The road in the Three Pigs, the wood in Red Riding Hood, the castle in the Sleeping Beauty—­these add charm.  Often the transformation in setting aids greatly in producing effect.  In Cinderella the scene shifts from the hearth to the palace ballroom; in the Princess and the Pea, from the comfortable castle of the Queen to the raging storm, and then back again to the castle, to the breakfast-room on the following morning.  In Snow White and Rose Red the scene changes from the cheery, beautiful interior of the cottage, to the snowstorm from which the Bear emerged.  In accumulative tales, such as The Old Woman and her Pig, Medio Pollito, and The Robin’s Christmas Song, the sequence of the story itself is preserved mainly by the change of setting.  This appears in the following outline of The Robin’s Christmas Song, an English tale which is the same as the Scotch Robin’s Yule-Song, which has been attributed to Robert Burns.  This tale illustrates one main line of sequence:—­

The Robin’s Christmas Song

1. Introduction.  A sunny morning.  Waterside.  A Gray Pussy. 
A Robin came along.

2. Rise.

Pussy said, ...  “See my white fur.”

Robin replied, ...  “You ate the wee mousie.”

Change in setting.  Stone wall on border of the wood.  A
greedy Hawk, sitting.

Hawk said, ...  “See the speckled feather in my wing.”

Robin replied, ...  “You pecked the sparrow,” etc.

Change in setting.  Great rock.  A sly Fox.

Fox said, “See the spot on my tail.”

Robin replied, “You bit the wee lambie.”

Change in setting.  Banks of a rivulet.  A small Boy.

Boy said, “See the crumbs in my pocket.”

Robin replied, “You caught the goldfinch.”

Change in setting.  King’s palace.  The window sill.  The
King at the window.

Robin sang, “A song for the King.”

King replied, “What shall we give Robin?”

3. Conclusion.

No change in setting.  King’s palace.  The window sill. 
The King at the window.

King Filled a plate and set it on the window sill.

Robin Ate, sang a song again, and flew away.

Here, not only the sequence of the tale is held largely by the change in setting, but also the pleasure in the tale is due largely to the setting, the pictures of landscape beauty it presents, and the feelings arising from these images.

A Japanese tale, in which the setting is a large part of the tale, and a large element of beauty, is Mezumi, the Beautiful, or The Rat Princess.

A Grimm tale in which the setting is a very large element of pleasure and in which it preserves the sequence of the tale, is The Spider and the Flea, a lively accumulative tale that deserves attention for several reasons.—­A Spider and a Flea dwelt together.  One day a number of unusual occurrences happened, so that finally a little Girl with a water-pitcher broke it, and then the Streamlet from which she drew the water asked, “Why do you break your pitcher, little Girl?” And she replied:—­