Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1845-1851, 1848-12-26
Fairy Tuics and Legends Of Many Ma
tiOns.
Selected. ne,oiy told and translated
BY &. ID. BuCKHARDT.


Selected. ne,oiy told and translated
BY G.. ID. BuCKHARDr.
The design of this book is somewhat differ
cnt from the other volumes OF legends for
children which have lately appeared. \ sim
gle story has been taken from the traditions
OF different nations, and the collection thus
embraces "a characteristic view of the fairy
literature of nearly the whole of Europe.
The translalions are very well written, and
many of the tales exceedingly quaint and
curious. That of Fiddling jockey" for IN
stance, has much of the poetic and magma
tive beauty which we admire III Undinc.
"Seppi, the Goatherd." and THE transform
ations" are also good, in a different style.
We copy short Irish legend, which embo-
dies moral worth remembering:
THE LEPRElIAWN-A LEGEND or IRELAND.
THE "LEPREHAwN" is one of the GOOD
PEOPLE or fairies. in whom many of the ma
tves of ireland place implicit belief. Accor-
ding to the received tradition, this sprite is
brosue-maker to the rest of the Fay-traterni-
ty: and it Is when thus engaged his wherea-
bout Is discovered In the deep recesses of
some tangled wood his captor being led to
the spot BY the sounds which proceed from
the tapping OF his little hammer upon the
sole OF the little shoe he is at work upon.
Once caught it is in the power of his captu-
rer to demand any amount of buried treasure,
or if he choose, insist upon having the Leprc-
hawn's purse this holds but one gold piece.
but possesses the magic power of rcplcnishing
itself Us quickly as its contents are Withdrawn.
The little fairy is, however, no small trickster,
and many instances are on record OF his
cheating his temporary master. by giving. in
Of al Of loss .fa
enriched with only one copper coin, and void
of all reproducing powers.
Other traditions invest the good peoples
broguc maker with the power of removing
personal defects and bestowing good looks
and grace in the place of deformity and awk-
wardness. The following legend is one
have been familiar with from childhood /
will relate it as nearly as my memory serves
In the language of the dear old woman from
whom first heard it.
Is it behave in thin Musha thin av
coorsc do Faith. why not Shurc its my
own blessed grandmother hard what I'm goin'
to till yez, from the father that owned her,
and its consuming bis own grandfather he
was spanking. You see. honey, be all ac-
counts he was a little we bit Of crock of a
child. with a mighty fine brow. and sweet
curtin hair as black as a bad mans heart.
and an eye that would lead elow-worrum
asthrav in dark night, and take the love
out of all that looked upon it In the bright
day. But It's mighty ailin' he was from his
birth, and the poor back of him was as twist
ed rs the letter 5 itself! It's little he minded
it for many long year, for he was beloved
by his strappin' six-feet brothers, and shurc
his father had ever the kind word for the
Damlchy little thing and as for his mother ).
O thin its only mother, and mothers
heart. knows the depth of lis love for the
child that bears the worlds blight upon it .
lied winnin' ways wild him, had little
P,uDEEN; there was the music of the wild
birds in his sweet voice, and many and many
:, time young and ould would listen to him
singing the Guild songs he liked, till the
big tears would hang upon their cheeks. and
their thanks v ould die upon their lips. and
all they codld give him for his pains would be
an unhcard blessing, an a gintlc pat upon
the head, whin they hurried away widout
spanking, as if they feared to drive the sweet
sounds from their cars, where they loved to
keep them.
among the listeners, acushla! there was,
rs I've hard tell the purtyest craturc that
ever set foot on the green grass. faith, the
sight of her checks would wither a rosebud.
and her teeth be the death OF Il lily itsclf.-
And who but ALEEN-that was the name,
honey, she had upon hcr-who but her was
gone for ever in love with the twisted little
Paudeen. And this darlnt, this the way
he found it out. Many and many "A night
he'd walk to the oud wood began his fathers
cabin. and sittin him down at the fut of Il
iavorite wild oak tree, sing By the hour all
alone by himself. Well. who but Alcen knew
this and whose lut was it but hers that left
Its small print the dewy turf as she'd steal
out to listen to his songs. not with her cars
but heart. for there was mt word that came
from his lips, or sound that gave 1t birth.
that didn't nestle snug In there, a little
bird under Its mothers wing
'.Shure, there was wild bastes used TO be
prowlin' about in thin ould times and one
blessed night Paudeen was reused by "A scream
that would almost wake the dead and shure
it's leaving him he thought the sinses of him
was. or that he saw a ghost itself, whin, with
Il face pale as a white frost. Alcen rushed
through the thick branches of the undcrwoo ,
and fell like a-dcad angel Mt his feet. It's
small time he had for lookin at her Just thin !
for the left arm OF him seemed bitten through
and through wild red hot teeth. wolf had
closed It's Jaws upon that same. 1t wasn't
long he enjoyed himself there, sucking better
blood than ever had been In his blaggarG
body, for Paudeen drove the blade of his
hunling-knife betwixt the ribs of the marau-
ding thale. aud drove and drove and cut and