I suppose there is not a class of people on the face of the earth that have finer imaginations than the Gael. This has arisen partly, no doubt, from their language, so adapted for lyric poetry and composition, and verses calculated to give scope to the imaginative faculty. It has arisen likewise from the place of their birth. The roaring Atlantic, the grandeur of the resounding flood in their rocky glens. Waterfalls, down dashing torrents, fast flowing rivers. The scream of the curlew, the lapwing, the plover, and the shrill whistle of the eagle. The shadows of the clouds seen moving majestically along in the distance—all these have a great tendency to move and to give wing to the imagination. But I believe that the ditties they have been accustomed to hear sung in their youth have had a far greater effect upon them. Could these be all collected they would form a rare collection. How often has "Gille Callum" been sung—
Gheibh thu bean air da pheghinn,
Rogh is tagh air bonn-a-se,
Rug an luchag uan boirionn,
'S thug i dhachaidh cual chonnaidh.
When one begins to tell what is not true, it is better to tell falsehoods which no one can believe. Now I am certain that children at the age of four would not believe "Gille Callum's" lies, and would understand at once that they were all for fun, and still it would have the effect of setting them a-thinking, perhaps more than had it been sober truth.
The following I have frequently heard:—
H'uid, uid eachan,
C'ait am bi sinn nochdan,
Ann am baile Pheairtean,
Ciod a gheibh sinn ann,
Aran agus leann,
'S crap an cul a chinn,
'S chead dachaidh.
Huid, uid is used in Perthshire for making horses run. The boy is set astride on a man's knee, which is kept in motion like a trotting horse. Stretching both his hands, the boy, in imagination, is trotting to Perth, where he expects bread and ale; and as a finish to the whole, a knock on the back of the head, and leave to go home. Many a hearty laugh have I seen boys enjoy when they got the knock on the head. Another is—seizing a child's hand, and beginning at the thumb giving the following names—"Ordag, colgag, meur fad, Mac Nab, rag mhearlach nan caorach 's nan gobhar, cuir gad ris, cuir gad ris." Reaching the small finger, the thief is seized and severely scourged with the rod, and a roar of laughter is raised by the youngsters. Placing a child between the knees and slowly placing the one foot before another with the following words, is another—
Cia mar theid na coin do n' mhuileann
Mar sud, 's mar so,
'S bheir iad ullag as a phoc so,
'S ullag as a phoc sin,
And then moving them quicker—
'S thig iad dachaidh air an trot,
Trit, trot, dhachaidh.
Ullag means the quantity of meal raised by the three fingers. What a glee of hilarity is raised when the quick motion commences?