A sense of life.  This is the biggest thing in the fairy tales, and the basis for their universal appeal.  The little child who is just entering life can no more escape its attraction than can the aged veteran about to leave the pathway.  The little pig, Whitie, who with his briskly curling tail goes eagerly down the road to secure, from the man who carried a load of straw, a bit with which to build his easily destructible house; Red Riding Hood taking a pot of jam to her sick grandmother; Henny Penny starting out on a walk, to meet with the surprise of a nut falling on her head—­the biggest charm of all this is that it is life.

The familiar.  The child, limited in experience, loves to come in touch with the things he knows about.  It soothes his tenderness, allays his fears, makes him feel at home in the world,—­and he hates to feel strange,—­it calms his timidity, and satisfies his heart.  The home and the people who live in it; the food, the clothing, and shelter of everyday life; the garden, the plant in it, or the live ant or toad; the friendly dog and cat, the road or street near by, the brook, the hill, the sky—­these are a part of his world, and he feels them his own even in a story.  The presents which the Rabbit went to town to buy for the little Rabbits, in How Brother Rabbit Frightens his Neighbors; the distinct names, Miss Janey and Billy Malone, given to the animals of In Some Lady’s Garden, just as a child would name her dolls; and the new shoes of the Dog which the Rabbit managed to get in Why Mr. Dog Runs after Brother Rabbit—­these all bring up in the child’s experience delightful familiar associations.  The tale which takes a familiar experience, gives it more meaning, and organizes it, such as The Little Red Hen, broadens, deepens, and enriches the child’s present life.

The surprise.  While he loves the familiar, nothing more quickly brings a smile than the surprise.  Perhaps the most essential of the fairy traits is the combination of the familiar and the unfamiliar.  The desire for the unknown, that curiosity which brings upon itself surprise, is the charm of childhood as well as the divine fire of the scientist.  The naughty little Elephant who asked “a new, fine question he had never asked before,” and who went to answer his own question of “what the crocodile has for dinner,” met with many surprises which were spankings; and as a result, he returned home with a trunk and experience.  He is a very good example of how delightful to the child this surprise can be.  The essence of the fairy tale is natural life in a spiritual world, the usual child in the unusual environment, or the unusual child in the natural environment.  This combination of the usual and unusual is the chief charm of Alice in Wonderland, where a natural child wanders through a changing environment that is unusual.  For an idle moment enjoy