Wee GillisBy Munro Leaf

Illustrations by Robert Lawson

His real name was Alastair RodericCaraigellachie Dalhousie GowanDonnybristle MacMac, but that took toolong to say, so everybody just called himWee Gillis.

oh fxfylys[kd % eujks yhiQ

fp=kkadu % jkcVZ ykWlu

mldk vlyh uke vYlVS;j jkSMfjd Øsxkfypxksou MkSuhfczfly eSdeSd FkkA ij D;ksafd ;guke cgqr yEck Fkk blfy;s yksx mls oh fxfylds uke ls cqykrs FksA

His mother’s relations were all Lowlanders.They stayed down in the valleys and raisedlong-haired cows.

His father’s relations were all Highlanders.They stayed up in the hills and stalked stags.

Wee Gillis didn’t know which he wanted to be,a Lowlander or a Highlander.

His mother’s relations all thought thathis father’s relations were very foolishto run and climb and creep around thehills stalking stags.

mldh eka ds lHkh fj'rsnkj ?kkVh esa jgrs FksAos ogka yEcs ckyksa okyh xk;ksa pjkrs vkSj nw/dk /a/k djrs FksA mlds firk ds lHkhfj'rsnkj igkM+h ij jgrs FksA oks igkM+h ijfgj.kksa dk f'kdkj djrs FksAoh fxfyl ;g ckr r; ugha dj ik jgk Fkk &fd oks ?kkVh esa jgs ;k igkM+h ijA

oh fxfyl dh eka ds fj'rsnkj mldsfirk ds lHkh fj'rsnkjksa dks csodwiQle>rs FksA mUgsa igkfM+;ksa ij fgj.kksa dsihNs Hkkxuk vkSj mudk f'kdkj djukikxyksa dk dke yxrk FkkA

His father’s relations all thought that hismother’s relations were very silly todrive and call and milk their long-hairedcows.

Wee Gillis didn’t know, but he watchedthem both and he was cheerful andamiable.

So for one year he went tolive in the Lowlands, with hismother’s relations.

oh fxfyl ds firk ds fj'rsnkj mldh ekads lHkh fj'rsnkjksa dks csodwiQ le>rs FksAmUgsa yEch ckyksa okyh xk;ksa dks pjkusvkSj mudk nw/ nwguk ikxyksa dks dkeyxrk FkkA oh fxfyl nksuksa dks è;ku lsns[krk FkkA ijarq oks vHkh ;g r; ugha djik jgk Fkk fd oks cM+k gksdj D;k djsxkA

blfy;s oks ,d lky ds fy;s?kkVh esa viuh eka ds fj'rsnkjksads lkFk jgus x;kA

Every day he rose early andate a large bowl of oatmeal.

Then he drove the long-hairedcows out along the valleys and atnight he called and called them,and drove them home again intime for his mother’s relations tomilk them.

oks jkstkuk lqcg rM+ds mBrkvkSj ,d dVksjk Hkj ds nfy;k[kkrkA

mlds ckn oks yEch ckyksa okyhxk;ksa ds >qaM dks ?kkVh esa ?kklpjkus ysdj tkrkA 'kke dks oksxk;ksa dks vkokt yxkdj bdV~BkdjrkA fiQj oks xk;ksa dks eka dsfj'rsnkjksa ds ikl nw/ nwgus dsfy;s ysdj tkrkA

Once he was late in getting them home.Then the relations all asked him what hadkept him and he had to tell them that thecows wouldn’t come when he called.

Then the relations all said that he didn’tshout loud enough and that the cowscouldn’t hear him through the heavymist.

So every night when the mists would comedown over the valleys, Wee Gillis wouldshout a little louder than he had before.

That was fine for his lungs and by the endof the year they were very, very strong.

,d ckj mls ?kj vkus esa nsjh gks x;hAlHkh fj'rsnkjksa us mlls nsjh dk dkj.kiwNkA mlus crk;k fd mlds cqykus dsckn Hkh xk;sa mlds ikl ugha vk;haAeka ds fj'rsnkjksa us mls xyk iQkM+djfpYykus dh fgnk;r nh & vxj vkokt/heh gksxh rks xgjs dksgjs dks phj djvkokt xk;ksa rd dSls igqapsxh\

blfy;s tc 'kke ds le; ?kkVh esa dksgjkNk tkrk Fkk rks oh fxfyl igys ls dqNvf/d tksj ls fpYykrk FkkA ;g mldsiQsiQM+ksa ds fy;s cgqr vPNh oftZ'k FkhA/hjs&/hjs mlds iQsiQM+s cgqr etcwr gksx;sA

On the first day of the NewYear Wee Gillis went up intothe Highlands.

