Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1873-06-14
FAMOUS LEGEaDs.
Stories which Appear Common "a
the Human Race.

The Nation says:
Curious as it may be, it was entirely
to be expected that far away nader the
equator on the banks Of the Amazonian
streams the Investigator of folklore
should come upon the same tales that
are told to children in nursery rooms
under the Arctic circle. The adventure
of our Jack the Giant Killer, whs chal-
lenged the Welsh giant to eat with him,
Professor Hartt heard related in Tupi
language in Brazilian forest; the ku-
rupiras are anthropomorphic wood
spirits characterized by reverse feet, who
lead the traveller astray, perhaps to de-
struction but who, though generally
maleficent, sometimes do man good
turn; many myths relate how the hunter
has been presented by one Of them with
unerring arrows that cannot miss the
mark Man may sometimes outwit
them; and it is told of them that hunter
played on him Jack the Giant Killer S
trick, and induced him to cut himself
open and thus commit suicide. SO, too,
the Tupi Oiara, or water-sprite, like the
mermaid and hurley of Northern myth
ology, entices human beings to her home
beneath the water. Again, the Amazo-
nian Indians narrate the story of match
at running between tortoise and deer.
The former stations her relatives along
the course at short distances, and beats
her antagonist" fable found also in
Africa and SIAM" remarks Professor
Hartt; found also in the Sea Islands, we
will add, and substantially the fable
everywhere found which illustrates the
general truth that the race is not always
to the swift The swan maiden the In
dians have also; only with them it is a
dress of parrot feathers that the spirit
lays aside; she is seized by man be-
fore she can resume it, and becomes his
wife and the mother of new tribe.
Beast and bird myths Professor Hartt
found numerous in the Tupi. One Of
these is about a second wise tortoise.
He wagers with big fish that he can
pull the fish ashore, and then going to
tapir, he wagers that he can pull the ta-
pir into the water The tapir and the
tortoise proceed to the waters edge,
where the fish awaits the contest, and
the tortoise, tying both of them together
with sipo wins the wager, tor after a
long struggle, both fish and tapir con-
fess themselves exhausted by the en-
deavor which, as each suppose, he has
made against the efforts of the perspi
cacious tortoise. The ibis, in a less in
genius but equally effective manner,
cheats the night-hawk:
"0nce on time the night-hawk spoke
like people. His shirt was very pretty,
because it was so red, but the ibis shirt
vas black and ugly. The ibis looked at
the night.hawk, and was pleased with
the nisht-hawk's shirt. The ibis came
to the side of the night-hawk. Lend thy
shirt to me, he said to the night-hawk
: Why dost thou wish to borrow my shirtY
The Ibis answered, | wish to amuse my
seIf and 90 to dance. Until when2
the niebtIhawk asked. To this the ibis
Until three days after The
took off bis shirt and gave
h to the ibis. Here it is, do not cheat
me; | await thee. The ibis went away;
never did he return; he went completely
away from the night-hawk; never did he
appear in his sight again. The night
hawk awaited him, but he appeared not.
And the night.hawk wept; he cried and
said, ibis, bring back my shirt to mel
Always he cried on account of the ibis.
This is why the night hawk goes clad
in somber attire, while the ibiE is of gay
uIunage, and perhaps it is 70 sasger
he question, "Why is the ibis red"
that the fable was invented il so, it goes
into a large elass--as, for instance, the
class containing the fable whick makes
the aspen shiver because i furnished
wood for the cross of Christ; the QHe
which marks the haddock with thumb
aud.fnger mark, because Saint Peter
held him BY the right hand, and took
the tribute money from the fshs mouth
with the left, a1d q thousand other sim
liar faneies, known to more ambitious
poets than those Of the cave and hut
ana bearthstone as well as to these. We
do not know enough Of our Tupi TO
guess whether the demand Of the night
hawk for his shirt resembles his natural
cry, and Professor Hartt does not IN
form as.