Ein Og McCrimmons sat on a hill near his home in Borrereg, on the west side of the Isle of Skye. He sat and sat and sighed so heavily that the grass lay at his feet. A day has already been set for a piper's competition to be held at Dunvegan Castle, where the best of the best will be chosen to be declared the hereditary piper of MacLeod of the MacLeod family.
Ein also played the bagpipes, but not very well, and could not even dream of participating in the competition. That's why he sighed. The fairy heard his sigh and took pity on Ein Og McCrimmons.
She flew up to him and asked why he was so sad. And when he told why, she said:
“I heard you play, and I think it’s not bad at all.” Besides, you are beautiful and I like you. I want to help you.
Ein knew very well that it would cost the fairies nothing to turn the clear water of a spring into the best wine, or to weave a fluffy Scottish plaid from a spider's web, or to make a simple reed pipe play a gentle lullaby.
In a word, Ein realized that the decisive moment had come in his life.
He thanked the fairy with feeling; All that remained was to wait to see what would happen next. The fairy handed him a silver pipe with round holes for his fingers.
“Here, take this,” she said to Ein. “Insert it into your bagpipe, and as soon as you touch it with your fingers, it will obediently play the sweetest music.” And she will obey your sons, just as she will obey you, and your sons’ sons, and their sons, and so on to all the successors of the McCrimmons family. Just remember: you must treat this silver pipe with care and love, because it is not simple, but magical. If it happens that one of the McCrimmons offends or offends her in any way, your family will forever lose their musical gift.
Ein Og took the magic pipe and hurried to Dunvegan.
All the famous bagpipers of the Scottish Highlands had already gathered there. One after another they played on their bagpipes the same melodies that their fathers and grandfathers had played. And each new piper seemed to play with even greater skill than the previous one.
When Ein Og's turn came, he inserted the magic pipe into his bagpipes and began to play.
Everyone listened with bated breath. Never before had they listened to such a piper.
And the bagpipes were magical, and the music flowed magically.
There was no doubt - this is who is worthy to be the hereditary piper of MacLeod from the MacLeod family.
That’s how everything was decided, and that’s how it all turned out.
The judges all declared that they had never heard such a magical musician before.
From that day on, the McCrimmons of the Isle of Skye remained, generation after generation, famous pipers and composers. They founded a bagpipe school in their native Borrereg, which attracted students from all over Scotland and Ireland.
The course of study at this school was not short: seven years to become just a piper. Only one who had already had seven generations of bagpipers in his family could be considered a good piper.
Centuries passed, and the McCrimmons remained pipers for the McLeods, until the day came that turned out to be fatal in their glorious history.
The head of the McLeod clan was returning home from the neighboring island of Rasey. The piper's place was at the bow of his galley, and was occupied by one of the McCrimmons.
The day turned out to be windy and the sea was very rough. The light ship was tossed up and down, up and down on the foamy waves.
“Play for us, McCrimmons, to lift our spirits,” McLeod asked.
McCrimmons touched his fingers to the silver pipe. However, the strong rolling prevented him from playing; his fingers kept slipping when the galley was thrown back and forth.
The storm was serious. The rolling wave washed over McCrimmons from head to toe, the spray blurred his eyes, and he involuntarily struck several false notes.
No piper from the McCrimmons family has ever played false notes on a magic bagpipe!
And so this unfortunate man threw away his bagpipes in his heart, completely forgetting about the order of the good fairy who gave the silver pipe to Ein Og, although his father had told him this story more than once.
- Oh, this pathetic pipe! - he exclaimed in an angry moment. - Is it possible to squeeze out at least one correct note from it!
Before he could say this, he already regretted his words. He knew to himself that they were unfair.
Yes, it was too late.
The silver pipe slipped out of his hands and fell overboard into the stormy green sea.
The magic spell has broken.
Neither McCrimmons himself, nor his son, nor his son's son could play the bagpipes so well anymore. And the glory of the famous McCrimmons school soon faded, and the school itself fell into decay.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru