Granny's Wonderful Chair is a collection of fairy tales by Irish author Frances Browne (1816–1879), first published in an 1857 edition with illustrations by Kenny Meadows. It is Browne's best-known work. It concerns a poor, orphaned girl named Snowflower who has the ability to command her grandmother’s chair to tell stories and to carry her to different locations. Transported to the castle of King Winwealth, Snowflower asks the chair to tell a story each night for the amusement of the court. The seven fairy tales told by the chair make up the bulk of the book. The story is rounded off with "Prince Wisewit's Return", in which Snowflower is reunited with her grandmother. The book has been described as containing "some of the best original short fairy tales of its period". It was the subject of a claim of plagiarism, after Frances Hodgson Burnett published a fairy tale based on "The Story of Fairyfoot." The collection has been republished many times, and translated into several languages.
Publishing history The book was initially published by Griffith and Farran, printed in quarto size with illustrations by Kenny Meadows, and was sold for 3s. 6d. plain or 4s. 6d. coloured. Although this first edition bears "MDCCCLVII" on the title page, and so is often given the publication date 1857, it was in fact published shortly before Christmas 1856. The book was not republished until 1880, a year after Browne's death, as an eightpenny volume after which it was reprinted in 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1887 and 1889, at which point the price was one shilling. Editions of Granny's Wonderful Chair have been illustrated by a number of notable artists, including Marie Seymour Lucas (1890), Dora Curtis (1906), Katharine Pyle (1916), Arthur A. Dixon (1917), Emma Brock (1924), and Florence White Williams (1928). Granny's Wonderful Chair has been translated into several languages.
Contents
Introductory In a time "when the fairies were in the world," a little girl named Snowflower lives with her grandmother, Dame Frostyface, in a peat cottage on the edge of a forest. The pair are very poor, and the only good piece of furniture they own is an armchair with carvings on its back and wheels on its feet. During the day, Dame Frostyface sits in the chair and spins yarn, but in the evening, she entertains Snowflower with stories. One day Dame Frostyface announces that she must make a journey to the north country to see her aunt. She tells Snowflower that, when she feels lonely, she should lay her head on the armchair and say, "Chair of my grandmother, tell me a story." If she ever needs to travel, a similar command will compel the chair to carry her to any destination. The chair entertains the little girl with a tale each evening, but eventually Snowflower runs low on provisions and asks the chair to take her to her grandmother. During the journey, Snowflower stops the chair when they come upon some woodcutters hard at work. She learns that King Winwealth is preparing seven days of festivities to celebrate the birthday of his daughter Princess Greedalind. Intrigued and hungry, Snowflower asks the chair to take her to King Winwealth’s palace. The narrator explains that the city was once happily ruled by both King Winwealth and his brother Prince Wisewit. But Wisewit had disappeared, and the king had married a selfish princess named Wantall. Since Wisewit’s disappearance, the people had become discontented and covetous.
The king allows Snowflower to stay, but only in the palace’s worst kitchen, where she might eat scraps. When the festivities begin on the following day, the king finds himself in low spirits. So he calls on Snowflower to come to the banquet hall and asks her chair to tell a story. Before an amazed crowd, the chair tells the story of the Christmas Cuckoo.
The Christmas Cuckoo One snowy Christmas, two poor cobbler brothers named Scrub and Spare kindly shelter a hungry cuckoo in their old hut. The bird rewards their hospitality by offering to bring them, each spring, a leaf from one of two magical trees at the world’s end, the tree of gold and the merry tree. Scrub asks for a leaf from the tree of gold while Spare asks for a leaf from the merry tree, which promises happiness. Scrub becomes rich from the gold leaf and marries the maid Fairfeather, but they are never content. By contrast, Spare happily retains his humble ways, living in the old hut, and those who spend time with him become happier. News of Spare’s benevolent powers reaches the king, who summons Spare to the palace. Learning of Spare’s royal attention, Scrub and Fairfeather set off for the palace, certain that it is their destiny to become a lord and lady. At court Spare loses his leathern doublet which contains his merry leaves. The doublet had been picked up by a dwarf named Spy, who later assists his witch mother in robbing Scrub and Fairfeather in the forest. Unaware of the merry leaves, Spy leaves them the doublet. When Scrub puts it on, the merry leaves work their magic. He and Fairfeather decide to make a home in the forest where they rediscover simple joys. Spare, searching for his lost doublet, comes upon Scrub and Fairfeather. The three return to the old hut, where the cuckoo visits them every first of April, “bringing three leaves of the merry tree—for Scrub and Fairfeather would have no more golden ones.”
