The form of the stories, as recounted in the Tupi and Mundurucu'
languages, seems to show that they were originally formed in
those languages or have long been adopted in them.
"It is interesting to find a story from Upper Egypt (that of the
fox who pretended to be dead) identical with an Amazonian story,
and strongly resembling one found by you among the negroes.
Vambagen, the Brazilian historian (now Visconde de Rio Branco),
tried to prove a relationship between the ancient Egyptians, or
other Turanian stock, and the Tupi Indians. His theory rested on
rather a slender basis, yet it must be confessed that he had one
or two strong points. Do the resemblances between old and New
World stories point to a similar conclusion? It would be hard to
say with the material that we now have.
"One thing is certain. The animal stories told by the negroes in
our Southern States and in Brazil were brought by them from
Africa. Whether they originated there, or with the Arabs, or
Egyptians, or with yet more ancient nations, must still be an
open question. Whether the Indians got them from the negroes or
from some earlier source is equally uncertain. We have seen
enough to know that a very interesting line of investigation has
been opened.
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