The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-22

goes we'll. In Bnse's " Pentamcrono tho
heroine. unjusty reduced to tho condi-
ton OF Kitchen maid. tells the story
to u doll knife. and piece Of pumicestone
and at the end declares that II the doll does not
answer her she will stab herself with the knife
which she has previously eharpcncd on the
pumiccstOnc. Then the doll. gradually swell
day her uncle overhears the whole story. and
'Thcse tales OF mcsauiance have their own Pc
culinr features. which distinguish them. II they
have Kept true to their original type. from
stories even OF somewhat similar nature
Tho leading idea IL the same. although the part
usually played by the hero has been allotted to
tho heroine. Thus in Greek story mother
MnG2 nSd prayed gay i9T enib wra # Pq ti
And when 1t had grown M it went one day TO
retired brook to wash the family linen. And
came n maiden ~ such beauty that she made
tho whole brook gleam.' After while she
donncd her feather dress and became n jack
all this fell desperately In love with her. and in
sisted on marrying the jackdaw. At the close
ofthe bridal day she slipped on her feather dress
whom she resumed her bird shape, Tho prince
begged her altogether to discard her feather
dress, but in vain. SO at last he ordered the
ovon 10 be heated red-hot. and while his wife
slept he flung her feather dress into il. The
smell Of the burning awoke her. and she rushed
To the oven in order ~ rescue IT,. But before
she arrived II was utterly destroyed, so she had
u similar idea with respect to transformations
is probably 10 he asrribcl the singular Gaelic
lult OF u WonlNU VINO gave blfttl 10 n
hen which performed various wonders after il
had grown up One day. when the hen had
been left in the kings palace while the king
Der and she rnst or her the husk that WIS upon
her" and the kings son found il and put It
into tho hot middle OF the fire. after which
she had TO rcmqin, "a nno woman and the
kings son made her his wife.
tbs PROG PRINCESS.
Tho Siclian story Of Peppno contains an in
cidcnt probably borrowed from ono OF tho
Psyche stories. Pcppino Is married 10 mys-
tcrious wife whom he has never seen. for She
he yields 10 curiosity, and ga2es at his sleeping
spouse by lamplight \ drop Of wax falls on
her inir cheek and instantly shc disappears,
ana ne nnds himself alone on n snow-cOvcrcd
mountain. As there arc princessrs who marry
frog husbands. So there are princes who marry
frog wives. the best known among them proha-
hly being tho hero OF tho Three Feathers"
tGrimml. Very similar TO his frog bride is the
Mother Roundabout's Daughter" No mon.
lion IL made Of husk in either of these stories.
which have evidently followed the same model.
INC frog and thu rat turn into lovely maidens
without any sufficient reason for their trans
formation being Eiyen. IN Greek pamil' -
the story Of tho Three Feathers" given by
Hahn. king orders each of his three sons to
shoot an arrow into the air aud 10 take rs his
wife the lndy near whom il falls. The eldest
son thus obtains as his bride kings daughter.
AMI the second "A princes daughter. but the
youngest son finds nobody near the spot whore
his arrow IL sticking in the ground On dig
ging there. however he lights upon the en-
trance to vault. Ia which there are n number
bride. Eventually she produces "A hnz"l nut
out ot which she takes a dress for her husband
and her own beauty" for herself. and she
turns into tho lovcicst OF damsels. Russian
variant OF the story supplies the hat incident
which y wanting in the others. In IL the Young
est son arrow falls into norass. AMI no liv-
ing creature but frug can be- found n"ar H.
He wept and wept but there was nothing to
be- done-he had 10 take the frog for his wife,"
He and his brothers were married az the Same
tmc. " the frog being held in howl After u
dUIkltaIH-tU-lu il most - illptl mood
Prince Ivan wceps sadly. thinking OF his bride.
