Page:Grimm's household tales, volume 2 (1884).djvu/487

Rh 20. Reime dich (Nordhausen, 1673), p. 74.

Pretty and witty fables, which you can remember when the nurse insists on keeping silence.

21. Quevedo (born 1570, died 1647). Obras. (Brussels, 1660, 1. 570). Sino llegara una pobre muger, cargada de bodigos y llena de males y plañiendo, quien eres muger desdichada? la manceba del abad, respondio ella, que anda en los cuentos de niños, partiendo el mal con el le va a buscar; assi dizen empunadoras de las consejas, y el mal para quien le fuere a buscar y para la manceba del abad.

22. The works of Schuppius, 1677, Fabelhans, p. 530. "Dr. Luther had taken much trouble with the old and unexpurgated Æsop, and wished to prepare a new and enlarged book of stories, a project which at that time gave great pleasure to many good people but as the beloved man was toiling hard at the Bible, together with many sermons and writings, this book which he had begun was laid on one side, though Magister Georg Rörer brought it out afterwards in the ninth part of Luther's German books. In the beautiful court-psalm the Doctor alludes to the ape which went to split some wood, and forgot his wedge, and was laughed at when he pulled out his axe. He likewise mentions the frog which sat upon a farthing, and boasted of the honour paid to wealth. I have heard several good fables from him at meal-times, as for instance, that of the crow which punished the apes which wanted to blow the fire of a glowworm, and lost their heads in doing it."

Ibid. p. 789.

"Your old folks can remember how in the olden times it was customary at vespers on Easter Day to tell some Easter-tidings from the pulpit. These were foolish fables and stories such as are told to children in the spinning-rooms. They were intended to make people merry."

23. Jucundus Jucundissimus, 1680, pp. 106, 107.

"Thus we arrived at this place together, where the people were in the habit of spinning up the tow. It was an enforced custom with them that each in turn should relate some little tale, or history, and to tell the truth, not only the noble women, but also myself and my friend, found our entire pleasure in such stories, and we often used to stop old beggars and give them a trifle more for telling us them."

24. Ernest Joach. Westphalii De consuetudine ex sacco et libro tractatio (Rostochii, 1726, 8), pp. 224, 225.

Etenim simulac puellae balbutire incipiunt, nihil magis cura est mulierculis quibus educatio commissa est quam mentem et animum