Description
The Counterpane Fairy by Katherine Pyle was surely a childhood favorite of manyof todays adults and it continues to educate and entertain kids in our days, too. First published in 1898, the fairy tale still enjoys tremendous popularity, enriching the world of todays kids with magic. The story is about a boy named Teddy, who is just recovering after a long and serious illness. He spends his time in bed and he is bored like anyone would be. During his convalescence he gets frequent visits from the Counterpane Fairy who makes him focus on one square on the blanket (counterpane) on his bed until the square becomes the entrance door to a story that revolves around him. They take one square at a time, the Fairy giving Teddy as many stories with him in the role of the hero as there are squares on the quilt. Teddy gets to master the story he is in, he makes decisions, but he is also taken in by a different universe with each story. The stories end eventually, but endings are never abrupt they just fade away, in a manner similar to waking up from a dream. Katherine Pyle was born in 1863 in Wilmington, Delaware. She was a talented illustrator and she produced lots of other artwork, too, but she became successful when The Counterpane Fairy was first published an edition that she illustrated as well. Her other writings were published in prestigious magazines for women including Harpers Bazaar and the Ladies Home Journal she wrote more than 30 books, mostly volumes of poetry and stories for children, but she took interest in writing plays and she published two books about the history of Delaware as well. She also edited and illustrated numerous works by others and she was an appreciated portrait painter and social activist, too.