Tor the frog only crs'ps about on the ground
only croaks.' But whil" he sleeps the frog
goes out OF tho house. nlngs on her skin. aud
becomes inlr maiden She calls T. her ser
crlent workmanship VITA which the work Of
hcr sisters in-law cannot for n moment COM
ters- in-iaw proofs of their skill in making
bread. aud the frog princess once more gains
NE day, Finally he invites TIE three princess,es
best dancer. The frog tetis her husband
70 go on before her. Then she dors
goes TO the palace: where all receive
her with clapping OF hands md cries OF
thing marvellous to behold Before the hnll
comes To- an end Prince Ivan drives home. finds
comes home and seeks Ia vain her husk Then
she cries: Prince Ivan. thou hast not waited
quite long enough. should have been thine
Vow God knows what will happen. Farewell!
Seek mo beyond twenty-sevcn lands Ia the
thirtieth kingdom" And she disappears. Her
sets out 10 look for her. Long does he. Psyche
like, sndly seek ner. At length. aided by two
nnds her IN tho house OF their elder sister.
l,ut az his approach, M he has been warned.
she turns into spindle wound around with
gold He waits for a favorable moment. breaks
the spindle in two. and throws one part before
him, the other behind. Immediately appears
his wifo IN all her beauty, saying; What
Long timo thou hast been. Prince Ivan | was
on the point Of becoming nnothcrs.'
The story OF Beauty aud the Beast to re-
| turn 10 tle Iplut from which etarfpl=is evi-
IDENTITY NOR tale. intended 10 show that
amiahility IS ot more consequence thnn beauty,
| founded upon some continuation OF a story
! about nm apparently monstrous husband with
another story about supernatural husband
| temporarily lost by a wifes dis0hedience.
BUDDHIST MYTH
As an example OF this Kind % manipulation
| and also ~ an ending 10 the present article.
| may ne taken the following story from Tibet,
] testify turned husk myth into moral tale
/ about n Beauty and n Beast: In early days
there lived King. Saknnl who, enjoyed tn"
| friendship Of the great god Indra. He WAS
! rich and powerful. hut the fact that he was
| chil,.less long made him sad. At length Indra
| took compassion upon hun, AMI his wives all
! bare him sons One Of these kusR by name
| the son NJ Sakuni's chief queen. had " face
| ike unto that OF "A lion. the eighteen marks of
| uglness and an exceedingly powerful frame"
| on account Of his .plainness no was long
11isliked by his father But At length
success duo 10 magic implements given
]
were married. the King tried ~ find wife for
! kusn, hut for long time unsuccessfully. for all
/ tho neigllbOring monarchs exclaimed, " We are
! ready to give our daughters. hut not 20 Kusn"
/ At last however bride WIS found, aud the
marriage took place; but she was never allowed
10 set eyes upon her husband. who was kept
! ont II her sight during the duv. 50 she WIS un-
aware that he was hideous. Nor was he aware
| Of his own uglness. for he had never been
allowed 10 see a mirror: and he had always
! been prevented from bathing. for fear that the
/ winter might serve as a looking glass and let
! al m liza FVuE n
! fortunately. one day his wife caught sight Of
| him rs he sported with his brothers and nsked
! who that demon WIS that she saw amid her
/ brothcrs-in law Hearing that II was her hus-
| band, she determined TO obtain view Of him
| when he visited her at night SO she
! lighted u lamp and concealed II under
n basin. And when her husband was with her
| she suddenly removed the covering. and the
| light revealed to her his hideousness. whore
! upon she shrieked: A demon. demon" and
! fed. Her deserted husband followed her to her
/ fathers home. Under various DISCUSSES he
! pleased her by his skill; but each time that she
obtained good view Of the unknown stranger
whose performances nj a distance had won her
/ good Will she uttered the same cry Of horror
| and ti'd from him. Then came an opportunity
! for him 10 display his mat 'hess strength and
/ courage, which his wife admired 30 much that
] she resolved 10 overcome her dislike. and