Tom Tit Tot - An Essay on Savage Philosophy in Folk-Tale

THE sentence from Montaigne, which faces the title-page of this little book, indicates its scope and purpose. It is based upon studies in the philosophy of folk-tales, in the course of which a large number of examples of curious beliefs and customs bearing on the main incident in certain groups have been collected. Some of these are now 'shuffled up together' round an old Suffolk tale, whose vivacity and humour secure it the first place among the 'Rumpelstiltskin' variants with which it is classed.