My chief material debt is to the publishing firms who have very courteously permitted the reprinting of narratives selected from their copyrighted editions.
University of the Philippines, Manila, 1911.
LIST OF STORIES xv-xx INTRODUCTION xxi-xxvi
CHAPTER I. THE PRIMITIVE-RELIGIOUS GROUP 1-82
I. MYTH--Classes of myths: primitive-tribal and artificial-literary--Myth age not a past epoch--How traditional myths are collected--How original myths are composed--Difference between myth and allegory, and myth and legend--Working definition--List of mythological deities: Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Hindu, Russian, Finnish, Norse, Filipino--Examples 1
II. LEGEND--Myth and legend compared--Saga--Saint legends--Geoffrey of Monmouth--Legendary romance--Modern literary legends--How to select and record a legend of growth--How to write a legend of art--Working definition--Examples 22
III. FAIRY TALE--Attitude toward fairy stories--Fundamental characteristics of fairies--Northern fairies and their attributes--Some literary fairy tales--How to proceed to write a fairy tale--Summary definition--Partial lists of fairies of different countries: Northern, Irish and Scotch, Filipino, Russian, Arabian, and Miscellaneous--Examples 43
IV. NURSERY SAGA--Origin--The brothers Grimm--English nursery sagas--Distinguishing elements: kind of hero, rhymes, repetition of situation, supernatural element--A few specific suggestions--Working definition--Examples 65
CHAPTER II. SYMBOLIC-DIDACTIC GROUP 83-127
I. FABLE--Æsop--Other early fabulists--"Hitopadesa" and "Panchatantra"--"Reynard the Fox" and bestiaries--Some more writers of fables--Working definition--Classes of fables: rational, non-rational, mixed--How to write an original fable--Maxims upon which fables may be built--Examples 83
II. PARABLE--Distinguishing characteristics--Tolstoy--Suggestions on writing a parable--Working definition--A list of proverbs that might be expanded into parables--Examples 101
III. ALLEGORY--Characteristics--Plato's "Vision of Er"--Modern allegories--Some famous English allegories--Allegory fable, and parable differentiated--Working definition--How to write an allegory--Present-day interest in primitive types--Examples 112
CHAPTER III. INGENIOUS-ASTONISHING GROUP 128-254