Korean Tales. By H. N. Allen, M.D. (G. P. Putnam's
Sons.)— Dr. Allen begins his book with some useful information about Korea and its people. His account is much more favourable than one would have expected. A benevolent despot ruling over a virtuous and contented people is the chief figure in his picture. If the despot, who lives in more than Oriental seclusion, would only use his own eyes and ears a little more, things would be quite perfect. The " tales " have, of course, a strong resemblance to the folk-lore which is the common property of the East and the West. At the same time, they have difference enough to make them well worth looking at. Now and then, too, there is a touch of modern romance in them, as when Tay Yung sees his future love, Chun Yang, in this fashion :—" The vision of the beautiful girl shot up into the air and soon fell back out of sight in the shrubbery of an adjoining courtyard. He could just get a confused picture of an angelic face, surrounded by hair like the black thunder-cloud, a neck of ravishing beauty, and a dazzle of bright silks,—when the whole had vanished." it is a pretty picture, and set-off by the commonplace explanation that the young lady was swinging.
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