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268 of a romantic imagination has been trained up on such tales of wonder.

XXV. TOM THUMB

Source.—From the chap-book contained in Halliwell, p. 199, and Mr. Hartland's English Folk and Fairy Tales. I have omitted much of the second part.

Parallels.—Halliwell has also a version entirely in verse. "Tom Thumb" is "Le petit Poucet" of the French, "Daumling" of the Germans, and similar diminutive heroes elsewhere (cf. Deulin, Contes de ma Mere l'Oye, 326), but of his adventures only that in the cow's stomach (cf. Cosquin, ii., 190) is common with his French and German cousins. M. Gaston Paris has a monograph on "Tom Thumb."

XXVI. MR. FOX

Source.—Contributed by Blakeway to Malone's Variorum Shakespeare (1790), to illustrate Benedick's remark in Much Ado About Nothing (I., i., 146): "Like the old tale, my Lord, 'It is not so, nor t' was not so, but, indeed, God forbid it should be so;'" which clearly refers to the tale of Mr. Fox. "The Forbidden Chamber" has been studied by Mr. Hartland, Folk-Lore Journal, iii., 193 seq. "Be bold" is Britomart's motto in the Faërie Queene, and one may also refer to "Bloody Jack" (Ingoldsby Legends).

Parallels.—Halliwell, p. 166, gives a similar tale of "An Oxford Student," whose sweetheart saw him digging her grave. "Mr. Fox" is clearly a variant of the theme of "The Robber Bridegroom" (Grimm, No. 40, Mrs. Hunt's translation, i., 389, 395; and Cosquin, i., 180-1).

XXVII. LAZY JACK

Source.—Halliwell, 157, from Yorkshire.

Parallels.—The same story occurs in Lowland Scotch as 'Jock and his Mother," Chambers, l. c., 101; in Ireland as "I'll be Wiser Next Time," Kennedy, l. c., 39-42, and his