M. Cosquin concludes that the theory he attacks is untenable, and determines that, "after having been invented in this place or that, which we must discover" [if we can], "the popular tales of the various European nations (to mention these alone) have spread all over the world from people to people by way of borrowing". In arriving at this opinion, M. Cosquin admits, as is fair, that the Grimms, not having our knowledge of non-Aryan _märchen_ (Mongol, Syrian, Arab, Kabyle, Swahili, Annamite--he might have added very many more), could not foresee all the objections to the theory of a store common to Aryans alone. Were we constructing an elaborate treatise on _märchen_, it would be well in this place to discuss the Aryan theory at greater length. That theory turns on the belief that popular stories are the _detritus_ of Aryan myths. It would be necessary then to discuss the philological hypothesis of the origin and nature of these original Aryan myths themselves; but to do so would lead us far from the study of mere popular tales.* Leaving the Aryan theory, we turn to that supported by M. Cosquin himself--the theory, as he says, of Benfey.** Inspired by Benfey, M. Cosquin says: "The method must be to take each type of story successively, and to follow it, if we can, from age to age, from people to; people, and see where this voyage of discovery will lead us. Now, travelling thus from point to point, often by different routes, we always arrive at the same centre, namely, at India, _not the India of fabulous times_, but the India of actual history." The theory of M. Cosquin is, then, that the popular stories of the world, or rather the vast majority of them, were _invented_ in India, and that they were carried from India, during the historical period, by various routes, till they were scattered over all the races among whom they are found. This is a venturesome theory, and is admitted, apparently, to have its exceptions. For example, we possess ancient Egyptian popular tales corresponding to those of the rest of the world, but older by far than historical India, from which, according to M. Cosquin, the stories set forth on their travels.*** * It has already been attempted in our Custom and Myth; Introduction to Mrs. Hunt's Grimm; La Mythologie, and elsewhere. ** For M. Benfey's notions, see Bulletin de I' Academie de Saint Petersburg, September 4-16, 1859, and Pantschatantra, Leipzig, 1859. *** See M. Maspero's collection, _Contes Populaires de l'Egypte Ancienne_, Paris, 1882.