e-hives, and wear
clothes of a sort, though not very like our own. 'Pivi and Kabo' is a
tale from the brown people in the island of New Caledonia, where a boy
is never allowed to speak to or even look at his own sisters; nobody
knows why, so curious are the manners of this remote island. The story
shows the advantages of good manners and pleasant behaviour; and the
natives do not now cook and eat each other, but live on fish,
vegetables, pork, and chickens, and dwell in houses. 'What the Rose
did to the Cypress' is a story from Persia, where the people, of
course, are civilised, and much like those of whom you read in 'The
Arabian Nights.' Then there are tales like 'The Fox and the Lapp' from
the very north of Europe, where it is dark for half the year and
daylight for the other half. The Lapps are a people not fond of soap
and water, and very much given to art magic. Then there are tales from
India, told to Major Campbell, who wrote them out, by Hindoos; these
stories are 'Wali Dad the Simple-hearted,' and 'The King who would be
Stronger than Fate,' but was not so clever as his daughter. From
Brazil, in South America, comes 'The Tortoise and the Mischievous
Monkey,' with the adventures of other animals. Other tales are told in
various parts of Europe, and in many languages; but all people, black,
white, brown, red, and yellow, are like each other when they tell
stories; for these are meant for children, who like the same sort of
thing, whether they go to school and wear clothes, or, on the other
hand, wear skins of beasts, or even nothing at all, and live on grubs
and lizards and hawks and crows and serpents, like the little
Australian blacks.

The tale of 'What the Rose did to the Cypress,' is translated out of a
Persian manuscript by Mrs. Beveridge. 'Pivi and Kabo' is translated by
the Editor from a French version; 'Asmund and Signy' by Miss Blackley;
the Indian stories by Major Campbell, and all the rest are told by
Mrs. Lang, who does not give them exactly as they are told by all
sorts of outlandish natives, but makes them up in the hope white
people will like them, skipping the pieces which they will not like.
That is how this Fairy Book was made up for your entertainment.

_CONTENTS_

PAGE

_What the Rose did to the Cypress_ 1

_Ball-Carrier and the Bad One_ 48

_How Ball-Ca