He told me the tale of Mélusine—often and often—for the reason, he said, that the very existence of a truly French mythology was dubious—but that if such a thing might be found—the Fairy Mélusine was indisputably one of its eminences and bright stars—My dear father had hoped to do for the French what the Brothers Grimm did for the German people—recount the true pre-history of the race through the witness of folktale and legend—discover our oldest thoughts as Baron Cuvier spliced together the Megatherium from a few indicative bones and hypothetic ligatures—and his own Wit and powers of
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