Tuesday, May 13, 2008

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English Fairy Tales

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 tragedy. Every one who has enjoyed the blessing of a romantic imagination has been trained up on such tales of wonder.