From that day forward he became poorer and
poorer, until he was reduced to absolute beggary."
Among other examples adduced by Mr. Hartland is a Bohemian legend in
which "the Frau von Hahnen receives for her services to a water-nix
three pieces of gold, with the injunction to take care of them, and
never to let them go out of the hands of her own lineage, else the whole
family would fall into poverty. She bequeathed the treasures to her
three sons; but the youngest son took a wife who with a light heart gave
the fairy gold away. Misery, of course, resulted from her folly, and the
race of Hahnen speedily came to an end."--But those who are interested
in the study of comparative folk-lore would do well to read for
themselves the whole paper, which is assuredly by far the most (if not
indeed the only) comprehensive attempt that has yet been made in our
language to treat scientifically the subject of fairy gifts to human
beings.
RABBINICAL LEGENDS, TALES, FABLES, AND APHORISMS.
I
INTRODUCTORY.
In the Talmud are embodied those rules and institutions--interpretations
of the civil and canonical laws contained in the Old Testament--which
were transmitted orally to succeeding generations of the Jewish
priesthood until the general dispersion of the Hebrew race.
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