New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-08
SWEDISH POPULAR TALES.
4 sKILFUL TRANSLATION FROM The WIKI
INGS OF -EGERS1EDT

| MY LADY LEGEND and other folk tales from me
North. Translated from the oWeu,-n "a rnronc"s
go nro.,,witl pp e97. ID. LO,hrop Company.
The sixty little stories in this volume read dehgh'
FULLY Translation in this case can haruS haNc "'i' ~
do Justice TO the original and 80 Inc Sro"h"' i"' "
comparison which the tales themselves Suggest "'o
firm enough 10 bear II. segcrstedt Is cer'as h'''e
than Hnns Christian Andersen to popular tradition IN
lie genuine forms genius Of the latter tranShu''o
M ro,,l.r tolc info something dlicrent from what II
Ind been whether the change was invariably an I'M
provcment is of those questions OF tnstc "i'h ad
nit Of many answers. But the PERSONAL elua'ioh Vi
the Swedish author nercrcs little with the nauVe nue.
and tone Of the tales which he repeats In flashes OF
humor in subtle turns toward moral that he means
but RELY has the bad taste write ont after tic nshoh
Of those who must add IIacc fnbua docct' the work
~ the individual hnnd is TO he seem But well Is
II IsguIsrd that one cannot he certain In gwen
sentence whether genius or tradition has shapcd INC
result You smile at the thought of King reign
Ing with NIL his might" II suggests variety oi
comparisons and pictures Iou try to Imagine hns
earning his bread by the sweat Of his brow and then
YOU wonder II the delicate touch was the anthors own
or belonged TO the people first II is 50 trne to the
aspect of things as they appear TO the peasant that IL
,hc nomcrs, olers did not II the author mas only
interpreted Cor them the thought OF which they were
unconscious. How can child hclp laughing "hch
it come the broken cup which WAS 80 dl'nrDed d.
IN, tnrn affair, had taken that lit jus; broke IN
new place. Dear me-" the young one VIII say
- was almost thinking that myself
Even In those tales which arc manlfcSilv Intended
TO he taken ms wholly original with the author the
traditional and popular point o view j. exactly the "nc
which lie retain. lie illustrates over and over again
wlIetaer purpo,cy OF unconsci01islN " wWil DE mn"
TO say how near what has been called prtmtvl'm Is
10 the imagining, Of advanced civilization Here, Tor
example i, the creed Of the untutorcd savage put In
the most modern form Of words
ain everything there dwcll> spirit In the water
which roar, I'm the brook IN the leaf that rustlc' on
the tree the which filters through III" leaves
and branches. and TO earth - greeting from
hcaven-yc everywhere the presence 81 spirit l. to
be found" Could simple animism he more f'.nklv
e. ore SD II Is exactly what the kAnir would >hv
II ne could explain In tho language Of civilization his
belief In the water spcs and h0bcobllns TINT sp-.
round him wherever he gocs. Iut IN" kahir', belief
Is thoroush7 prnctca There IS nothing 10 show tina,
he or any human being I'm state ~ pmcvnl icnorr'e
would turn these point, Of simple faith H. purposes
Of symbolism ard aiicgpy thus: "Fc' this rcason
each thin, relate something 20 you. II Won viii
only lister II, and hav" open 10 II, Language.
En-, that language Is - mysterious that mo- all con
understand n. Have Won how the n'tic bird
cccps In among tho thick Dawes when the rain falls
and the thunucr roll? Have you s~cn how the ivy
twines around The oak and finds support IN the ror
thing whose rougl trunk II clothes II won have seen
only that-and thefH thousands thOusand. such
exampics-ihcn YOU know tina can compcehrui
what j., meant. without hearing mn audible lnngiagc.
for II IS the ear II B., tile heart N l.
Just love-that teaches Il. 10 know aud the more We
loyc the more are able 10 comprehend" IL l. nm
op.n question whether the auth0- T. not fal.r io his
own art in these Sentence, whrthe- hc -ious not
have left the anlm>m without the tag of az cxplana
ton.
Varions classes of folk tnl", are Hin tatcd In tits
volume. There stories ~ iaillful beast. "
Roots under the gull" Of tho t,ibpy of CinGcr.
ella who T. here called kr,aapcl.a of the Thro'
Wishes. OF the test by means ~ riddles, " the coward
who became fnous for bravery In spite 0f himself and
% on. one finds the familiar medieval emblem OF
bsauty-blod on snow-so worked ont ~ 10 secm a
remlni,ccnce Of Pa1ival' rather thar pure tradi
tion. \ fine apologize that OF the thorn which, be
Of it, pity for II srlci ,tilcken mother bccnmc
a sweet bra- and bore beautiful ross II tennis the
thought that tale like this ab)u tho origin the
may underlie one OF tine clever lines In the
d" Cupid CrlclGcd7 Of Au,onIus. The Greek myth was
that Aphfodite. distracted by the death of Aaonl,
wounded herself IN the horns. und thus caused tho
rcdness Of the roses The tender sympathy Of the
Northern myth for mothers sorrow l. nearer 10 the
truth " life. Another poin. Of interest about tho
book Is that II preserves mere suggestion Of m
ancient practice. The stories are supposed TO b.,
told by beautiful. mysterious girl My Lady Legend
goes and comes she wishes but u@vcr rcvi.lts
place where she has been unklndy treated. 4
medieval story teller might have REQUIRED 10 mi,
fiction at thc beginning If each subordinate tale but
DIR. scgcrs,cdi merely Introduce, II and leaves the
rest to his readers, Tney will surely be pleased Will,
Ny Lady Legends conversation.