Page 161. Identical with our first task is one found in a Oaxaca version (Radin-Espinosa, 223, No. 112). No. 109 in this same collection is a variant of “John the Bear.” An excellent New-Mexican Spanish version of “John the Bear” is given by Espinosa (JAFL 24 : 437–444). (For American Indian versions of this cycle, see Thompson, 336–344.)
Page 165. For comparative bibliography of the “Forgotten Betrothed” cycle, see Bolte-Polívka, 2 : 516–527 (on Grimm, No. 113) ; for American versions of the tasks and magic flight, MAFLS 13 : 54 n²; and for American Indian versions of this cycle as a whole. Thompson, 370–381. In only four of the twenty Indian stories analyzed, however, does the incident of the forgetting of his fiancée by the hero occur.
The first part of the “Forgotten Betrothed” cycle is found in an Araucano story (Saunière, No. 9), in which the hero takes service with a supernatural being, falls in love with his daughter, performs two difficult tasks and answers three questions, and flees with her in a transformation-flight that ends with the death of the pursuer.
In a Negro story from Bahamas (MAFLS 13 : No. 27) are found the tasks, magic-flight, and forgotten-betrothed elements.
[18].
Our story is closely related to Grimm, No. 82 a (see Bolte-Polívka, 2 : 190–196, for text), a story derived from Musäus. Grimm, No. 197 (Bolte-Polívka, 3 : 424–443), is also related. Thompson (410) cites a Micmac version that agrees with ours in its main outlines,—a version which he believes goes back to a French original. A very brief Kutenai version is given in Boas, “Kutenai Tales” (Bulletin 59, Bureau of American Ethnology), p. 34.
[19].
See Bolte-Polívka’s notes on Grimm, No. 108 (2 : 234 ff.).
[20].
Page 196. The following American Indian variants of motifs found in our stories are analyzed by Thompson (419–426):—