The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-08-17
POpuIar Tales from italy.

painters at Rome. DR.. II, Grimm sent the ne gly
acquired treasure to his uncle, the great Jacob
Grimm, whose death in September, 1868, shortly
after he had received them, prevented their
publication. The appearance, in the "Jahrbuch
fur Romanische und Engischc Literatur" ofthe
Venetian tales, edited by Dr. Renheld Kohlpr
and afterwards partially described in AH the
Year Round having attracted the notice of DIR.
ii. Grimm, he sent another copy OF his Neapoli-
tan tales to Dr. Kohler, who makes them known
through the same medium. These tales we give
here, told in our own fashion, conceiying that
while by their resem banCe in principle to many
popular stories OF various countries, they may
interest ethnologists, they Will be found sufi-
clently novel in some other details TO entertain
the reader who merely seeks amusement.
Three brothers, the two eldest of whom hated
| the youngest with an intensity consistent with
that state OF natural feeling which we find re-
presented in so many fairy tales, mustered sulii-
cient friendship to go out for days shooting.
Of course, they lost their way in wood, and of
course the Office of climbing tree and endea.
voring TO ascertain their whereabOut. devolved
upon the youngest. palace. splenddly ilu-
minated, presented itself to his gaze, aud thither
they directed their steps. The knocks which
they inflicted with their guns upon the door
brought no response, so they made an entrance
by main force, and found large empty hall, IN
which there was Widespread table with three
plates, three goblets, and as many chairs. They
naturally aYailed themselves of an opportunity
so inviting. and, when they had feasted suli-
ciently, took their rest in an adjoining chamber,
which was furnished with three beds. The two
the youngest with the prudence proper to nun.
Der three, kept wide awake.
When they had all risen in the morning the
eldest agreed to remain in the palace, and cook
the dinner, while the other two went out with
their guns. While alone, occupied with his
useful duties, he received visit from man of
gigantic stature, who seemed by no means
grStlted to find him making himself so CON-
pletely at home, and told him he would give
him as many blows with a eudgel as there are
days in the year. This was no empty menace.
The giant thra7hed the intruder with artbme-
teal precision, and then conveniently retired.
Being of reserved disposition, the eldest
brother, on the return OF the rest, did not find
it eXpedient to describe what had happened, but
attributed the paleness, naturally produced by
the three hundred and siXty-fye blowr, to an
illness with which he had been attacked in the
course of the day.
The second brother who kept house on the
day following, found himself in the same posi-
tion as the eldest with this variation of detail,
that he received blows equal in number 10 the
days in two years. He, likewise, when his
brother returned, ascribed his paeness TO an
indispostiOn; but, rightly Inspecting that the
eldest had been initiated into the private man
ners and customs of the castle, he favored him
with wink, which the youngest, ever 'cute,
did not fail to observe.
As the sharp third had, however, listened
| attentively when his brothers, supposing him to
be asleep, had confessed their sutieriugs to each
| other, he was well prlmed with information
| when his turn arrived for keeping house. and
! he received the regular visit from the giant.
| That huge specimen of humanity, increasing his
| VindlctiVeness by the law of aTithmetcal pro-
! gression, proposed to chastise the third dcin-
! quent with a number OF blows equal to that of
! the days in three years; but the youth boldly
| answered hlm that he himself must prepare to
receive as many blows as there are days in six
| years. The giant changed the subject by re-
marking that he was taller than the defiant
! youugster; but the latter refuted the assertion
! by standing on a chair. Whether the giant failed
to detect the rude artihce, or whether he scOrned
TO initiate paltry device, we cannot say.
Certain it is that, by merely stretching his neck,
| he OveTtopped the small braggart, who, to NAM
! tain his asCendency, was forced to mount from
! the chair TO the table. Still the elongaton of
neck continued; and though by setting the
chair on the table, the youth secured for himself
pedestal more elevated, the giant did not desist,
| but vigorously went on augmentmg the distance
| between his head and his shoulders.
Now, the position which is rendered familiar
! to modern eyes by the figure OF clown in the
| itinerant FantOcinni, however convenient II
| might be for 81 short person walking ia a crowd,
| or standing IN theatre at the back of crowded
pit, is anything but suitable to the purpose OF
seli.detense. So, when the giants neck was al
| its longest, the yOungster on his table-suppoIted
| chair found no difficulty in striking off the
| giants head with his cutlass. When he had
! afterwards hewed the body into pieces aud
flung them into well, his victory was COM
plEte.
10 his brothers, when they came back, he eH.
pressed a wish to descend into the well at once
and, fastening himself to a cord, to which &
bell was also attached, requested them to lei
him down warning them that it, after three
days, the bell gave no sound, they might fairly
consider him dead. Here was case in which
he might count on their compliance, AMI they
Cheerlully granted his request; though they
knew no more than we ourselves what hC
could possibly want at the bottom OF strange
well.
We may suppose that he was guided by a cor
rect instinct tor when he had reached the bot
tom OF the w2ll, be found himself in a large
meadow, richly adorned with flowers and some
| what distpured by the presence of an uply Ole