490 Sir George Douglas [Jan. 29, 



be brought to realise that the bugbear of their baby years is common 

 also to the aborigines of Polynesia. So powerful is the spell of early 

 association. 



I suppose that most nations, whilst their life has remained primi- 

 tive, have practised the art of story-telling ; and certainly the Scotch 

 were no exceptions to the rule. Campbell of Isla, who wrote about 

 thirty years ago, records that in his day the practice of story-telling 

 still lingered in the remote western islands of Barra ; where, in the 

 long winter nights, the people would gather in crowds to listen to 

 those whom they considered good story-tellers. At an earlier date, 

 but still at that time within living memory, the custom of story- 

 telling survived at Pool-Ewe, in Eoss-shire ; where the young people 

 were used to assemble at night to hear the old ones recite the tales which 

 they had learned from their forefathers. Here, and at earlier dates 

 in other parts of the country also, the demand for stories would further 

 be supplied by pedlars, " gaberlunzie men," or pauper wandering 

 musicians and entertainers, or by the itinerant shoemaker or tailor, — 

 both of which last were accustomed to travel through thinly-popu- 

 lated districts, in the pursuit of their calling, and put up for the 

 night at farm-houses, — where, whilst plying their needles, they would 

 entertain the company with stories. The arrival of one of these 

 story-tellers in a hamlet was an important event. As soon as it 

 ibecame known, there would be a rush to the house where he was 

 lodged, and every available seat would quickly be appropriated. And 

 then, for hours together, the story-teller would hold his audience 

 spell-bound. During his recitals, the emotions of the reciter were 

 occasionally very strongly excited, as were also those of his listeners, — 

 many of whom, no doubt, firmly believed in all the extravagances 

 narrated. And such rustic scenes as these have by no means been 

 without their marked effect upon Scottish literature. 



Perhaps the most characteristic of the Highland tales are those 

 which deal with heroes and giants. But these are generally very long, 

 and, truth to tell, — with all the repetitions of dialogues, all the repro- 

 ductions of what is practically the same situation, which distinguish 

 them, — they are apt to appear to us wearisome. The shortest kind of 

 popular tales are those which the Folk-Lore Society calls Beast 

 Tales, — the stories, namely, which are concerned with the dumb 

 animals. The Highlands, in particular, are rich in such stories ; and 

 it is easy to imderstand how the common country-peojile — living so 

 near to nature as they do — may come to have an insight into, and an 

 appreciation of, the characters of the brute animals, and a sympathy 

 with them in their tussle for existence, which is not attainable by 

 those who lead a, more artificial life. Some of the fables and traits of 

 animal life in which this knowledge and appreciative symjjathy have 

 been embodied are decidedly naive and quaint. Nor are they without 

 a human application. 



Thc class of stories which we may consider next — the Fairy Tales 

 - — display a higher degree of fancy. And it would be a mistake 



