The Brown Fairy Book | Page 4

'The Bunyip' is known to even more
uneducated little ones, running about with no clothes at all in the bush,
in Australia. You may see photographs of these merry little black
fellows before their troubles begin, in 'Northern Races of Central
Australia,' by Messrs. Spencer and Gillen. They have no lessons except
in tracking and catching birds, beasts, fishes, lizards, and snakes, all of
which they eat. But when they grow up to be big boys and girls, they
are cruelly cut about with stone knives and frightened with sham bogies
all for their good' their parents say and I think they would rather go to
school, if they had their choice, and take their chance of being birched
and bullied. However, many boys might think it better fun to begin to
learn hunting as soon as they can walk. Other stories, like 'The Sacred
Milk of Koumongoe,' come from the Kaffirs in Africa, whose dear
papas are not so poor as those in Australia, but have plenty of cattle and
milk, and good mealies to eat, and live in houses like very big
bee-hives, and wear clothes of a sort, though not very like our own.

'Pivi and Kabo' is a tale from the brown people in the island of New
Caledonia, where a boy is never allowed to speak to or even look at his
own sisters; nobody knows why, so curious are the manners of this
remote island. The story shows the advantages of good manners and
pleasant behaviour; and the natives do not now cook and eat each other,
but live on fish, vegetables, pork, and chickens, and dwell in houses.
'What the Rose did to the Cypress,' is a story from Persia, where the
people, of course, are civilised, and much like those of whom you read
in 'The Arabian Nights.' Then there are tales like 'The Fox and the Lapp
' from the very north of Europe, where it is dark for half the year and
day-light for the other half. The Lapps are a people not fond of soap
and water, and very much given to art magic. Then there are tales from
India, told to Major Campbell, who wrote them out, by Hindoos; these
stories are 'Wali Dad the Simple-hearted,' and 'The King who would be
Stronger than Fate,' but was not so clever as his daughter. From Brazil,
in South America, comes 'The Tortoise and the Mischievous Monkey,'
with the adventures of other animals. Other tales are told in various
parts of Europe, and in many languages; but all people, black, white,
brown, red, and yellow, are like each other when they tell stories; for
these are meant for children, who like the same sort of thing, whether
they go to school and wear clothes, or, on the other hand, wear skins of
beasts, or even nothing at all, and live on grubs and lizards and hawks
and crows and serpents, like the little Australian blacks.
The tale of 'What the Rose did to the Cypress,' is translated out of a
Persian manuscript by Mrs. Beveridge. 'Pivi and Kabo' is translated by
the Editor from a French version; 'Asmund and Signy' by Miss
Blackley; the Indian stories by Major Campbell, and all the rest are told
by Mrs. Lang, who does not give them exactly as they are told by all
sorts of outlandish natives, but makes them up in the hope white people
will like them, skipping the pieces which they will not like. That is how
this Fairy Book was made up for your entertainment.

Contents

What the Rose did to the Cypress Ball-Carrier and the Bad One How
Ball-Carrier finished his Task The Bunyip Father Grumbler The Story
of the Yara The Cunning Hare The Turtle and his Bride How Geirald

the Coward was Punished Habogi How the Little Brother set Free his
Big Brothers The Sacred Milk of Koumongoe The Wicked Wolverine
The Husband of the Rat's Daughter The Mermaid and the Boy Pivi and
Kabo The Elf Maiden How Some Wild Animals became Tame Ones
Fortune and the Wood-Cutter The Enchanted Head The Sister of the
Sun The Prince and the Three Fates The Fox and the Lapp Kisa the Cat
The Lion and the Cat Which was the Foolishest? Asmund and Signy
Rubezahl Story of the King who would be Stronger then Fate Story of
Wali Dad the Simple-hearted Tale of a Tortoise and of a Mischievous
Monkey The Knights of the Fish

The Brown Fairy Book

What the Rose did to the Cypress[FN#1]

Once upon a time a great king of the East, named
Saman-lalposh,[FN#2] had three brave and clever sons--Tahmasp,
Qamas, and Almas-ruh-baksh.[FN#3] One day, when the king was
sitting in his hall of audience, his eldest son, Prince Tahmasp,