Page:Grimm's household tales, volume 2 (1884).djvu/497

Rh the very reverse of the quiet and simple style of German stories. He abounds too much in picturesque and proverbial forms of speech, and witty turns present themselves to him every moment, and for the most part make their mark. Frequently too his expressions are of the rustic kind, bold, free, and out-spoken, and therefore offend us; as for instance, in this very story of the doll, which could not well be told here in all its details, though we cannot exactly call it indecent, as that of Straparola is. A certain exuberance and flow of language is natural to Basile, for example, in the 28rd story, the complaint of Renza extends over two pages. This, however, is due only to the peculiar pleasure which southern nations take in ever new impressions, and in lingering over the objects which give rise to them, and not to any attempt to conceal poverty in the subject itself. In Liebrecht's opinion (see his translation of Dunlop, 517, 518) Basile has imitated Rabelais in this. As the superabundance of similes is for the most part prompted by fun and wit, the strangest and most laughable expressions may be used without being nonsensical, as for example, in the 23rd story, when the lover cries to his beloved, "Farewell, protocol of all the privileges of Nature, archive of all gracious grants from Heaven, tablet whereon is inscribed every title-deed of beauty." There is some refinement in the 38th. The 32nd is not very story-like, but more resembles a didactic poem. The 20th is a jest, and the matter and execution of the 26th are of the weakest description. The resemblance which the story Lo Dragone (4, 5), bears to the Saga of Siegfried deserves particular attention. The secret birth of the boy, as well as his humble employment with the cook, remind us of Siegfried's childhood. Then we see him aided by a helpful bird, which recalls the bird whose speech the Norse Sigurd understands, and from which he receives and accepts advice. The angry Queen, too, corresponds with Brünhild, and is at the same time Reigen, the instigator of the combat with the dragon. Here too the dragon is the Queen's brother, and her life is bound up with his. She, too, wishes to be smeared with his blood, just as Reigen strives to obtain the heart's blood of Fafnir. As a valuable translation with learned notes by Felix Liebrecht, has appeared (Breslau, 1846, 2 vols.), and soon after it an English one by John Edward Taylor (London, 1848), there is no need of any extract here, and we shall only give a list of the stories in the Pentamerone, and in the German collection, which, on the whole, correspond with each other.