There are indeed few instances of a story having travelled so
far and lost so little of its original details, allowing for the
inevitable local colouring.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Campbell's _Popular Tales of the West Highlands_, vol. ii., pp.
373-381. In a note to these adventures Campbell gives a story of some
women who, as judges, doomed a horse to be hanged: the thief who stole
the horse got off, because it was his first offence; the horse went back
to the house of the thief, because he was the better master, and was
condemned for stealing himself!
[2]: Campbell's _Popular Tales of the West Highlands_, vol. ii.,
pp. 385--387.
In a Northumberland popular tale a child in bed sees a little fairy come
down the chimney, and the child tells the creature that his name is
My-ainsel. They play together, and the little fairy is burnt with a
cinder, and on its mother appearing when it cries, and asking it who had
hurt it, the imp answers, "It was My-ainsel."--There is a somewhat
similar story current in Finland: A man is moulding lead buttons, when
the Devil appears, and asks him what he is doing. "Making eyes." "Could
you make me new ones?" "Yes." So he ties the Devil to a bench, and, in
reply to the fiend, tells him that his name is Myself _(Issi)_, and
then pours lead into his eyes. The Devil starts up with the bench on his
back, and runs off howling.
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