LITTLE RED RIDING-HOOD.—One of Per-
rault’s tales. The germ of this story may perhaps
be traced in the Edda. In that is told the story
of Thorr visiting the Thursr dressed in female
garments, and representing himself as Freyja,
whom the Thursr has asked in marriage. At the
wedding banquet Thorr drinks three barrels of
mead. ‘Never did I see bride eat and drink so
much,’ said the dismayed bridegroom. Then the
Thursr attempted to kiss his bride, and raised the
veil. ‘Never did I see such fiery eyes before!’ he
exclaimed, and staggered back. Then he brought
his hammer and laid it on his bride’s knee, who at
once struck him dead with it.

Little Red Riding-hood is found in Germany, in
Portugal, in Italy, etc.

THE SLEEPING BEAUTY.—One of Perrault’s
tales. This is the Dornréschen of Grimm. This
is almost certainly a nature-myth of the earth
sleeping in winter till kissed by the warm rays of
the Spring sun, and it betokens a Northern origin.
The spindle is the sleep-thorn wherewith in the
Norse myth the Valkyrie Brunnhild was sent to
sleep by Odin. In the ancient myth the Sleeping
Beauty was surrounded by the wabberlohe, or wall
of flame, till Sigurd came and released her. This
myth has acquired fresh vitality from its adoption
into Wagner’s marvellous cycle of opera, the Ring
of the Niebelungen. Perrault took the tale from
the Pentamerone.

THE BABES IN THE WOOD.—A genuine old
English tale based on a ballad.

PRETTY MARUSCHKA.—A Sclavonic tale. It

is properly Slovakian, and is given by Wenzig in

his ‘West Slawischer Marchenschatz,’ 1857. The

story has a mythological importance, on account
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NOTES