Chapter XLVI: The Tail

_Source._--Campbell, No. lvii.

_Parallels._--Most story-tellers have some formula of this kind to conclude their narrations. Prof. Crane gives some examples in his _Italian Popular Tales_, pp. 155-7. The English have: "I'll tell you a story of Jack a Nory," and "The Three Wise Men of Gotham" who went to Sea in a Bowl:

"If the bowl had been stronger,
My song would have been longer."

_Printed by_ BALLANTYNE, HANSON & CO. _London and Edinburgh_

_BY THE SAME AUTHOR._

=ENGLISH FAIRY TALES.= Collected by JOSEPH JACOBS. Illustrated by
J. D. Batten. Small demy 8vo, pp. xvi-253, 8 full-page and 60
smaller Illustrations, fancy cloth, price 6s.

This new and charmingly illustrated volume.--_Daily Telegraph_
(Leader).

As a collection of fairy tales to delight children of all ages
ranks second to none.--_Daily Graphic_ (with illustrations).

A delight alike to the young people and their elders.--_Globe._

Prettily and brightly adapted.--_Star._

A most delightful volume of fairy tales.--_England._

A number of charming English fairy tales.--_Speaker._

Mr. Jacobs may be congratulated alike on the matter and form of
his book.--_Manchester Guardian._

A more desirable child's book ... has not been seen for many a
day.--_Daily News_ (Leader).

From first to last, almost without exception, these stories are
delightful.--_Athenaeum._

The most delightful book of fairy tales, taking form and contents
together, ever presented to children.--E. S. HARTLAND, in
_Folk-Lore_.

The whole collection is dramatic and humorous.... This delightful
book....--MISS THACKERAY, in _Atalanta_ (with illustrations).

A gift-book that will charm any child, and all older folk who have
been fortunate enough to retain their taste for the old nursery
stories.--_Literary World._

A dainty and an interesting volume.--_Notes and Queries._

If we were asked what present would make a child happiest at
Christmastide we think we could with a clear conscience point to
Mr. Jacobs' book.--_Gloucester Journal._

The most delightful book of its kind that has come in our way for
many a day.--_Oban Times._

Brimful of pretty stories.... Retold in a truly delightful
manner.--_North-Western Gazette._

The tales are simply delightful. No amount of description can do
them justice. The only way is to read the book through from cover
to cover.--_Magazine and Book Review._

The drawings by Mr. Batten ... are extremely clever, and are full
of humour and imagination.--_Leeds Mercury._

Several charming stories that may be claimed as new
acquaintances.... Mr. Batten's illustrations are excellent.--_The
World._

The book is intended to correspond to "Grimm's Fairy Tales," and
it must be allowed that its pages fairly rival in interest those
of the well-known repository of folk-lore.--_Sydney Morning
Herald_ (N.S.W.).

Nothing could be more fascinating; it is indeed two delicious
books rolled into one.--_Review of Reviews_ (with illustrations).

A really valuable and curious selection which will be welcomed by
readers of all ages.... The illustrations by Mr. Batten are often
clever and irresistibly humorous.--_Times._

=CELTIC FAIRY TALES.= Edited by JOSEPH JACOBS, and Illustrated by
J. D. Batten. Sm. demy 8vo, pp. xvi-267, with 8 full-page
Illustrations and numerous Vignettes, Tail-pieces, Initials,
&c. 6s.

