English Fairy Tales.

WHO says that English folk have no fairy tales of their own?

The present volume contains only a selection out of some 140, of which I have found traces in this country.

It is probable that many more exist. A quarter of the tales in this volume have been collected during the last ten years or so, and some of them have not been hitherto published.

Up to 1870, it was said equally of France and of Italy, that they possessed no folk-tales.

Yet, within fifteen years from that date, over 1000 tales had been collected in each country.

I am hoping that the present volume may lead to equal activity in this country, and would earnestly beg any reader of this book who knows of similar tales, to communicate them, written down as they are told, to me, care of the Publishers.

The only reason, I imagine, why such tales have not hitherto been brought to light, is the lamentable gap between the governing and recording classes and the dumb working classes of this country--dumb to others but eloquent among themselves.

It would be no unpatriotic task to help to bridge over this gulf, by giving a common fund of nursery literature to all classes of the English people, and, in any case, it can do no harm to add to the innocent gaiety of the nation.

English Fairy Tales:- ST. GEORGE OF MERRIE ENGLAND- THE STORY OF THE THREE BEARS- TOM-TIT-TOT- THE GOLDEN SNUFF-BOX- TATTERCOATS- THE THREE FEATHERS- LAZY JACK- JACK THE GIANT-KILLER- THE THREE SILLIES- THE GOLDEN BALL- THE TWO SISTERS- THE LAIDLY WORM- TITTY MOUSE AND TATTY MOUSE- JACK AND THE BEANSTALK- THE BLACK BULL OF NORROWAY- CATSKIN- THE THREE LITTLE PIGS- NIX NAUGHT NOTHING- MR.

AND MRS. VINEGAR- THE TRUE HISTORY OF SIR THOMAS THUMB- HENNY-PENNY- THE THREE HEADS OF THE WELL- MR.

FOX- DICK WHITTINGTON AND HIS CAT- THE OLD WOMAN AND HER PIG- THE WEE BANNOCK- HOW JACK WENT OUT TO SEEK HIS FORTUNE- THE BOGEY-BEAST- LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD- CHILDE ROWLAND- THE WISE MEN OF GOTHAM OF BUYING OF -- SHEEPOF HEDGING A CUCKOOOF SENDING CHEESESOF DROWNING EELSOF SENDING RENTOF COUNTING- CAPORUSHES- THE BABES IN THE WOOD- THE RED ETTIN- THE FISH AND THE RING- LAWKAMERCYME- MASTER OF ALL MASTERS- MOLLY WHUPPIE AND THE DOUBLE-FACED GIANT- THE ASS, THE TABLE, AND THE STICK- THE WELL OF THE WORLD'S END- THE ROSE TREE