xMOUSE 193 



The following, by Aonghus nan aoir, falls to find a place here. 

 It is given in the Duanaire as " Aoir nan Inch." 



A h-uile luch fhiorionn 'us bhoirionn, All ye male and female mice, 



Eadar Cnocan Dal-na-carra Between the knoll of Dalnacarra 



Agus lonmhar Allt-a-mhuilinn, And the mouth of Millburn, 



Bithibh ullamh gu dol thairis. Be ready to cross. 



Gabhaibh seachad air an dam, Take your way across the dam 



Beagan am braigh a mhuilinn, A Uttle above the mill, 



Cumaibh sios rathad-mor an Diuc Hold down the Duke's high road 



Seachad cul Tom-na-h-aire. Past the back of Tomnaharry ; 



Ruigibh an sin Drochaid Nibheis, Then make for the Nevis bridge, 



Tha e tioram, 's bithibh thairis. It is dry, and get across ; 



Gabhaibh sios cul nan garadh. Go down by the back of the wall, 



Seachnaibh an t-sraid, tha i soilleir, Avoid the street, it is bright, 



Mu'm much iad sibh fo'n casan Lest they crush you 'neath their feet 



'S mu'n t-saltair iad 'n ur goille. And tread upon your throats. 



Tha figheadair an ceann shios a bhaile There's a weaver at the lower end of 



Agus ciste mhine air a chulaobh. the town 



Fanaibh an sin gus an abuich eorna Who has a meal-chest behind him ; 



Shiuna, Stay there till the Shuna barley ripens, 



Agus cho ceart 's gum beil boinn' And as sure as there's a drop of water 



uisg' an Lochaidh in Lochy 



Cuimhnichibh an t-ordugh 'chleach- Remember to observe this injunction ! 



dadh. 



Though not a bird the mouse is known to sing, which was 

 thought peculiarly unlucky, this is true — to the mouse, as the 

 singing arises from or is caused by a bronchial disease which 

 proves fatal. When a mouse is found dead it is said to mean a 

 presage of death to the finder, but no particulars as to time, etc., 

 seem to exist. Cameron, in his Gaelic names for plants, etc., says. 

 Mouse-ear chickweed in Gaelic is Cluas-an-luch. Creeping mouse- 

 ear is Peasair-nan-luch, mice peas, mouse-ear hawkweed, also that 

 tufted vetch is elsewhere given as Lus-iiam-mial, in Ireland, 

 Lus-midi. 



A roasted mouse is said to be a sure cure for the whooping- 

 cough and jaundice. Paralysis is sure to follow the running of 

 a field-mouse over the bare feet, and it is specially unlucky for a 

 field-mouse to pass in front of a cow or horse. We have not 

 learned whether it is unlucky for the mouse or the others, but 

 presume the latter. 



Every Gaelic-speaking Highlander, it is presumed, is familiar 

 with the lines which, it is said, convey mysterious meaning, viz. : — 



Rug an luchag uan boirionn 



'S thug i dhachaidh cual chonnaidh. 



The mousie bore a female lammie 

 And carried home a load of firewood. 



Proverbial sayings in connection with the mouse are : — 



An rud a bhios samhach cha chluinn na luchain e. 

 What is silent the mice won't hear 



N 



