Audiobook · read by volunteers
Counterpane Fairy
Katharine Pyle (1863–1938)
Read by Lee Elliott · 10 chapters · 2 h 44
About the book
A little boy has been ill for a long time and must stay in bed. To cheer him up, the Counterpane Fairy comes to visit, and she has an unusual gift: every square in the patchwork counterpane that covers him holds a story. All he has to do is look at one square until the fairy can take him into its picture. In this way he meets the Princess of the Golden Castle, owls and a gamblesome elf, and a pair of friends named Starlein and Silverling, among others. Katharine Pyle weaves these tales into a gentle frame, with a loving sense of what a child needs when he is unwell. Ten sections, read by a single volunteer, last about two and three quarter hours. The book is a lovely companion for bedtime and for any quiet afternoon when a little imagination is needed.
Introduction
Katharine Pyle, who lived from 1863 to 1938, was an American writer and illustrator, and the younger sister of the well-known illustrator Howard Pyle. She wrote and illustrated many books for children, including retellings of fairy tales. The Counterpane Fairy appeared in 1898.
The book takes the form of a frame story, in which a series of tales are told to a sick child by a kind visitor. Frame tales of this sort are an old device, going back to collections such as the Arabian Nights, but here the setting is domestic and cosy. The sections are named after the stories themselves, so listeners can pick any episode and enjoy it alone.
The LibriVox recording has ten sections and lasts about two hours and forty minutes, read by one volunteer. The stories are fairy tales in the traditional sense, with princesses, enchantments and small acts of courage. They are suitable for young listeners and should please adult fans of vintage children's literature, who will appreciate the quiet charm of a story that is about the pleasure of stories. Frame stories like this one are comforting to hear, because the structure repeats: the child looks, the fairy appears, a tale begins, and at the end the child returns to his bed. That gentle rhythm helps young listeners settle, and the variety of tales keeps the book from becoming monotonous. It is a charming rediscovery for anyone who loves old-fashioned fairy stories.
Public domain
Katharine Pyle died in 1938: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text