that of the fine Homeric heroes.  His achievement of a home is a mastery that pleases children.  And the message of the tale, which after all, is its chief worth—­that there ought to be room in the world for the aged and the worn out, and that “The guilty flee when no man pursueth”—­appeals to their compassion and their good sense.  The variety of noises furnished by the different characters is a pleasing repetition with variation that is a special element of humor; and the grand chorus of music leaves no doubt as to the climax.  We must view life with these four who are up against the facts of life, and whose lot presents a variety of contrast.  The Donkey, incapacitated because of old age, had the courage to set out on a quest.  He met the Dog who could hunt no longer, stopping in the middle of the road, panting for breath; the Cat who had only stumps for teeth, sitting in the middle of the road, wearing an unhappy heart behind a face dismal as three rainy Sundays; and the Rooster who just overheard the cook say he was to be made into soup next Sunday, sitting on the top of the gate crowing his last as loud as he could crow.  The Donkey, to these musicians he collected, spoke as a leader and as a true humorist.

In a simple tale like The Bremen Town Musicians it is surprising how much of interest can develop:  the adventure in the wood; the motif of some one going to a tree-top and seeing from there a light afar off, which appears in Hop-o’-my-Thumb and in many other tales; the example of cooeperation, where all had a unity of purpose; an example of a good complete short-story form which illustrates introduction, setting, characters and dialogue—­all these proclaim this one of the fine old stories.  In its most dramatic form, and to Jacobs its most impressive one, it appears in the Celtic tales as Jack and His Comrades.  It may have been derived from Old Sultan, a Grimm tale which is somewhat similar to The Wolf and the Hungry Dog, in Steinhowel, 1487. How Jack Sought His Fortune is an English tale of cooeperation which is similar but not nearly so pleasing.  A Danish tale of cooperation, Pleiades, is found in Lansing’s Fairy Tales. How Six Traveled Through the World is a Grimm tale which, though suited to older children, contains the same general theme.

Very many of the tales suited to kindergarten children which have been mentioned in various chapters, contain a large element of humor.  The nonsense drolls are a type distinct from the humorous tale proper, yet distinctly humorous.  Such are the realistic Lazy Jack, Henny Penny, and Billy Bobtail.  Then since repetition is an element of humor, many accumulative tales rank as humorous:  such as Lambikin, The Old Woman and Her Pig, Medio Pollito, The Straw Ox, Johnny Cake, and Three Billy-Goats.  Among the humorous tales proper are Andersen’s Snow Man; The Cat and the Mouse in Partnership; The Rabbit Who Wanted Red Wings; The Elephant’s Child; and very many of the Uncle Remus Tales, such as Why the Hawk Catches Chickens, Brother Rabbit and Brother Tiger, and Heyo, House! all in Uncle Remus and the Little Boy. The Story of Little Black Mingo in Tales of Laughter, is a very attractive humorous tale, but it is more suited to the child of the second grade.