Popular Tales from the Norse | Page 2

various times and at long intervals during the last fifteen years; a fact which is mentioned only to account for any variations in style or tone--of which, however, the Translator is unconscious--that a critical eye may detect in this volume. One of them, The Master Thief, has already appeared in Blackwood's Magazine for November 1851; from the columns of which periodical it is now reprinted, by the kind permission of the Proprietors.
The Translator is sorry that he has not been able to comply with the suggestion of some friends upon whose good-will he sets all store, who wished him to change and soften some features in these tales, which they thought likely to shock English feeling. He has, however, felt it to be out of his power to meet their wishes, for the merit of an undertaking of this kind rests entirely on its faithfulness and truth; and the man who, in such a work, wilfully changes or softens, is as guilty as he 'who puts bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter'.
Of this guilt, at least, the Translator feels himself free; and, perhaps, if any, who may be inclined to be offended at first, will take the trouble to read the Introduction which precedes and explains the Tales, they may find, not only that the softening process would have spoilt these popular traditions for all except the most childish readers, but that the things which shocked them at the first blush, are, after all, not so very shocking.
For the rest, it ill becomes him to speak of the way in which his work has been done: but if the reader will only bear in mind that this, too, is an enchanted garden, in which whoever dares to pluck a flower, does it at the peril of his head; and if he will then read the book in a merciful and tender spirit, he will prove himself what the Translator most longs to find, 'a gentle reader', and both will part on the best terms.

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
ORIGIN DIFFUSION NORSE MYTHOLOGY NORSE POPULAR TALES CONCLUSION

TALES
I TRUE AND UNTRUE II WHY THE SEA IS SALT III THE OLD DAME AND HER HEN IV EAST O' THE SUN, AND WEST O' THE MOON V BOOTS WHO ATE A MATCH WITH THE TROLL VI HACON GRIZZLEBEARD VII BOOTS WHO MADE THE PRINCESS SAY, 'THAT'S A STORY' VIII THE TWELVE WILD DUCKS IX THE GIANT WHO HAD NO HEART IN HIS BODY X THE FOX AS HERDSMAN XI THE MASTERMAID XII THE CAT ON THE DOVREFELL XIII PRINCESS ON THE GLASS HILL XIV THE COCK AND HEN XV HOW ONE WENT OUT TO WOO XVI THE MASTER-SMITH XVII THE TWO STEP-SISTERS XVIII BUTTERCUP XIX TAMING THE SHREW XX SHORTSHANKS XXI GUDBRAND ON THE HILL-SIDE XXII THE BLUE BELT XXIII WHY THE BEAR IS STUMPY-TAILED XXIV NOT A PIN TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THEM XXV ONE'S OWN CHILDREN ARE ALWAYS PRETTIEST XXVI THE THREE PRINCESSES OF WHITELAND XXVII THE LASSIE AND HER GODMOTHER XXVIII THE THREE AUNTS XXIX THE COCK, THE CUCKOO, AND THE BLACK-COCK XXX RICH PETER THE PEDLAR XXXI GERTRUDE'S BIRD XXXII BOOTS AND THE TROLL XXXIII GOOSEY GRIZZEL XXXIV THE LAD WHO WENT TO THE NORTH WIND XXXV THE MASTER THIEF XXXVI THE BEST WISH XXXVII THE THREE BILLY-GOATS GRUFF XXXVIII WELL DONE AND ILL PAID XXXIX THE HUSBAND WHO WAS TO MIND THE HOUSE XL DAPPLEGRIM XLI FARMER WEATHERSKY XLII LORD PETER XLIII THE SEVEN FOALS XLIV THE WIDOW'S SON XLV BUSHY BRIDE XLVI BOOTS AND HIS BROTHERS XLVII BIG PETER AND LITTLE PETER XLVIII TATTERHOOD XLIX THE COCK AND HEN THAT WENT TO THE DOVREFELL L KATIE WOODENCLOAK LI THUMBIKIN LII DOLL I' THE GRASS LIII THE LAD AND THE DELL LIV THE COCK AND HEN A-NUTTING LV THE BIG BIRD DAN LVI SORIA MORIA CASTLE LVII BRUIN AND REYNARD LVIII TOM TOTHERHOUSE LIX LITTLE ANNIE THE GOOSE GIRL
APPENDIX
INTRODUCTION TO APPENDIX
1. WHY THE JACK SPANIARD'S WAIST IS SMALL 2. ANANZI AND THE LION 3. ANANZI AND QUANQUA 4. THE EAR OF CORN AND THE TWELVE MEN 5. THE KING AND THE ANT'S TREE 6. THE LITTLE CHILD AND THE PUMPKIN TREE 7. THE BROTHER AND HIS SISTERS 8. THE GIRL AND THE FISH 9. THE LION, THE GOAT, AND THE BABOON 10. ANANZI AND BABOON 11. THE MAN AND THE DOUKANA TREE 12. NANCY FAIRY 13. THE DANCING GANG
FOOTNOTES TO INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION
ORIGIN
The most careless reader can hardly fail to see that many of the Tales in this volume have the same groundwork as those with which he has been familiar from his earliest youth. They are Nursery Tales, in fact, of the days when there were tales in nurseries--old wives' fables, which have faded away before the light of gas and the power of steam. It is long, indeed, since English nurses told these tales