Every day he rose early andate a large bowl of oatmealwith his father’s relations.

vxys u;s lky ds igys fnuoh fxfyl igkM+h ij vius firkds fj'rsnkjksa ds ikl x;kA

oks jkstkuk lqcg rM+ds mBdjvius firk ds fj'rsnkjksa dslkFk ,d cM+k dVksjk Hkj djnfy;k [kkrk FkkA

Then he sat out walking andcrawling, running and creeping allover the hills stalking stags.

He would hide behind thistles andsit on the heather and sometimes hewould have to be so quiet for hoursat a time that you would havethought he was a stone.

fiQj oks igkfM+;ksa ij p<+rk] jsaxrk]nkSM+rk vkSj fgj.kksa dk ihNk djrkA

oks >kfM+;ksa ds ihNs fNirk vkSjlkal jksd dj fdlh iRFkj ds cqrtSls pqipki ?kaVksa cSBk jgrk FkkA

Once while he was stalking he sighed abig sigh because he had stayed still forso long.

And the noise that it made frightened astag so that it ran away.

Then the relations all told Wee Gillis thathe didn’t keep quiet enough and that hemust learn to hold his breath.

So, day after day, sitting among thethistles and on the heather, Wee Gilliswould hold his breath longer andlonger to keep from sighing so hewouldn’t frighten the stags.

That was fine for his lungs and by theend of the year they were very, verystrong.

,d fnu cgqr nsj ,dne 'kkar vkSjpqipki cSBus ds ckn mlus cgqr tksj dhtEgkbZ yhA mlls vkokt ls Mj ds ekjslkeus [kM+k ,d fgj.k Hkkx x;kA ;g ns[koh fxfyl ds firk ds fj'rsnkjksa us mlslkal jksddj pqipki cSBus dk vH;kldjus dh lykg nhA

mlds ckn oh fxfyl fnu Hkj lkal jksddj pqipki cSBus dk vH;kl djrkA oksT;knk nsj rd lkal jksdus vkSj tEgkbZ uysus dh dksf'k'k djrk ftlls fd fgj.kMjs ughaA ;g oftZ'k mlds iQsiQM+ksa dsfy;s vPNh jghA lky Hkj esa mldsiQsiQM+s cgqr etcwr gks x;sA

So year in and year out Wee Gilliswould take turns calling the cows inthe Lowlands and stalking the stags inthe Highlands and all the while hislungs grew stronger and stronger.

At last the day came when he mustmake up his mind and decide foreverwhich to be - a Lowlander who calledcows or a Highlander who stalkedstags. Bright and early in the morningthere were two loud knock on his door.

When he opened it, there stood hisUncle Andrew from the Lowlands andhis Uncle Angus from the Highlands.

Gillis put on his kilt in a hurry and awayhe went out into the morning.

bl rjg lky&nj&lky oh fxfyl ?kkVhxk;ksa dks tksj ls cqykus vkSj igkM+h ijlkal jksd dj fgj.kksa ds f'kdkj dkvH;kl djrk FkkA blls /hjs&/hjs mldsiQsiQM+s csgn etcwr gks x;sA

vc oh fxfyl dks ;g r; djuk Fkk fdoks ?kkVh esa jguk pkgrk gS ;k igkM+h ijAvkf[kj oks fnu vk gh x;kA lqcg&lqcgmlds njokts ij nks ckj [kV&[kV gqbZAtc mlus njoktk [kksyk rks ckgj ?kkVh lsvk;s mlds ekek ,aM: vkSj igkM+h lsvk;s mlds pkpk ,axl [kM+s FksAoh fxfyl us tYnh ls viuk fdYV(pksxk) iguk vkSj fiQj rhuksa vkxs pysA

They walked and walked not saying aword, down through the valleys and overthe hills, until they found just the rightspot for deciding. Then his uncle Andrewand his Uncle Angus stopped and stoodvery still. They turned to Wee Gillis. Hewas exactly half way up the side of amedium sized hill not in the Lowlandsand not in the Highlands, just in themiddle, and he had to choose forever.

