Page:English Fairy Tales.djvu/300

 274 Parallels.—There is a tale which is clearly a cousin it not a parent of this in Kennedy's Fictions, 54 seq., containing the visit to the green hill (for which see "Childe Rowland"), a reference to nuts, and even the sesame rhyme. The Prince is here a corpse who becomes revivified; the same story is in Campbell, No. 13. The jealous stepmother is "universally human." (Cf. Köhler on Gonzenbach, ii., 206.) Though I have suggested in Indian Fairy Tales that she was originally a jealous co-wife.

XXXVIII. THE CAULD LAD OF HILTON

Source.—Henderson's Folk-Lore of Northern Counties, 2nd edition, published by the Folk-Lore Society, pp. 266-7. I have written the introductory paragraph so as to convey some information about Brownies, Bogles, and Redcaps, for which Henderson, l. c., 246-53, is my authority. Mr. Batten's portrait renders this somewhat superfluous.

Parallels.—The Grimms' Elves (No. 39) behave in like manner on being rewarded for their services. Milton's "lubbar-fiend" in D'Allegro has all the characteristics of a Brownie.

XXXIX. ASS, TABLE. AND STICK

Source.—Henderson, l. c., first edition, pp. 327-9, by the Rev. S. Baring-Gould.

Parallels.—Mr. Baring-Gould gives another version from the East Riding, l. c., 329, in which there are three brothers who go through the adventures. He also refers to European Variants, p. 311, which could now be largely supplemented from Cosquin, i., 53-4; ii., 63, 171. To these add the Irish versions of Kennedy, Fireside Stories, p. 25, "The Three Gifts," and Croker, Fairy Legends, "The Legend of Bottle Hill."

Remarks.—As an example of the sun-myth explanation of folk-tales I will quote the same authority (p. 314): "The Master who gives the three precious gifts is the All Father, the Supreme Spirit. The gold and jewel-dropping ass is the spring cloud, hanging in the sky and shedding the bright