_Source._--Knowles. _Folk-Tales of Kashmir_, pp. 241-2.
_Parallels._--A Gaelic parallel was given by Campbell in _Trans.
Ethnol. Soc._, ii. p. 336; an Anglo-Latin one from the Middle Ages by
T. Wright in _Latin Stories_ (Percy Soc.), No. 26; and for these and
points of anthropological interest in the Celtic variant see Mr.
Gomme's article in _Folk-Lore_, i. pp. 197-206, "A Highland Folk-Tale
and its Origin in Custom."
_Remarks._--Mr. Gomme is of opinion that the tale arose from certain
rhyming formulæ occurring in the Gaelic and Latin tales as written on
a mallet left by the old man in the box opened after his death. The
rhymes are to the effect that a father who gives up his wealth to his
children in his own lifetime deserves to be put to death with the
mallet. Mr. Gomme gives evidence that it was an archaic custom to put
oldsters to death after they had become helpless. He also points out
that it was customary for estates to be divided and surrendered during
the owners' lifetime, and generally he connects a good deal of
primitive custom with our story. I have already pointed out in
_Folk-Lore_, p. 403, that the existence of the tale in Kashmir without
any reference to the mallet makes it impossible for the rhymes on the
mallet to be the source of the story. As a matter of fact, it is a
very embarrassing addition to it, since the rhyme tells against the
parent, and the story is intended to tell against the ungrateful
children. The existence of the tale in India renders it likely enough
that it is not indigenous to the British Isles, but an Oriental
importation. It is obvious, therefore, that it cannot be used as
anthropological evidence of the existence of the primitive customs to
be found in it. The whole incident, indeed, is a striking example of
the dangers of the anthropological method of dealing with folk-tales
before some attempt is made to settle the questions of origin and
diffusion.