Speckter, published in Leipzig, in 1843. A critic,
writing for the Quarterly Review in 1844, "An Article on Children's
Books,"[17] recommended this edition of _Puss-in-Boots_ as the beau
ideal of nursery books. _Puss-in-Boots_ appeared also in the Swedish
of Cavallius. A monograph on the Carabas tale has been written by
Andrew Lang.

_Tom Thumb and Little Thumb_

_Tom Thumb_, another romantic tale suited to the first grade, is one
of the most entertaining of tales. The germ of _Tom Thumb_ exists in
various forms in the books of the far East, among American Indians,
and among the Zulus of South Africa. Tom Thumb is one of the oldest
characters in English nursery literature. In 1611, the ancient tales
of Tom Thumb were said to have been "in the olde time the only
survivors of drouzy age at midnight. Old and young, with his tales
chim'd mattens till the cock's crow in the morning. Batchelors and
maids have with his tales compassed the Christmas fireblocke till the
curfew bell rings candle out. The old shepheard and the young plowboy,
after a days' labour, have carol'ed out a _Tale of Tom Thumb_ to make
them merry with, and who but little Tom hath made long nights seem
short and heavy toyles easie."

_Tom Thumb_, as has been previously mentioned, most probably was
transmitted to England by the early Norsemen. _The Tale of Tom Thumb_,
as told by Jacobs, was taken from the chap-book version in
_Halliwell_. The first mention of Tom is in Scot's _Discoverie of
Witchcraft_, in 1584. Tradition says that Tom died at Lincoln, which
was one of the five Danish towns of England. A little blue flagstone
in the cathedral, said to be his tombstone, was lost and has never
been replaced during recent repairs early in the nineteenth century.
_Tom Thumb_ was first written in prose by Richard Johnson, in 1621. In
Ashton's _Chap-Books of the Eighteenth Century_ we have a facsimile of
the chap-book, _The Famous History of Tom Thumb_. The tale is in three
parts. The first part, which is much superior to the rest of the tale,
was taken from a copy printed for John Wright, in 1630. The second and
third parts were written about 1700. The first part closes with the
death of Tom from knightly feats. He was buried in great pomp, but the
fairies carried him to Fairy Land. The first part closed with a
promise of the second:--

The Fairy Queen, she lov'd him so
As you shall understand,
That once again she let him go
Down to t