In thanks for the chair’s story, the King grants Snowflower “a pair of scarlet shoes with buckles of gold.” The following night, the King, again falling into low spirits, requests another tale. The chair announces that it will tell the story of Lady Greensleeves.
The Lords of the White and Grey Castles (also called Lady Greensleeves) Two lords in neighbouring castles look forward to a time when their children, Woodwender and Loveleaves, will marry. One day a traveler tells them of a remarkable woman in the forest who weaves her own grey hair into cloths. The lords journey into the forest to find the woman, leaving their stewards to care for their children and their estates. As the length of the lords' absence increases, the selfish stewards lavish their own children with the lords' riches and send Woodwender and Loveleaves off to tend a herd of swine. While searching for two missing hogs, the children get lost in the forest. A green path leads to a peaceful dell where they meet Lady Greensleeves, who invites them to live with her in a great oak tree. One day, as forest creatures report the news to Lady Greensleeves, Loveleaves overhears a raven explain that the king of the forest fairies has cast a spell over their fathers, who now spend all their time planting acorns. Lady Greensleeves tells the children where to find their parents. Following the lady’s advice, they avoid three temptations of the fairies. A raven, in thanks for their kindness, tells them how to rescue their fathers: just before sunset, they must describe the stewards' bad behaviour, and then hide away their fathers' spades. The spell is broken, and all return to the castles where order is restored. Woodwender and Loveleaves eventually marry and unite the lands.
In thanks for the chair's story, the King grants Snowflower white silk hose and a mattress. The following night, the King, again falling into low spirits, requests another tale. The chair announces that it will tell the story of the Greedy Shepherd.
The Greedy Shepherd Two shepherd brothers, Clutch and Kind, live in the south country. As their names suggest, Clutch is always concerned with making a profit, while Kind "would have shared his last morsel with a hungry dog." In order to increase profits, Clutch decides to shear his sheep more often, leaving the sheep cold and his good-hearted brother unhappy. The closely cropped sheep begin to stray from the herd until none remain. The brothers follow the sheep into the rocky hills. After a day of walking they reach the top, where they encounter thousands of sheep and an ancient shepherd playing his pipe. The old man offers the brothers plentiful food and work shearing. After the moon appears, the old man calls "a troop of shaggy wolves" and orders Clutch to shear them. Frightened, Clutch refuses, but Kind takes up the shears and gets to work. The ancient shepherd rewards him with the flock of wolves, which magically change "into the very sheep which had strayed away so strangely." They return to the plain, "where Clutch has grown less greedy, and Kind alone uses the shears."
In thanks for the chair’s story, the King grants Snowflower a white satin gown, and she moves to the best kitchen. The following night, the King, again falling into low spirits, requests another tale. The chair announces that it will tell the story of Fairyfoot.
The Story of Fairyfoot In the town of Stumpinghame enormous feet had been the fashion from time immemorial. When the Queen’s seventh son is born with tiny feet, the whole court goes into mourning. The boy is banished to a shepherd’s family and named Fairyfoot. One day, while tending sheep, he saves a robin from a hawk. The robin, Robin Goodfellow, is actually a little man in disguise, and he bids Fairyfoot call his name if ever he needs help. Shunned by all and lonely, one day Fairyfoot calls and follows Robin Goodfellow to his land in the forest. Every night all that summer, when the shepherds are gone, the little man takes him away to the fairies, where all is music, feasting, and dancing. While resting, Fairyfoot overhears “two little ladies clad in green” admiring his handsome feet, saying that they were just like Princess Maybloom’s before she washed hers in the Growing Well. They also speak of a Fair Fountain which could make her feet fine and small again; but only they and the nightingales know the secret whereabouts of this fountain. Fairyfoot is amazed and determines to find the princess. The nightingales reveal the way, and he gains the King’s permission to escort Princess Maybloom to the Fair Fountain. There, she washes her feet, and they become as small and fine as Fairyfoot’s own. In gratitude the princess shows Fairyfoot the Growing Well. He fears that if he changes his feet he will no longer be able to dance. So the happy couple, for married they were in time, visit the Growing Well before visiting Stumpinghame, and secretly visit the Fair Fountain when they return.
In thanks for the chair’s story, Snowflower receives a pearl necklace, a down pillow, and dines on a roast chicken. The following night, the King, again falling into low spirits, requests another tale. The chair announces that it will tell the story of Childe Charity.
The Story of Childe Charity