Tales and Legends of Saxony and Lusatia. By W. Westall.
(Griffith and Farran.)—It is as difficult to review a fairy-tale as to criticise a pantomime. Judging these tales and legends by a very practical test, we may pronounce them all highly fascinating, and several of them highly "frightening," to a select circle of young folks who may be re- garded as experts. They are brightly and healthily related, and despite ghosts and goblins, fairies, demons, elfins, and fays, amulets, eas- kete, rings, and the whole paraphernalia of the realm of magic, have an air of vraisemblance which children recognise as soon as their elders, " The Priest, the Fairy, and Doctor Horn" is most to our liking, and has a fine moral, " Convent Beer ; or, the Malt Monk,"" The Elfin Sabbath," and "The Locksmith of Gorlitz" are perhaps among the best,—in fact, we have road the stories one and all with unusual pleasure, and in several caseshave experienced that creepiness which is, we suppose, the tribute to his power the author or translator would most desire. The illustrations are thin and common-place.
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