Peter Christen Asbjørnsen

“ The translator began by setting them in a frame formed by the imaginary adventures of English sportsmen on the Fjeld or Fells in Norway. After a while he grew weary of the setting and framework, and when about a third of the volume had been thus framed, he resolved to let the Tales speak for themselves, and stand alone, as in the first series of "Popular Tales from the Norse." ”

“ The fact is," adds Mr. Thoms, "that the story of Jenkins' son and grandson is only a Yorkshire version of the story as old or older than Jenkins himself, namely, of the very old man who was seen crying because his father had beaten him for throwing stones at his grandfather." ”

“ With regard to the bearing of these Tales on the question of the diffusion of race and tradition, much might be said, but he has already traversed the same ground in the Introduction to the "Tales from the Norse." It will be enough here to mention that several of the Tales now published are variations, though very interesting ones, from some of those in the first series. Others are rather the harvest of popular experience than mythical tales ”