Parrot's Cave in Scottish Gaelic by Mia Bowen Copyright © 2014. All Rights Reserved

Jack and Lisa were spending their summer holidays at their Grandma's house by the seaside.

"Go play on the beach," suggested Grandma. "But all we've found are washed up jellyfish, broken shells and smelly old seaweed," grumbled Jack.

"Then go and feed the old parrot in the shed," said Grandma. "He used to belong to the old Scottish fisherman who lived next door. He used to take him everywhere he went." Jack and Lisa walked down to the dark old shed at the back of the yard. They opened the door, not knowing what to expect.

An ear-splitting screech made Jack and Lisa leap back in fright. The big old bird, was perched on the back of a broken chair, slowly flapping his colourful wings back and forth.

Without taking his beady black eyes off them, the parrot slowly settled back onto his wooden perch. In a loud voice, he screeched, "Madainn mhath!"

"He's speaking Scottish Gaelic to us!" exclaimed Lisa. Jack and Lisa had just started learning Scottish Gaelic that year at school with Mrs NicNèill. But Mrs NicNèill hadn't mentioned Scottish Gaelic-speaking parrots in class before!

"Madainn mhath! Dè 'n t-ainm a th'ort?" asked Jack. "'S mise Peadar," replied the parrot.

"Do you want to go for a walk with us," asked Jack, not expecting an answer. "Tiugainn! Tiugainn!" replied Peadar, and flew straight out the open door. "Tiugainn dhan tràigh!" "Yes, let's go!" shouted Lisa and ran down towards the beach. Suddenly the day was looking a lot more exciting for Jack and Lisa.

Jack, Lisa and Peadar carefully climbed down the crumbling cliff steps onto the beach. "Gu luath!" squawked Peadar.

A few fishermen pointed and waved from their boats. They recognised the old parrot from years before.

"Look at the colourful huts!" exclaimed Lisa, pointing at the old bathing huts. Each hut had a different coloured door.

buidhe ...... orains ...... pionc ........ dearg ........ purpaidh ...... uaine

yellow ... orange ... pink ... red ... purple ... green blue ... brown ... grey ... black ... white

gorm ........... donn ........... liath .......... dubh ........... geal

Suddenly Peadar flew up and past the huts, past the rocks and around the corner to the next beach.

Jack and Lisa chased Peadar and saw him fly into a dark cave at the base of a cliff. Jack called out to him, "Càit a bheil thu?" He heard Peadar call, "Thigibh an seo!" Jack and Lisa hesitated. Perhaps this wasn't such a great idea.

A small stream flowed out of the cave, collecting in a wide rock pool blocking the entrance, before running off into the waves. "Tha mi an seo," called out Peadar's voice as they entered the dark cave. "Tha ionmhas ann an sin," squawked Peadar. "Ach ... bithibh faiceallach!" Lisa raised her eyebrows at Jack. "Treasure?" she whispered.

Peadar flew towards twelve large rocks sitting in the pool of water. He landed on the closest one and started to count as he hopped from one to another...

"A h-aon, a dhà, a trì, a ceithir, a còig, a sia, a seachd, a h-ochd, a naoi, a deich, a h-aon deug ... agus ... a dhà dheug."

He immediately started splashing in the water around the rock, hopping and squawking in excitement.

"I think Peadar wants us to lift up the rock," said Lisa. "Sin e, sin e!" squawked Peadar. Jack and Lisa started to dig under the rock and tried to lift up the rock.

"Na dèan, na dèan!" screeched Peadar. "Bi faiceallach!" A large nipper suddenly appeared from underneath the rock and just missed Jack's fingers.

Jack slipped back on the slimy rock and fell into the water, splashing all of them. He chased the crab away and managed to push the rock aside. He dug deeper and deeper.

"Faicibh, faicibh!" squawked Peadar. "There's something in there!" shouted Lisa in excitement. They both reached down and uncovered a box buried in the sand.

Jack lifted it out of the sand and placed it on a rock ledge. "Glè mhath!" squawked Peadar.

"Fosgail am bosca! Fosgail e!" squawked Peadar. Lisa opened the lid of the old wooden box. A soggy leather bag lay inside. When she shook the bag, some gold coins fell out. They glinted and gleamed in the light.

Lisa picked them up in amazement. They were heavy and looked extrememly old. "Let's take them home and show Grandma," said Jack.

"Oh no!" cried Lisa when they turned back towards the entrance of the cave. It was now blocked by the waves of the incoming tide.

"Dhachaigh! Dhachaigh!" squawked Peadar. He flew towards the back of the cave. "Follow Peadar home," called out Lisa. He looks like he knows where he's going. Peadar called out instructions in the gloom of the cave.

"Dìreach romhad ..." They followed him straight towards the back of the cave. "Gu do làimh chlì ..." They turned left into a narrow tunnel ... "Gu do làimh dheis ..." The cave suddenly twisted to the right and ended in a huge jumble of dry rocks.

"Math!" squawked Peadar from above. They all climbed to safety back on the beach and returned home with the gold pieces.

Grandma couldn't believe her eyes when they arrived with their gleaming gold coins. "This must be the luckiest parrot in the world!" she exclaimed.

"And the smartest!" added Lisa. "I will be so sad when we have to leave." "Mar sin leibh," squawked Peadar sadly.

Grandma smiled. "But you can take him with you!" "He'll be much happier living with you two." "I can just imagine the adventures you three will have!"

"Now let's celebrate with some cake!" "Nach e a tha blasta!" they all cried out together.