NOTICE.
Itwas said by one of old time that a child’s heart is a holy place, and Scripture in awful words has uttered woe on him who wounds the feelings “of one of these little ones.” So this selection has been made to meet the scruples of those good people who thought some ofThe Norse Talestoo outspoken for their children. Whether these worthy folk were not mistaken; whether here, too, “evil to him who evil thinks” might not have been a fitting answer; it is now needless to ask. The book is printed. “Hacon Grizzlebeard,” “Why the Sea is salt,” “The Master Smith,” “The Mastermaid,” “The Master Thief,” and other naughty stories, are blotted out, and no doubt the rest feel glad to be rid of such badcompany, and proud to be raised to the rank of “Moral Tales.” The beautiful illustrations and bright binding will make them vain too. They had best be ware. Pride and Vanity hand in hand can hardly fail to trip. But if any little readers before whose eyes either of the earlier editions may have come, should chance to miss some of their old friends, and ask why they have been left out of this volume, it is hoped that their mothers will be better able to answer the question than the writer of these lines can ever be, for he still sees no harm at all in them.
Broad Sanctuary,Dec. 6, 1861.