Hoc autem fabularum genus quale sit, optima poterit intelligi exemplo et comparatione veterum fabularum nationis et gentis teutonicae, quas plerasque jam oblivio obruit, nam et in illis expositionem ad abhorrentem quendam modum deflexam, et repugnantem sensibus, usurpari solitam fuisse scimus, atque meminimus narrationum portentosarum, quibus vulgi et puerorum mentes terrore, formidine, spe, laetitia, opinionibus aptis quieti, denique religione quadam inbuerentur: unde superstitione postea nocente et intolerabili, cum haec minus scite et gnaviter tractarentur, omnia compleri coepta.
16. Cervantes Colloq. entre Cip y Berg.
—y aquellas (cosas) que à ti te deven parecer profecias, no sino palabras de consejas, o cuentos de viejas, como aquellos del cavallo sin cabeça y de la varilla de virtudes, con que se entretienen al fuego las dilatadas noches del invierno.
17. Kirchhof's (Wendunmut Frankf. 1581, p. 178).
Note for this the fable (The Three Wishes, No. 87), which I used to hear the spinning-girls relate when I was a child.
18. Fischart (Gargantua, 131a).
Tells The last year's snow, and how he heard it from Grandfather Hackleback (riding on his grandfather's leg). He makes many other allusions to familiar stories, viz., The Valiant little Tailor, No. 20; The Tailor in Heaven, No. 35; Rumpelstilzchen, No. 55; and Brother Lustig, No. 81.
18b. Eyering's Sprichwörter.
19. Rollenhagen, in the preface to Froschmeuseler, says, "We can best learn what the teaching of ancient German paganism was from the wonderful household stories which tell of the despised but pious Aschenpössel and his proud mocking brothers, of Foolish Lazy Harry, of Iron Henry, of the Envious old Woman, and others of the same kind. These were unwritten, but were handed down by the people to their descendants by word of mouth, and we generally find that they inculcate fear of God, diligence in business, humility and hope, for in them the most abject person of all generally becomes the greatest." Compare the notes to Nos. 1, 21, 27, 66.
