interest in folk tales began when they
were schoolboys wandering on foot through the
country and listening to peasant stories. This
interest continued after Moe had become a
theologian and Asbjoernsen a noted scientist.
The latter served the government as an expert
connected with the survey and development of
his country's natural resources. This resulted
in taking him to all parts of the land, and he
never lost an opportunity to hear and copy down
any folk tale that he found surviving in the
more isolated districts. In 1842-1844 appeared
_Norwegian Folk Tales_ by Moe and Asbjoernsen;
in 1845, _Norwegian Fairy Tales and Folk
Legends_; and there were subsequent additions.
The five tales following are from these Norse
collections. They were first made accessible in
English in Dasent's _Popular Tales from the
Norse_ (1858). This book with its long
introductory essay on the origin and diffusion
of popular tales constitutes a landmark in the
study of folklore. It and Dasent's later
volume, _Tales from the Fjeld_, are still,
perhaps, the best sources for versions of the
Norse popular tales. "Why the Bear Is
Stumpy-tailed" belongs to the class of stories
which explain how things happened to be as they
are. It is of great antiquity and is found over
most of the world. The greatest of all modern
nature fairy tales, Kipling's _Just So
Stories_, are of a similar type, though told at
greater length and, of course, with infinitely
greater art.

WHY THE BEAR IS STUMPY-TAILED

One day the Bear met the Fox, who came slinking along with a string of
fish he had stolen.

"Whence did you get those?" asked the Bear.

"Oh! my Lord Bruin, I've been out fishing and caught them," said the
Fox.

So the Bear had a mind to learn to fish too, and bade the Fox tell him
how he was to set about it.

"Oh! it's an easy craft for you," answered the Fox, "and soon learnt.
You've only got to go upon the ice, and cut a hole and stick your tail
down into it; and so you must go on holding it there as long as you can.
You're not to mind if your tail smarts a little; that's when the fish
bite. The longer you hold it there the more fish you'll get; and then
all at once out with it, with a cros