tries, it appears clear that there must have existed, probably before our era, a Hindu folk-tale of great length, in which the several sections of the tale were fully and clearly narrated. I will add, that this early Hindu tale appears to me to be indicated as the source from which all the variants of the märchen, of both types, in Asia and in Europe, have descended.[1]
- ↑ 1. Memoires de l'Acad. Impér. des Sciences de St. Pétersbourg, 7 Ser., xix, No. 6, 1873, A. Schiefner, Awarische Texte, xxvi-xlv. A hunter, by advice of a hermit, in a lake in the forest captures Manohara, a princess whose power of flight resides in her head-jewel. She is bestowed in marriage on the prince. Compelled to go to the wars, he leaves her in charge of his mother; being in danger of being sacrificed, she obtains the jewel, and takes flight. On her way she visits the hermit, and leaves her ring, with directions for her lover. The latter returning, sets out in quest, asks all animals, and finally comes to the hermit, of whom he gets the ring, with advice and magic apparatus. After a long and dangerous journey through the wilderness, he comes to Manohara's city, and places the ring in the water in which she washes. At her intercession he is received by the father, being required to prove his princely qualities by tests (cutting down trees with his sword, shooting an arrow), and is allowed to return,
2. The Burmese drama is only imperfectly translated in the Jour. of the Asiatic Soc. of Bengal, viii, 1839, 536. The name here is Manahurry. After performing the task of taming wild horses, etc., the prince is compelled to distinguish the little finger of the maid from those ol the other princesses. [This seems connected with the trait in European tales, in which the princess loses her little finger in the last task.] The king of the flies assists him. The drama is interesting, and deserves to be more fully given.
3. The story of Janshah, Lady Burton's ed. of Arabian Nights, iii, 1886, 401. A prince, hiding under a tree near a fountain, gets possession of the feather-robe of one of three bird-maidens [of green colour; the hue of the dress and number of the fairies are the same in the French tale of E. Cosquin]. He takes her home, but she smells out her garment, and flies away, leaving him to seek her at the Castle of Jewels. The prince now proceeds on his quest, and inquires of the birds and beasts, and is carried on bird-back to the hermit, before whom appear all animals. One belated bird only knows of the Castle of Jewels, and carries the hero to a place from which he sees its distant glory. The end of the tale is abbreviated. [The incident of the delayed bird has found its way into several European versions of the tale.] The other tale is the story of Hasan of El Basrah, E. W. Lane, Arabian Nights Entertainments, London, 1865, iii, 352. This version contains a modified reminiscence of the flight. The hero accomplishes his undertaking by aid of a magic wand and a cap of invisibility, which he gets from two youths who quarrel. [This trait is found in several European tales of the family.]
4. Modern Hindu tales: (a), Indian Antiquary, 1875, 10. The daughters of the Sun, who live in heaven, descend to bathe. Toria gets the shirt of one; among the tasks is to dig a tank (see Malagasy tale). She visits her father's house, and
