1001 Nights of Snowfall

Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall
Michael Wm. Kaluta James Jean Tara McPherson Derek Kirk Kim Esao Andrews Mark Buckingham Mark Wheatley Jill Thompson

Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall is a

.

In the story

, considering it an insult that a woman was sent to negotiate, holds her hostage. Snow White tells him a story every night to keep him from executing her.

Plot

This tale is set in the 19th century, in the early days of Fabletown, when Snow White was sent as an envoy to the lands of the Arabian Fables. When she catches the eye of the sultan, Snow finds herself filling the unenviable role of Scheherazade, the teller of the original One Thousand and One Arabian Nights tales.^[2]

Snow has to amuse the Sultan with tales of wonder and imagination every night - for a thousand and one nights - to keep her head off the chopping block. The stories as Snow tells them are shown in a framing sequence similar to the original. Running the gamut from horror to dark intrigue to mercurial coming-of-age, it reveals the secret histories of familiar characters through a series of compelling and visually illustrative tales.

Tales

The ten stories, in order:

A Most Troublesome Woman

Penciled by

.

The Fencing Lessons

Painted by

. Much is seen of Charming's skill with a blade. This story also further explains where Snow and Charming's marriage may have gone wrong.

The Christmas Pies

Painted by

Reynard the Fox

tricks the armies of the Adversary into baking and delivering pies to a clearing to replicate the "miracle of the Christmas pies". This ruse allows the trapped animals an opportunity, not only to eat, but to escape from the valley and into the mundane world.

A Frog's Eye View

Painted by

Flycatcher

's life from the moment he became human and fell in love, as well as some details of his and his family's life living "happily ever after" before the Adversary's forces invaded their kingdom. It is revealed that in the past when Flycatcher (then known as Prince Ambrose) was nervous, afraid or overly excited he would transform into a frog and only transform back into his human form when he was kissed by his wife. The story also covers his last days in the Homelands and reveals the tragic reason why he was able to escape the Adversary's invasion while his wife and children did not.

The Runt

Painted by

North Wind

. It also gives a glimpse of some of Bigby's past, prior to his reformation.

A Mother's Love

Painted by Derek Kirk Kim, it is a three-page tale about hares, in which Colonel Thunderfoot (an original character, based on the rabbit mythology of Watership Down) is cursed from harekind to humankind to live out his days until "the true love of a doe of our people restores you to harekind".

Diaspora

Illustrated by

, and Frau Totenkinder, and includes the first visual look at Snow and Bigby's first meeting. It is also used as a framing story for "The Witch's Tale".

The Witch's Tale

Painted by

and Prince Ambrose.

What You Wish For

Illustrated by Brian Bolland. At two pages, and written as a cautionary tale, it tells the story of a adventurous girl named Mersey Dotes who has traveled the globe and then wishes to travel the sea and therefore becomes a mermaid. Not too long after Mersey joins the merfolk village under the sea, however, the Adversary launches a capture of sea kingdoms. This causes Mersey to be the "big fish" of the Farm in the mundane world, since she is unable to pass as human in Fabletown. She is seen chatting with Reynard Fox about her discontent with the fact that she is stuck in a little lake and not traveling.

Fair Division

Painted by

. The Adversary has attacked Cole's kingdom and he hides with several dedicated subjects. The story shows how Cole makes sure all his people eat first, even if it means he does not eat at all.

Awards

In 2007 1001 Nights of Snowfall won two Eisner Awards, one for "Best Anthology" and one for "Best Short Story" for "A Frog's Eye View".^[3]

Reception

Critical reception for 1001 Nights of Snowfall was mostly positive.

References