Chapter LXVIII: The Children in the Wood

_Source._--Percy, _Reliques_. The ballad form of the story has become such a nursery classic that I had not the heart to "prose" it. As Mr. Allingham remarks, it is the best of the ballads of the pedestrian order.

_Parallels._--The second of R. Yarrington's _Two Lamentable Tragedies_, 1601, has the same plot as the ballad. Several chap-books have been made out of it, some of them enumerated by Halliwell's _Popular Histories_ (Percy Soc.) No. 18. From one of these I am in the fortunate position of giving the names of the _dramatis personæ_ of this domestic tragedy. Androgus was the wicked uncle, Pisaurus his brother who married Eugenia, and their children in the wood were Cassander and little Kate. The ruffians were appropriately named Rawbones and Woudkill. According to a writer in _3 Notes and Queries_, ix., 144, the traditional burial-place of the children is pointed out in Norfolk. The ballad was known before Percy, as it is mentioned in the _Spectator_, Nos. 80 and 179.

_Remarks_.--The only "fairy" touch--but what a touch!--the pall of leaves collected by the robins.