The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-11-13

rr..rnTrov,p DIS OF MANY NATIONS select
ed aud translated by C. l. burknardt illustrated
Scribner This, the title imp. res Is collection Of
fairy tales Of different nations ne volume Is beau.
tifully got up and the tales ius ov srea'
many very prettily executed eDgravinA .ns com
piler 10 his preface lays down the no'it, nst the
mind and manners Of nations influence oy .ses
and legends such as these more even, he believe than
by their popular ballads and songs These, how YER,
aie nursery tales full OF the mpro osb,tiss IS
Ksop's Fables, in which birds beasts and trees are
one pointed and definite moral We doubt much
whether good manners formed among any people
ssrv ss * them cha.sn 's,
naturally fond Of the marvellous and are scqusiut
ed with the realities Of the and strange world into
which they have just been ushered Tales such as
these satisfy indeed their natural thirst Tor tue
velous and the incredible but with the sacrifice OF all
that is true and probable Fables the other ha nd
are merely aegories put forth such. aud not told
to be taken as true assuming for the moment to
DO ANYTHING but comparisons and sllegoriss 1t
fondness Of youth for fay and tales
OF fiction should no. rather be gently repressed, aud
Their view be directed to plain and simple fact and
largely gratfed and encouraged by fast Of bOuudess
hcuon administered In the stimu ating shape of fairy
tales. This, however, Is . question Of morals and
philosophy, which it would nd Goo far to discuss
We will say generally such works feed the youthful
iSnas nG "nO@t guiding or ,n'trs0ng tas
dreams which they stir up not always the most
pure. the most holy, aud the most desirable they
the young mind, without always eliciog invigorat
ing any mental power. II they excite to chs it is
In the shape Of wild and wanton dreams they raise
images in the mind they visions corporeai gra
deur and sensual acquisitions. Unlike the tales Of
classic heroism which stimulate to the imitation Of
proud and lofty deeds they calculated to call forth
longing desire for less noble ctons-for riches
and spendor magnihce and display surp ng hui
man power. The objects they present for youthful ad
miration are of sense sndin doing they
Of course cultivate and develop chiefly the and
the passions Now it might be made question, whether
these desires, and the hope of unbounded grandeur
aud possession, does not early enough and quite
spontaneously enough to disturb the peace of the
human mind and to raise up tormentiug and restless
.sires, without the aid Of art the effort of the
bookseller and compiler the stimulus Of fairy tales
and glowing ctions. Much may he said both sides
OF the question: and If We refuse strict mo
to give appreciation to these fctons and inagns-
tons, yet at the same time cannot deny our early
and almost undated affection for them We will not
therefore dispute these questions any longer in oppo-
stion to the industrious compiler of this ume who
has at AL events got up very pretty aud amusing
book for children. With some exceptions S to the
purity Of the style, which occasionally betrays u
foreign hand and idom would pronounce this little
work to be very elegant and beautiful addition to
the library of the young though it may not greatly
insru CT 1t will cerlanly highly amuse; and if 1t does
not solve any doubts and questions of the you ug mind
il will ond doubt raise it's curiosity aud lead it to
the rropounding of great many interrogatories.