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V.—Some Remarks on the Fairies and Giants of Cornwall.—By 
WILLIAM SANDYS, F.S.A. 
ANY of the Legends of Fairies and Giants are now considered 
- to be derived from the earliest ages of mankind ; indeed, 
before the dispersion after the flood. Thus is accounted for the 
striking similarity between many of them, among the various 
descendants of the Aryan race, as the Hindoos, Persians, Celts, 
Greeks, Romans, Slavonians, &c.; modified, by lapse of time and 
otherwise, from the originals. | 
In the Northern Mythology, Hod, who was blind, was persuaded 
by Loki who guided his hand, to throw a wand of mistletoe at 
Baldur, who was impervious to everything else, and was thus 
killed. There is a similar legend in one of our old Mysteries, 
where Lamech, who is blind, is guided by his servant to throw a 
dart at a supposed beast in the bush; this proves to be Cain, who ~ 
is thus killed. 
Whittington and his Cat have their counterparts in Persia ; 
and in Italy, the tale is told of one Ansaldo degli Ormanni. Puss 
in Boots has a companion in Le Chat Botté of Straparola, and in 
the story of Lord Peter in Dasent’s Popular Tales. His cat is 
an enchanted Princess, who is restored on having her head cut 
off—like the White Cat in that fairy tale—and is married to Peter. 
In the Pentamerone (1637) Gagliuso promises his valuable cat a 
golden coffin; but the sagacious animal suspects him, and, feigning 
to be dead, is about to be thrown out of window, when she rises, 
and Gagliuso is properly reduced to his former poverty.—There 
are several stories in different countries, similar to Cinderella ; 
and even our old nursery tale of the Little Old Woman cut shorter, 
who relied on being recognised by her little dog if she had not 
been changed, has its companion among the Norse Tales, where a 
foolish woman goes to market to sell a cow, but is cheated by a 
roguish butcher, who makes her drunk, dips her in a tar-barrel, 
and rolls her in feathers. She gets confused about her own 
identity, but says that if on her return home her little dog Tray 
