Granny's Wonderful Chair
Stories of light and hope
The 1916 edition of Granny’s Wonderful Chair is simultaneously representative of the fairy-tale genre while also being unique in its originality (not a series of classic retellings, like Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty) and the author’s lack of sight. While the story does not include literal blindness, the book’s protagonists find themselves in situations similar to those of blind characters in 19th century stories. They are poor and suffer long trials; but unlike other characters, they have agency in the story. By the beauty and power of eloquence and the arts, the characters open the eyes of antagonistic characters who are, so to speak, blinded by their greed and vice.
Frontispiece (p. i)
The frontispiece (illustration before the title page) of the book depicts the protagonist, a girl named Snowflower, seated in her magical chair. She grips one of its arms with both hands and looks past the viewer to the right. While we do not see the legs of the chair, its slight angle and the girl’s windswept hair indicates that it is moving. A many-turreted castle is in the corner, far in the distance. While Snowflower faces us, we can assume that the castle is her destination. Though she is not blind in the story, the concentrated expression on her face and the fact that she is not looking at anything visible indicates a sense of wonder.
"Thinking they must have gone to the forest the children went in search of them." (p. 62)
Woodwender and Loveleaves are the children of two kind kings and promised to marry each other in “The Lords of the White and Grey Castles.” When their fathers go missing, their wicked stewards force the children to herd swine and sleep on straw. When their hogs wander away, they venture into the forest to look for them. This image is perhaps the most evocative when it comes to the implicit theme of blindness. Though her character is not blind, Loveleaves has a vague, almost sightless expression on her face. Woodwender gently leads her as they move forward with caution, though not necessarily fear.
"Thousands of sheep were feeding, while an old man sat in the midst of them playing on his pipe." (p. 93)
Like 19th century stories with blind characters, Granny’s Wonderful Chair deals with the significance of music. In "The Greedy Shepherd," brother shepherds Clutch and Kind traverse the mountains in search of their lost flock. Here, Pyle illustrates the moment they discover the ancient shepherd, lulling formerly abused flocks with indescribable song. Three sheep gaze intently at the old man, while countless more graze peacefully in the background.
Title page illustration from "The Story of Childe Charity" (p. 125)
In “The Story of Childe Charity,” the titular character is a young orphan in the care of her greedy aunt and uncle. Pyle’s ink illustration depicts her in her misfortune, a wistful look on her face as she sits on a stool and gazes at what could be bread or an implement for scouring pots in her hand. Her other hand is on the head of a shaggy dog, who is later revealed to be a prince of Fairyland. The dog looks actively at the girl, showing that he sees Childe Charity’s goodheartedness despite—perhaps even because of—her poverty.
"With one bound they leaped into his boat. . . . his boat went down miles deep in the sea." (p. 155)
In the chair’s story “Sour and Civil,” a young fisherman named Civil finds himself whisked down into the world of merpeople. This piece illustrates the fear and wonder of this moment; once again, physicality is present in the way Civil grips the boat and the group’s clothing and hair billow in the wind (or rather, water). Civil stares determinedly ahead to caverns outside the reader’s view.
"The merman again showed Civil the chamber of gold and the chamber of jewels" (p. 159)
Pyle displays Browne’s themes of wealth and poverty in her depiction of the mer-king’s treasures. With arms outstretched, the mer-king shows off his jewel-encrusted necklace, long robe, and decorated vases. Civil, on the other hand, is partially obscured behind the king. The viewer can barely make out the tatters of his shirt and wrinkled boots.
"Merrymind and his burden." (p. 184)
The themes of sacrifice, perseverance, and finding worth in what is broken shine through in “The Story of Merrymind.” One of thirteen children, Merrymind is discouraged that the fiddle he spent his allowance on cannot be mended with ordinary supplies. In his search for his fortune and strings made by night-spinners, he comes across a wild old man. Merrymind offers to carry his heavy burden of dust and sings for the man despite his rudeness. Pyle depicts this longsuffering as Merrymind walks ahead of the man, back bent and fiddle under one arm. His companion’s frenzied gestures and the dark tree behind him tell the viewer that this is no familiar place.
Spot illustration from "The Story of Merrymind" (p. 200)
This highlight of Merrymind’s broken fiddle is a curious thing to include at the chapter’s conclusion. After Merrymind meets the night-spinners and plays music which frees an entire community from slavish work, Browne writes that “man, woman, and child took to fiddling.” With such a happy ending, why is the fiddle depicted with strings snapped, and not mended? Perhaps it is to foreshadow the book’s final chapter, in which Browne pulls the reader out of Snowflower’s joyous end and into the real world: “Chairs tell no tales. Wells work no wonders; and there are no such doings on hills and forests, for the fairies dance no more. . . . Yet there are people who believe . . . the prince will make all things right again, and bring back the fairy times to the world.”