Gillis looked down and Gillislooked up. Then he looked at hisuncles and they began to talk.

os cgqr nsj rd fcuk dqN cksys pyrs jgsA os?kkVh es pys vkSj fiQj igkM+h ij p<+sA var esaiQSlyk djus ds fy;s mUgsa ,d Bhd LFkkuutj vk;kA ogka ij mlds ekek ,aM: vkSjpkpk ,axl pqipki [kM+s gks x;sA mu nksuksa usviuh fuxkgsa oh fxfyl dh vksj djhaAoh fxfyl bl le; ,d eè;e mQapkbZ dhigkM+h ij Fkk tks ?kkVh vkSj igkM+h ds yxHkxchp dh mQapkbZ ij fLFkr FkhA vc oks ?kM+h vkxbZ Fkh tc mls viuh ftanxh dk lcls cM+kfu.kZ; ysuk FkkA

igys oh fxfyl us uhps ns[kkAfiQj oh fxfyl us mQij ns[kkAfiQj mlus vius ekek vkSj pkpkdh vksj ns[kkA rHkh ekek vkSjpkpk us ckrphr 'kq: dhA

First they pleaded and then they beggedvery softly and very quietly, one at a time,and they politely waited for each to finishwhat he had to say before the other began.

But still Wee Gillis could not decide.

So the uncle’s voices grew louder andlouder and they didn’t wait for eachother to finish talking any more butshouted and screamed and yelled untilthey jumped up and down and stampedtheir feet.

igys mUgksaus ,d&nwljs ls cgqr I;kj&nqykjls vkjtw&feUur dhA mUgksaus ,d&nwljs dhckr dks cgqr bRehuku ls lqukA ijarq bllsoh fxfyl fdlh fu.kZ; ij ugha igqapik;kA

/hjs&/hjs ekek vkSj pkpk dh vkoktsamQaph gksrh x;haA vc nksuksa ,d&nwljs ijfpYykus yxs] HkkSadus yxs vkSj eqfV~B;kaHkhap dj iSj iVd&iVd dj ,d&nwljsdks ekjus dh psrkouh nsus yxsA

You could hear them shouting all theway down in the valleys and all theway up in the hills.

Suddenly his uncles stopped jumping andshouting because a very a large man hadcome up behind them.

He was carrying something brown and big,but he put it down beside a rock and then helooked at Wee Gillis and then at UncleAndrew and then at Uncle Angus. When theywere very quiet he sat down on the rock.

muds ph[kus&fpYykus dh vkokt ?kkVhvkSj igkM+h nksuksa esa xwatus yxhA

vpkud oh fxfyl ds ekek vkSj pkpk ds ihNs ls,d cM+k Hkhedk; vkneh vk;k ftlls mudsfpYykus dh vkokt ,dne can gks x;hA vkneh dsda/s ij dksbZ cM+h vkSj Hkwjs jax dh pht ynh Fkh]ftls mlus ,d pV~Vku ij /hjs ls j[kkA mlds cknml cM+s vkneh us oh fxfyl dks ns[kk fiQj mldsekek ,aM: dks vkSj var esa pkpk ,axl dks ns[kkAtc ekek vkSj pkpk ds chp dh yM+kbZ BaMh iM+hrc oks vkneh [kqn pV~Vku ij cSB x;kA

He picked up the big brown thing thatlooked like a sack with sticks on it andtook a deep breath and puffed hischeeks and shut his eyes and blew intoone end of it with all his might, but …

Nothing happened. He shook his head sadlyand tried again but nothing happened. Andthen he was very sad and he said so.

He was almost ready to cry because he wasa bagpiper and he had just made these finenew bagpipes to play on, but he had madethem too big and he didn’t have breathenough to blow them.

mlus ml cM+h] Hkwjh pht dks mBk;k tks ,dcksjs tSls FkhA ml cksjs esa ls dqN NfM+;kackgj fudy jgh FkhaA ml vkneh us ,dxgjh lkal yh vkSj vius xkyksa dks iQqyk;kvkSj vka[kksa dks ewank vkSj fiQj iwjk tksjyxkdj mlus cksjs esa ,d vksj ls iQwadkAijarq + + +

