hunchback cobblers, lived together on a lonely farm. Billy beg was sharper and cleverer than Tom beg, who was always at his command. One day Billy beg gave Tom beg a staff, and quoth he

" Tom beg, go to the mountain and fetch home the white sheep."

Tom beg took the staff and went to the mountain, but he could not find the sheep. At last, when he was far home and dusk was coming on, he began to think that he had best go back. The night was fine, and stars and a small crescent moon, were in the sky. No sound was to be heard but the curlew's sharp whistle. Tom was hastening home, and had almost reached Glen Rushen, when a grey mist gathered and he lost his way. But it was not long before the mist cleared and Tom beg found himself in a green glen such as he had never seen before, though he thought he knew every glen within five miles of him, for he was born and reared in the neighbourhood. He was marvelling and wondering where he could be, when he heard a far-away sound drawing nearer to him. "Aw," said he to himself, "there are more than myself afoot on the mountains to-night; I'll have company."

The sound' grew louder. First it was like the humming of bees, then like the rushing of Glen Meay waterfall, and last it was the marching and the murmur of a crowd. It was the fairy host. Of a sudden the glen was full of fine horses and of little people riding on them, with the lights on their red caps shining like the stars above and making the night as bright as day. There was the blowing of horns, the waving of flags, the playing of music, and the barking of many little dogs. Tom beg thought that he had never seen anything as splendid as all he saw there. In the midst of the drilling and dancing and singing one of them spied Tom, and then Tom saw coming towards him the grandest little man he had ever set eyes upon, dressed in gold and silver, and silk shining like a raven's wing.

"It is a bad time you have chosen to come this way," said the little man, who was the king.

"Yes, but it is not here that, I wish to be" said Tom.

Then said the king: " Are you one of us to-night, Tom ?"

" I am surely," said Torn.

" Them," said the king, " it will be your duty to take the pass-word. You must stand at the foot of the glen, and as each regiment goes by, you must take the pass-word ; it is " Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday."

"I will do that with a heart and a half," said Town.

At daybreak the fiddlers took up their fiddles, the fairy army set itself in order, the fiddlers played: before them out of the glen, and sweet that music was. Each regiment gave the pass-word to Tom as it went by - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday; and last of all came the king, and be, too, gave it - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Then he called in Manx to one of his men

"Take the hump from this fellow's back," and before the words were out of his mouth the hump was whisked off Tom beg's back and thrown into the hedge. How proud now was Tom, who so found himself the straightest man in the Isle of Man! He went down the mountain and came home early in the morning with light heart and eager step. Billy beg wondered' greatly when he saw Tom beg so straight and strong, and when Tom beg had rested and refreshed himself he told his story, how he had met the fairies who came every night to Glen Rushen to drill.

The next night Billy beg set off along the mountain road and came at last to the green glen. About midnight he heard the trampling of horses, the lashing of whips, the barking of dogs, and a great hullabaloo, and behold the fairies and their king, their dogs and their horses, all at drill in the glen: as Tom beg had said.

When they saw the humpback they all stopped, and one came forward and very crossly asked his business.

" I am one of yourselves for the night, and should be glad to do you some service," said Billy beg. So he was set to take the pass-ward-Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. And at day-break the king said, " It is time for us to be off," and up came regiment after regiment giving Billy beg the pages-word-Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Last of all came the king with his men, and gave the pass-word also - Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.

" AND SUNDAY," says Billy beg, thinking himself clever. Then there was a great outcry.

" Get the hump that was taken off that fellow's back last night and put it on this man's back," cried the king, with flashing eyes, pointing to the hump that lay under the hedge.

Before the words were well out of his mouth the hump was clapt on to Billy beg's back.

"Now," said the king, "be off, and if ever I find you here again, I will clap another hump on to your front !"

And on that they all marched away with one great shout, and left poor Billy beg standing where they had found him with a hump growing on to each shoulder. And his cane home next day dragging one foot after another, with a wizened face and as cross as two sticks, with his two humps on his back, and if they are not off they are there still.

Any comments, errors or omissions gratefully received The Editor
HTML Transcription © F.Coakley , 2002