Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1869 edition. Excerpt: ... NOTES. Preface.--We haye another popular song to the Lady-bird under a different name, "Bless you, bless you, Burnie-bee Tell me where your wedding be; If it be to-morrow day, Take your wings and fly away." Hans in Luck, p. 1.--The "Hans im Gliick" of MM. Grimm; a story of popular currency communicated by Aug. Wernicke to the Wilnschelruthe, a periodical publication, 1818, No. 33. The Travelling Musicians, p. 7.--The "Bremer Stadtmusikanten" of Grimm; current in Paderborn. Eollenhagen, who in the 16th century wrote his poem called Froschmauseler (a DEGREEScollection of popular satirical dramatic scenes, in which animals are the acting characters), has admirably versified the leading incidents of this story. The occupant parties who are ejected by the travellers are, with him, wild beasts, not robbers. The Germans are eminently successful in their beast stories. The origin of them it is not easy to trace: as early as the age of the Minnesingers (in the beginning of the 13th century) a collection of fables, told with great spirit and humour by Boner, was current; but they are more iEsopian, and have not the dramatic and instructive character of the tales before us, which bear the features of the oldest Oriental fables. In later times Reineke de Voss seems to be the matured result of this taste, and whether originating in Germany or elsewhere, it had there its chief popularity. To that cycle belong many of the tales collected by MM. Grimm; and accordingly the Fox is constantly present, and displays everywhere the same characteristics. The moral tendency of these delightful fables is almost invariably exemplary; they always give their rewards to virtue and humanity, and afford protection to the weaker but more amiable animals, against their wily...