+ + + dqN Hkh ugha gqvkA mlus nq[kh Hkko ls viukflj fgyk;k vkSj ,d ckj vkSj dksf'k'k dh ysfdubl ckj Hkh dksbZ dke;kch ugha feyhA vc okscsgn nq[kh gqvk vkSj mlus viuk nq[k ckdh yksxksadks Hkh crk;kA oks vkneh yxHkx jksus dh fLFkfresa vk x;k FkkA oks ,d cSx&ikWbi (ok|&;a=k)cukus dk mLrkn FkkA mlus ;g cgqr mEnkcSx&ikWbi cuk;k Fkk] ijarq xYrh ls oks cSx&ikWbicgqr cM+k cu x;k FkkA mlds iQsiQM+ksa esa mlcSx&ikWbi ls laxhr fudkyus dk ne u FkkA

Uncle Andrew was sorry for him,so he tried to blow them but hecouldn’t.

Uncle Angus was sorry for himtoo, so he tried to blow them buthe couldn’t.

ekek ,aM: dks ml vkneh dhgkyr ij rjl vk;kA mUgksaus HkhcSx&ikWbi esa iQwadus dh dksf'k'kdh ijarq laxhr iSnk djus esavliQy jgsA

pkpk ,axl dks Hkh ml vkneh dhgkyr ij jge vk;kA mUgksaus HkhcSx&ikWbi esa iQwadus dh dksf'k'k dhijarq oks Hkh laxhr iSnk djus esavliQy jgsA

So they all sat down on the rocks and were sadtogether. Wee Gillis wished that his uncles wouldask him to try – but they didn’t, so he just stoodand looked as though he would like to.

After a long time the large man noticed him andshook his head slowly, but because Wee Gillislooked so wanting to, the large man asked him ifhe would like to try. Wee Gillis said: “Aye,” so hedid.

First he took a deep breath theway he used to when he wasgoing to call the cows on amisty night in the Lowlands.

fiQj lHkh yksx nq[kh Hkko esa pV~Vku ij cSB x;sA ohfxfyl pkgrk Fkk fd mlds ekek vkSj pkpk mldksHkh cSx&ikWbi esa iQwadus dk ekSdk nsaaA ijarq ,slk ughagqvkA oh fxfyl cSx&ikWbi esa iQwadus dks cgqr mRlqdFkkA dkiQh nsj ckn ml Hkhedk; vkneh us ohfxfyl dks ns[kk vkSj mls cSx&ikWbi esa iQwadus dhvuqefr nhA btktr ikdj oh fxfyl iQwyk ughalek;kA

igys mlus ,d xgjh lkal yhA;g fcYdqy oSlh gh lkal Fkh tksoh fxfyl ?kkVh esa xk;ksa dks dqgjsdh 'kke ds le; cqykus ds fy;smi;ksx djrk FkkA

Then he held it the way heused to when he was sittingvery still stalking stags in theHighlands.

And then he BLEW with all the force inhis very, very strong lungs.

The bag filled up and let out a screechthrough every one of its pipes and thelarge man and Uncle Andrew and UncleAngus fell off their rocks with surprise.

fiQj oks fcYdqy 'kkar cSBkfcYdqy oSls tSls oks igkM+h ijfgj.kksa ds f'kdkj ds le;cSBrk FkkA

fiQj mlus vius etcwr iQsiQM+ksa ls tksjyxkdj cSx&ikWbi esa iQwadkA cSx&ikWbidh FkSyh gok ls Hkjh vkSj mldh ,duyh ls tksjnkj vkokt fudyhA mlvkokt ls vk'p;Zpfdr gksdj oksHkhedk; vkneh vkSj oh fxfyl dsekek vkSj pkpk pV~Vku ij ls fxj iM+sA

So the large man taught him how tomake music and now Wee Gillis iswelcome down in the Lowlands andup in the Highlands, but most of thetime he just stays in his house halfway up the side of a medium sizedhill and playsTHE BIGGEST BAGPIPES IN ALLSCOTLAND.

END

fiQj ml Hkhedk; vkneh us ohfxfyl dks cSx&ikWbi ctkuk fl[kk;kAvc oh fxfyl dk ?kkVh esa Hkh Lokxrgksrk gS vkSj igkM+h ij HkhA ijarq oksviuk T;knkrj le; ?kkVh vkSj igkM+hds chp ds vius Msjs ij gh fcrkrk gSvkSj oks iwjs LdkWVySUM dk lcls cM+kcSx&ikWbi ctkrk gS!