Here is Reading #2, a very short passage from a school book --
" Is láidre mise ná tusa!" arsa an ghaoth.
" Feicfimid anois cé is láidre den bheirt againn!" arsa an ghrian.
" Conas sin?", arsa an ghaoth.
" An bhfeiceann tú an fear sin thíos ar an mbóthar a bhfuil an cóta mór air?"
" Feicim," arsa an ghaoth.
" Ar aghaidh leat," arsa an ghrian, "agus bain an cóta de."
Thosaigh an ghaoth ag séideadh. Shéid sí agus shéid sí, ach dhún an fear na cnaipí agus níor fhéad sí an cóta a bhaint de. Shéid sí arís ar a dícheall ach d'fháisc sé a cóta timpeall air le crios.
" Táimse ag éirí as," arsa an ghaoth. "Fútsa atá sé anois."
Thosaigh an ghrian ag taitneamh. D'eirigh an fear te. Scaoil sé cnaipí agus crios a chóta. Bhí allas leis. Níor fhéad sé siúl leis an teas. Bhain sé an cóta de.
" Agatsa atá an bua!" arsa an ghaoth.
"I'm stronger (1) than you!" said (2) the wind.
"We'll see now who is the stronger of the two of us!" said the sun.
"How's that?" said the wind.
"Do you see that man down on the road, who has an overcoat on?" (3)
"I see," said the wind.
"Go ahead," (4) said the sun, "and take his coat off." (5)
The wind began to blow. It blew and it blew, but the man did up the buttons and it (the wind) couldn't take off his coat. It blew again the best it could, (6) but he fastened the coat around himself with a belt.
"I'm giving up," (7) said the wind. "It's up to you now."
The sun began to shine. The man became hot. He undid the buttons and belt of his coat. He was sweating. (8) He couldn't walk because of the heat. He took off his coat.
"You win!" (9) said the wind.
(1) láidre - comparative of láidir. As mentioned in Reading #1, the comparative of the adjective in Irish has the form of the genitive singular feminine.
(2) "Arsa" - "says, said" is a defective verb that is used only when the exact words of the speaker are given. It has the form "ar" before the emphatic personal pronouns seisean, sise, and siadsan.
(3) Literally "which there is a coat on him." An indirect relative which requires the dependent form of tá (i.e. fuil).
(4) Literally "forward with you."
(5) Literally "take the coat off him."
(6) Literally "at its best."
(7) Note the use of the emphatic suffix "-se" with táim, "_I_ am giving up." The broad form of this suffix, -sa, is found in the next sentence with the pronominal pronoun "fút-sa", "It's up to _you_ now." The slender form of the emphatic suffix is used if the preceding consonant or vowel is slender and the broad form if the preceding consonant or vowel is broad.
The emphatic suffixes can be attached to nouns, verbs, and pronominal pronouns. The complete forms of the emphatic suffixes are:
Singular: 1. -sá-se 2. -sá-se 3. (masc.) -san/-sean (fem.) -sá-se Plural: 1. -ná-ne 2. -sá-se 3. -san/-sean
(8) Literally "there was sweat with him."
(9) Literally "victory is with you." Note the emphatic suffix "-sa" with the pronominal preposition "agat-sa."
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