“Who says that English folk have no fairy-tales of their own?”
English Fairy Tales (1890), Preface to English Fairy Tales
Joseph Jacobs was an Australian folklorist, translator, literary critic, social scientist, historian and writer of English literature who became a notable collector and publisher of English folklore.
Jacobs was born in Sydney to a Jewish family.
His work went on to popularize some of the world's best known versions of English fairy tales including "Jack and the Beanstalk", "Goldilocks and the three bears", "The Three Little Pigs", "Jack the Giant Killer" and "The History of Tom Thumb". He published his English fairy tale collections: English Fairy Tales in 1890 and More English Fairy Tales in 1893 but also went on after and in between both books to publish fairy tales collected from continental Europe as well as Jewish, Celtic and Indian fairytales which made him one of the most popular writers of fairytales for the English language. Jacobs was also an editor for journals and books on the subject of folklore which included editing the Fables of Bidpai and the Fables of Aesop, as well as articles on the migration of Jewish folklore. He also edited editions of The Thousand and One Nights. He went on to join The Folklore Society in England and became an editor of the society journal Folklore. Joseph Jacobs also contributed to The Jewish Encyclopedia.
During his lifetime, Jacobs came to be regarded as one of the foremost experts on English folklore.
Wikipedia
“Who says that English folk have no fairy-tales of their own?”
English Fairy Tales (1890), Preface to English Fairy Tales
“But the Harp called out quite loud: Master! Master!”
English Fairy Tales (1890), Preface to English Fairy Tales, Jack and the Beanstalk
“There once was upon a time a poor widow who had an only son Jack, and a cow called Milky-White.”
English Fairy Tales (1890), Preface to English Fairy Tales, Jack and the Beanstalk
(note Goldilocks doesn't feature in this particular version of the story).
English Fairy Tales (1890), Preface to English Fairy Tales, The Story of the Three Bears
English Fairy Tales (1890), Preface to English Fairy Tales, The Story of the Three Little Pigs
said by the ogre or giant. Now rendered as I'll grind his bones to make my bread.
English Fairy Tales (1890), Preface to English Fairy Tales, Jack and the Beanstalk
“Turn again Whittington,
Thrice Mayor of London”
said by the bells of London
English Fairy Tales (1890), Preface to English Fairy Tales, Whittington and his Cat
“For out of every hole the rats came tumbling.”
English Fairy Tales (1890), More English Fairy Tales (1894), Pied Piper
English Fairy Tales (1890), Preface to English Fairy Tales, Jack and the Beanstalk
“Fee, fi, fo, fum
I smell the blood of some earthly one.”
said by a giant, see Jack and the Beanstalk above.
English Fairy Tales (1890), Preface to English Fairy Tales, Molly Whuppie
“Kind sir, if the truth I must tell,
At the sign of Basin of Water I dwell.”
(said by Princess Catskin).
English Fairy Tales (1890), Preface to English Fairy Tales, Catskin
English Fairy Tales (1890), Preface to English Fairy Tales, The Story of the Three Little Pigs
“Woe worth you, Molly Whuppie! never you come again
Twice yet, carle, quoth she, I'll come to Spain.”
English Fairy Tales (1890), Preface to English Fairy Tales, Molly Whuppie
English Fairy Tales (1890), Preface to English Fairy Tales, The Story of the Three Little Pigs
“…he must need wish in a hurry; and wish he did, that the black pudding may come off his nose.”
English Fairy Tales (1890), More English Fairy Tales (1894), The Three Wishes
“The sky is a-going to fall, I must go and tell the King.”
said by Henny-Penny, similar to the words said by Chicken Little
English Fairy Tales (1890), Preface to English Fairy Tales, Henny-Penny
“My man is an ogre and there is nothing he likes better than boys broiled on toast.”
English Fairy Tales (1890), Preface to English Fairy Tales, Jack and the Beanstalk