_Source_.--Henderson, _l.c._, p. 338, collected by the Rev. S.
Baring-Gould, in Devonshire. Mr. Burne-Jones remembers hearing it in his
youth in Warwickshire.
_Parallels_.--The first fragment at the end of Grimm (ii. 467, of Mrs.
Hunt's translation), tells of an innkeeper's wife who had used the liver
of a man hanging on the gallows, whose ghost comes to her and tells her
what has become of his hair, and his eyes, and the dialogue concludes
“SHE: Where is thy liver?
IT: Thou hast devoured it!”
For similar “surprise packets” see Cosquin, ii. 77.
_Remarks_.--It is doubtful how far such gruesome topics should be
introduced into a book for children, but as a matter of fact the
_katharsis_ of pity and terror among the little ones is as effective as
among the spectators of a drama, and they take the same kind of pleasant
thrill from such stories. They know it is all make-believe just as much
as the spectators of a tragedy. Every one who has enjoyed the blessing
of a romantic imagination has been trained up on such tales of wonder.