Page:The Folk-Lore Journal Volume 4 1886.djvu/98

90 tales, or of popular tales in general, he has nothing to do at present: others may draw their own inferences from this along with similar collections. We shall hope, however, that the learned Professor will ere long favour students of the genealogy of popular tales and fictions with his views on this still-vexed question, feeling assured that they could not fail to prove eminently instructive.

In the Introduction an interesting account is given of the fairy tale in European literature—its first appearance being in the Piacevoli Notti (Pleasant Nights) of Straparola, published in 1550, and its next in the Pentamerone of Basile, from which Perrault drew the substance of some of his best French fairy tales; and of the several collections of tales which have been preserved orally among the people of Italy. The two first chapters are devoted to fairy-tales, beginning with a series of stories similar to—but not necessarily, as we think, derived from—the beautiful episode of Cupid and Psyche in the Golden Ass of Apuleius. It seems to have been a branch of very ancient general belief that when a superior being condescended to mate with a mortal, some kind of condition was imposed on the latter, as a test of obedience, the breaking of which resulted in banishment, usually temporary, but sometimes perpetual. Innumerable instances of this occur in European romances; as in Mélusine, where the banishment is perpetual; in Partenopex de Blois, where it is only temporary; in Huon of Bordeaux, and in the Lays of Sir Gruélan and of Sir Launval; while in Asiatic fictions similar instances are also found: the Arabian Nights (story of the Second Calender); the Persian Tales of the Dervish Mukhlis of Ispahan (story of the fairy Sheristání) ; the Seven Vazírs (story of the youth who was taken to the Land of Women); the Hítopadesa (Queen of the Fairies); and the Kathá Sarit Ságara (story of Saktideva). In northern folk-lore we find a parallel to the legend of Cupid and Psyche in Dasent's story of the White Bear. Our space, unfortunately, will not permit of a comparative analysis of the thirty-six specimens of fairy tales which Mr. Crane gives in the texts and the notes. Suffice it to say that they have been selected, out of several hundreds, with great judgment and excellent taste; many of them have their counterparts in the folk-lore of Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, and these may rather