Mr. Joseph Jacobs' book of "Celtic Fairy Tales" is, like his last
year's collection of "English Fairy Tales," one of the best books
of stories ever put together, whether for a young reader or an
old.--_Scotsman._

The volume is illustrated by Mr. John D. Batten, whose work merits
the very highest praise. The humorous sketches are
admirable.--_Glasgow Herald._

Humour and seriousness are delightfully mingled in these tales
from many sources.--_Leeds Mercury._

An admirable selection of Celtic Fairy Tales, edited with
considerable erudition. The illustrations are graceful and
suggestive.--_Freeman's Journal._

Delightful stories, exquisite illustrations by John D. Batten, and
learned notes.--_Ariel._

Mr. Batten's illustrations are quite charming. Neither Tenniel nor
C. H. Bennett have done anything better.--_Bookseller._

This is not the first volume of exquisite fairy tales which Mr.
Jacobs has given the young ones.--_Newcastle Daily Chronicle._

A stock of delightful little narratives gathered chiefly from the
Celtic-speaking peasants of Ireland.--_Daily Telegraph._

A charming volume, skilfully illustrated.--_Daily Chronicle._

A perfectly lovely book. And oh! the wonderful pictures inside.
Get this book if you can; it is capital, all through.--_Pall Mall
Budget._

=INDIAN FAIRY TALES.= Edited by JOSEPH JACOBS, and Illustrated by
J. D. Batten. Sm. demy 8vo, pp. xvi-253, with 9 full-page and
numerous Vignettes, Tail-pieces, Initials, &c.

The book is good both for the schoolroom and the study.--_Daily
News_ (Leader).

Mr. Jacobs' ably edited "Indian Fairy Tales" is a bright example
of almost all that a fairy-book should he.--_Daily Chronicle._

If I were asked to select a child's library I should name these
three volumes ['English,' 'Celtic,' and 'Indian Fairy Tales'],
with Grimm, Hans Andersen, and one or two good volumes of
poetry.--_Irish Daily Independent._

We are absolutely sure (which we scarcely ever are) that this book
is a most pleasing volume.--_Saturday Review._

The form in which they are presented is admirable, and nothing
could be better in their way than Mr. Batten's designs to
illustrate them.--_North British Daily Mail._

Mr. Jacobs brings home to us in a clear and intelligible manner
the enormous influence which Indian Fairy Tales have had upon
European literature of the kind.--_Gloucester Journal._

Mr. Jacobs is a delightful companion into a land of enchantment,
and his successive books are treasures.--_Notes and Queries._

The present combination will be welcomed not alone by the little
ones for whom it is specially combined, but also by children of
larger growth and added years.--_Daily Telegraph._

* * * * *
Transcriber's Notes:

Minor punctuation errors have been corrected without comment and include missing or end of sentence comma and period errors and missing or misplaced quotation marks.

Characters in bold Gothic font, in the Celtic language, with a single overdot accent have been converted to their sound (ex. th, gh, dh, bh, fh).

In all references to the "King of Moroco", the center "o" was accented with a macron (ex. Mor[=o]cos), which has been converted to a plain "o".

In the date reference of the final illustration the "th" in 19th was superscripted in the original text.

Spelling Corrections:

p. 17, "yon" to "you" (a gentleman such as you) p. 27, "Pwyll" to "Powel" (he returned to Powel) p. 42, "Tiernyon" (2) to "Teirnyon" (21) (... said his wife unto Teirnyon) and (... said Teirnyon) p. 120 "daugher" to "daughter" (59) (let my daughter go) p. 125, "hegoes" to "he goes" (and down he goes to) p. 134, "Ill" to "I'll" (I'll try that upon thee) p. 138, "daughers" to "daughters" (69) ("Oh," said the daughters) p. 236, "bo" to "book" (Get this book if you can;)

Printer Error corrections:

p. 178, closed-up blank space in unindented sentences between (... Rome to Rome to-morrow.) and (Unless you deceive me ...), and removed extra opening quotation mark.

Word Variations retained:

"bagpipes" (1) and "bag-pipes" (1) "lapdog" (6) and "lap-dog" (3) "MacDougal" (1) and "MacDougall" (1) (re: Waifs and Strays) "pishrogue" (1) and "pishtrogue" (1) (A fairy spell to distort reality?) "West Irish Folk-Tales" (1) and "West Irish Folk-tales" (1) "tablecloth" (2) and "table-cloth" (2) (p. 208-9)

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