o the King's cook, until in the end he reached the high point of
immortalization as the weather-vane of a church steeple.

_The Story of Three Pigs_ could contend with _The Three Bears_ for the
position of ideal story for little people. It suits them even better
than _The Three Bears_, perhaps because they can identify themselves
more easily with the hero, who is a most winning, clever individual,
though a Pig. The children know nothing of the standards of the Greek
drama, but they recognize a good thing; and when the actors in their
story are great in interest and in liveliness, they respond with a
corresponding appreciation. The dramatic element in _The Three Pigs_
is strong and all children love to dramatize it. The story is the
Italian _Three Goslings_, the Negro _Tiny Pig_, the Indian _Lambikin_,
and the German _The Wolf and Seven Kids_. This tale is given by Andrew
Lang in his _Green Fairy Book_. The most satisfactory presentation of
the story is given by Leslie Brooke in his _Golden Goose Book_. The
German version occurred in an old poem, _Reinhart Fuchs_, in which the
Kid sees the Wolf through a chink. Originally the characters must have
been Kids, for little pigs do not have hair on their "chinny chin
chins."

One of the earliest modern animal tales is _The Good-Natured Bear_,[9]
by Richard Hengist Horne, the English critic. This tale was written in
1846, just when men were beginning to gain a greater knowledge of
animal life. It is both psychological and imaginative. It was brought
to the attention of the English public in a criticism, _On Some
Illustrated Christmas Books_,[10] by Thackeray, who considered it one
of the "wittiest, pleasantest, and kindest of books, and an admirable
story." It is now out of print, but it seems to be worthy of being
preserved and reprinted. The story is the autobiography of a Bear, who
first tells about his interesting experiences as a Baby Bear. He first
gives to Gretchen and the children gathered about him an account of
his experience when his Mother first taught him to walk alone.

III. The Humorous Tale

The humorous tale is one of the most pleasing to the little child. It
pleases everybody, but it suits him especially because the essence of
humor is a mixture of love and surprise, and both appeal to the child
completely. Humor brings joy into the world, so does the little child,
their very existence is a harmony. Humor sees contrasts, shows good
sense, and feels compa