English Fairy Tales

INTRODUCTIONThe tales in this book have been chosen from many sources, which represent the old haunts of people, fairytale people, like Mother Hubba-rd ahd Simple Simon, who figure in rhyme or legend,,Some of these" talcs have been forgotten, and some have been lost or leng-buried ; and there are several that may seem new id you who read them here to-day. Such a story is that of the elfin Green Knight, which is a case of a delightful old fairy-tale that grew into as delightful a romance. A romance indeed is little else than a fairy-tale for older folk. The romancers " swapped " (as schoolboys say) their good things, and in this way we get a story like that of King Arthur and the Giant of St. Michael's Mount, which comes from the noble old romancer, Sir Thomas Malory. For a fairy-tale, like a cat, has nine lives ; it can pass into many queer shapes, and yet not die. You may cut off its head, or drown it in sentiment or sea-water, or tie a moral to its tail; but it will still surAbout th