but a small part of Italian fairy tales. They
represent, however, as well as our space will allow, the great fairy
cycles, so to speak. As our purpose has been to give only those stories
which have been taken down from the mouths of the people, we have not
drawn, except for purposes of reference, upon the Pentamerone, one of
the most original and charming collections of fairy tales in any
language. Enough has been given, we trust, to show how the Italians have
treated the themes familiar to us from childhood, and to furnish the
scholar with additional material for comparison.

CHAPTER II.

FAIRY TALES CONTINUED.

The fairy tales given in the last chapter belong to what may be called
the great fairy tale cycles; that is, to extensive classes that are
typical forms. It remains to notice in this chapter those stories which
do not belong to any of these typical classes, but constitute, so to
speak, independent forms.

The reader has perhaps noticed in the fairy tales of the first chapter
the conspicuous absence of the fairies to which we are accustomed in
German or Celtic stories. We have met ogres and magicians with magic
powers, old men and women, and hermits who have aided the hero and
heroine, and played the role of the "good fairy," but the fairy in the
bright shape in which we see her in French and Irish stories, for
example, has been wanting. It will not be amiss, then, to give a few
stories in which the fairies play a more important part. We shall first
mention a curious story in which the fairies are represented in one of
their most usual roles--that of bestowing good gifts. The story is from
Sicily (Gonz. No. 73), and is entitled:

XXV. THE KING WHO WANTED A BEAUTIFUL WIFE.

There was once a king who wanted to marry. But his wife must be more
beautiful than the sun, and no matter how many maidens he saw, none was
beautiful enough to suit him. Then he called his trusty servant, and
commanded him to seek everywhere and see whether he could find a
beautiful girl. The servant set out, and wandered through the whole
land, but found none who seemed handsome enough to him. One day,
however, after he had run about a great deal and was very thirsty, he
came to a little house. He knocked and asked for a drink of water. Now
there dwelt in the house two very old women,--one eighty and the other
ninety years old,--who supported themselves by spinning. When the
servant asked for water, the one eighty years old