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viii The Brothers Grimm, with an imagination as rich and fanciful as any writers of Fairy Tales, leave most kindred writers far behind in the especial adaptability of their tales to the tastes of children. In many, animals represent the leading characters, and with inimitable drollery retain their animal traits with a fidelity that teaches as much Natural History as a study of Buffon would to some minds. In the finer ideal embodiments of men and things, birds and butterflies, beasts and fishes ; they rival Hans Andersen, that prince of fairy writers: wonderful word pictures have they revealed to the fresh pure minds of millions of little ones, in the magic mirror of Fairyland — creations in words, that all artists in colour fall short of Their intrinsic merit to be called the princes of Fairy Tale writers, is pre-eminent in the bewitchery of the style and the grace of these stories. "Blessed is the man who invented sleep!" said honest old Sancho Panza. "Thrice blessed is the man," say we, "who invented Fairy Tales!" And if not the inventors, at any rate the Brothers Grimm, are entitled to the augmented blessings of every fresh reader, who, we trust, will be added to the innumerable company that have gone before the publication of this Edition. May this present Edition increase their number by fresh thousands; and may every reader (big or little) swell the psean of praise and blessing we now raise to the immortal Brothers Grimm for this work of theirs, which is the paradise of our nurseries and the heaven of our infancy! R.M.