_Source._--Croker, _Fairy Legends of South of Ireland_.
_Parallels._--Parnell's poem, _Edwin and Sir Topaz_, contains the same
story. As he was born in Dublin, 1679, this traces the tale back at
least 200 years in Ireland. Practically the same story, however, has
been found in Japan, and translated into English under the title,
"Kobutori; or, The Old Man and the Devils." In the story published by
Kobunsha, Tokio, the Old Man has a lump on the side of his face. He sees
the demons dancing, and getting exhilarated, joins in. Thereupon the
devils are so delighted that they wish to see him again, and as a pledge
of his return take away from him his lump. Another old man, who has a
similar lump on the other side of his face, hearing of this, tries the
same plan, but dances so badly that the devils, not wishing to see him
again, and mistaking him for the other old man, give him back the lump,
so that he has one on each side of his face.
I may add here that Mr. York Powell informs me that No. xvii. of the
same series, entitled, "Shippietaro," contains a parallel to the
"Hobyahs" of _More English Tales_.
_Remarks._--Here we have a problem of diffusion presented in its widest
form. There can be little doubt that "The Legend of Knockgrafton" and
"Kobutori," one collected in Ireland and to be traced there for the last
200 years, and the other collected at the present day in Japan, are one
and the same story, and it is impossible to imagine they were
independently produced. Considering that Parnell could not have come
across the Japanese version, we must conclude that "Kobutori" is a
recent importation into Japan. On the other hand, as "the Hobyahs"
cannot be traced in England, and was collected from a Scottish family
settled in the United States, where Japanese influence has been
considerable, it is possible that this tale was derived from Japan
within the memory of men still living. It would be highly desirable to
test these two cases, in which we seem to be able to observe the process
of the diffusion of Folk Tales going on before our eyes.