English Fairy Tales

English Fairy Tales

Here it is the simpler Sphinx form of the “riddle task,” on
which see Köhler in Jahrb. rom. Phil., vii. 273, and on
Gonzenbach, 215.

XXIV. GOLDEN ARM.

Source.—Henderson, l.c., p. 338, collected by the Rev. S.
Baring-Gould, in Devonshire. Mr. Burne-Jones remembers
hearing it in his youth in Warwickshire.

Parallels.—The first fragment at the end of Grimm (ii. 467,
of Mrs. Hunt’s translation), tells of an innkeeper’s wife who
had used the liver of a man hanging on the gallows, whose
ghost comes to her and tells her what has become of his hair,
and his eyes, and the dialogue concludes

“SHE: Where is thy liver?
IT: Thou hast devoured it!”

For similar “surprise packets” see Cosquin, ii. 77.

Remarks.—It is doubtful how far such gruesome topics should

be introduced into a book for children, but as a matter of

fact the katharsis of pity and terror among the little ones is as

effective as among the spectators of a drama, and they take

the same kind of pleasant thrill from such stories. They know

it is all make-believe just as much as the spectators of a trag-

edy. Every one who has enjoyed the blessing of a romantic

imagination has been trained up on such tales of wonder.

XXV. TOM THUMB.

Source.—From the chap-book contained in Halliwell, p. 199,

and Mr. Hartland’s English Folk and Fairy Tales. I have omit-

ted much of the second part.

Parallels.—Halliwell has also a version entirely in verse. “Tom

Thumb” is “Le petit Poucet” of the French, “Daumling” of