Excerpt from Folk-Lore Record, Vol. 3
But if English antiquaries have found themselves at fault in regard to Irish Folk-Lore they have equally failed to hit off what should at least have afforded them a warmer scent; they have never even suspected that England once possessed an original and native version of the same myth, and yet the one fact is quite as unquestionable as the other. The two folk-tales are still in existence, and I shall have no difficulty in removing the cloud which has accidentally enveloped them.
This I will do by laying the narratives textually before you. I will give the pas to the Irish tale, because it has much beauty which the other cannot boast, and it is also otherwise in better form and preservation. It was taken down some few years ago from the lips of a native scealuidhe by the late Mr. Patrick Kennedy, who had previously known it well as a boy in his native county of Wexford. In 1870 he published it with other tales, ejusdem musae, in a volume to which he gave the name of "Fireside Stories of Ireland." Mr. Kennedy is now dead, and praise is lost upon him. But I cannot refrain from saying that this charming volume, though coming after so many precious contributions to Folk-Lore in France, in Italy, and in Germany, contains old-world fictions which no other collection has surpassed in beauty or interest.
Out of respect for the law of copyright I have condensed the Irish tale in the following manner.
There was once a queen that was left a widow with a daughter, who was as good and handsome as any girl could be. The mother married again, and died soon after. At the end of the year the widower proposed to his daughter-in-law to marry her. In her distress, when the evening comes, she goes into the paddock where her filly was. The latter turns out to be a fairy, and advises her what to do. She is to consent to the marriage if her father-in-law will give her a dress of silk and silver thread that will fit into a walnut-shell. The princess does as she is bid, and half a year after the dress is ready. By the advice of the filly the princess insists on another dress - one of silk and gold thread that also will fit into a walnut-shell.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works. Это и многое другое вы найдете в книге Folk-Lore Record, Vol. 3 (Classic Reprint) (Folklore Society)