at the gate and telling him about the secrets of agriculture, one of the secrets of men the trolls wanted to learn. Then at the height of interest, he plays upon his curiosity by getting him to look round. Whereupon, the Troll, meeting the glare of the full sun, burst; for trolls cannot bear the sight of the sun, and live. In the Norse tale, the Cat, after Lord Peter at her request cuts off her head, becomes the Princess and marries Lord Peter. In Perrault's tale, the King, with French etiquette and diplomacy, invites the Marquis to be his son-in-law. The _Story of Puss-in-Boots_ appeared in _Straparola_, 11, 1, and in _Basile_, 2, 4. Laboulaye, in his _Last Fairy Tales_, has retold the Pentamerone tale, _Gagliuso_, in which the Cat is a crafty advocate of his Master's interests, but the Master is ungrateful and forgets the Cat. The effect of the tale is not pleasing, it is a satire on gratitude. The _Story of Puss-in-Boots_ is also told by Ludwig Tieck, with twelve etchings by Otto Speckter, published in Leipzig, in 1843. A critic, writing for the Quarterly Review in 1844, "An Article on Children's Books,"[17] recommended this edition of _Puss-in-Boots_ as the beau ideal of nursery books. _Puss-in-Boots_ appeared also in the Swedish of Cavallius. A monograph on the Carabas tale has been written by Andrew Lang. _Tom Thumb and Little Thumb_ _Tom Thumb_, another romantic tale suited to the first grade, is one of the most entertaining of tales. The germ of _Tom Thumb_ exists in various forms in the books of the far East, among American Indians, and among the Zulus of South Africa. Tom Thumb is one of the oldest characters in English nursery literature. In 1611, the ancient tales of Tom Thumb were said to have been "in the olde time the only survivors of drouzy age at midnight. Old and young, with his tales chim'd mattens till the cock's crow in the morning. Batchelors and maids have with his tales compassed the Christmas fireblocke till the curfew bell rings candle out. The old shepheard and the young plowboy, after a days' labour, have carol'ed out a _Tale of Tom Thumb_ to make them merry with, and who but little Tom hath made long nights seem short and heavy toyles easie."