Stray leaves from strange literature; and, Fantastics and other fancies

LAFCADIO HEARN

Reading edition

BOSTON AND NEW YORK

HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY

MDCCCCXXII

Illustration from Stray leaves from strange literature; and, Fantastics and other fancies

A Dock Scene in New Orleans.

NOTE

The thanks of the Publishers are due to Dr. A. K. Coomaraswamy, of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, for corrections in the spelling of proper names in the Tales from India and Buddhist Literature included in this volume.

CONTENTS Explanatory xvii STRAY LEAVES THE BOOK OF THOTH. From an Egyptian Papyrus 3 THE FOUNTAIN MAIDEN. A Legend of the South Pacific 16 THE BIRD WIFE. An Esquimau Tradition 23 TALES FROM INDIAN AND BUDDHIST LITERATURE THE MAKING OF TILOTTAMA 31 THE BRAHMAN AND HIS BRAHMANI 42 BAKAWALI 48 NATALIKA 57 THE CORPSE-DEMON 64 THE LION 77 THE LEGEND OF THE MONSTER MISFORTUNE 80 A PARABLE BUDDHISTIC 86 PUNDARI 91 YAMARAJA 96 THE LOTUS OF FAITH 106 RUNES FROM THE KALEWALA THE MAGICAL WORDS 113 THE FIRST MUSICIAN 125 THE HEALING OF WAINAMOINEN 131 STORIES OF MOSLEM LANDS BOUTIMAR, THE DOVE 141 THE SON OF A ROBBER 146 A LEGEND OF LOVE 152 THE KING'S JUSTICE 156 TRADITIONS RETOLD FROM THE TALMUD A LEGEND OF RABBA 161 THE MOCKERS 168 ESTHER'S CHOICE 173 THE DISPUTE IN THE HALACHA 179 RABBI YOCHANAN BEN ZACHAI 184 A TRADITION OF TITUS 188 BIBLIOGRAPHY 193 FANTASTICS AND OTHER FANCIES INTRODUCTION, BY CHARLES WOODWARD HUTSON 197 IN THE "ITEM" ALL IN WHITE 217 September 14, 1879 THE LITTLE RED KITTEN 220 September 24, 1879 THE NIGHT OF ALL SAINTS 224 November 1, 1879 THE DEVIL'S CARBUNCLE 227 November 2, 1879 LES COULISSES 230 December 6, 1879 THE STRANGER 237 April 17, 1880 Y PORQUE? 239 April 17, 1880 A DREAM OF KITES 241 June 18, 1880 HEREDITARY MEMORIES 244 July 22, 1880 THE GHOSTLY KISS 249 July 24, 1880 THE BLACK CUPID 253 July 29, 1880 WHEN I WAS A FLOWER 257 August 13, 1880 METEMPSYCHOSIS 259 September 7, 1880 THE UNDYING ONE 263 September 18, 1880 THE VISION OF THE DEAD CREOLE 269 September 25, 1880 THE NAME ON THE STONE 274 October 9, 1880 APHRODITE AND THE KING'S PRISONER 277 October 12, 1880 THE FOUNTAIN OF GOLD 283 October 15, 1880 A DEAD LOVE 291 October 21, 1880 AT THE CEMETERY 294 November 1, 1880 "AÏDA" 297 January 17, 1881 EL VÓMITO 304 March 21, 1881 THE IDYL OF A FRENCH SNUFF-BOX 309 April 5, 1881 SPRING PHANTOMS 312 April 21, 1881 A KISS FANTASTICAL 316 June 8, 1881 THE BIRD AND THE GIRL 322 June 14, 1881 THE TALE OF A FAN 327 July 1, 1881 A LEGEND 330 July 21, 1881 THE GYPSY'S STORY 334 August 18, 1881 THE ONE PILL-BOX 341 October 12, 1881 IN THE "TIMES-DEMOCRAT" A RIVER REVERIE 347 May 2, 1882 "HIS HEART IS OLD" 352 May 7, 1882 MDCCCLIII 358 May 21, 1882 HIOUEN-THSANG 362 June 25, 1882 L'AMOUR APRÈS LA MORT 371 April 6, 1884 THE POST-OFFICE 374 October 19, 1884

ILLUSTRATIONS

A DOCK SCENE IN NEW ORLEANS (page 348) Frontispiece From a painting, by Robert W. Grafton, in the St. Charles Hotel, New Orleans. By the courtesy of Alfred S. Amer.

INDRA IN HIS COURT From a Fifteenth Century Jain manuscript. 50

THE OLD CREOLE OPERA HOUSE, NEW ORLEANS 230

JUTTING BALCONIES IN THE CREOLE CITY 322

Except as otherwise stated, the illustrations are from photographs by CHARLES S. OLCOTT