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In that one story they simply won't forget, at least they never knew my name This article is about a subject whose real name is unknown, and is known only by a title, nickname, alias or description |
| “ | I had no strong desire to serve the invaders, but at least in this job they left me alone for the most part. | „ |
| ~ Mister Grandours to John Barleycorn, Fables #18 — "Barleycorn Brides" |
Mister Grandours is a Fable who is one of the 13th Floor magicians in Fabletown in New York City. He is a sorcerer-king whose natural form is that of a bear, but he eventually assumed human form when he moved from the Farm to Fabletown. He first appears in Fables #18 — "Barleycorn Brides."
History
Imperial guardian
A sorcerer-king who takes the form of a bear, the local Imperial Governor instructed him to guard a tower, filled with various treasures, including the magic barleycorns. He helped John Barleycorn and Arrow retrieve the jar and fly them and the jar all the way back to the mundane world by borrowing Arrow's wings for a few days. There, he joined Fabletown.[1]
13th Floor
After living on the Farm for centuries, Mr. Grandours decided to move to the big city and transformed himself into[1] a human[4] named Mister Grandours, and settled into the ninth floor of the Woodlands.[1] There, he became a member of the 13th Floor magicians.[3]
During the battle against the wooden soldiers, Mr. Grandours and the rest of the 13th Floor magicians were tasked with keeping the mundys from noticing or remembering anything for the duration of the crisis.[3] Clara's unintentional act of setting the Wooden Soldiers on fire created an army of living torches, as these solid figures take a while to burn up. The magicians were then asked to conjure rain in order to put out the flames.[5]
Mr. Grandours also attends Snow White and Bigby's wedding.[6]
War and consequences
Later, when the Fables are in the midst of their war with the Adversary, Grandours acts as a field medic and sorcerer-in-residence for one of the battle groups. It is through his efforts that Boy Blue and Bigby Wolf are not instantly killed by a magic arrow that was unleashed upon them.[7] Unfortunately, even his magic wasn't able to help keep Boy Blue alive.[8]
Following the collapse of the Woodlands building, Mr. Grandours is given orders by Frau Totenkinder to clear people out of the immediate area so she could have a conversation with the Mayor.[4]
Later, he joins his fellow 13th Floor magicians for a meeting at the Pumpkin House on the Farm. Ozma proposes that she become their new leader, since Totenkinder has mysteriously departed without any explanation. Both Mr. Grandours, Prospero and Morgan le Fay hold the belief that such an important matter cannot be rushed, but Ozma disagrees. She argues that time is of the essence as they need to devise a strategy to defend the Fables from Mister Dark's imminent threat. Ozma takes on the role of leader and Mr. Grandours appears for the second day in a row, as they hold their next meeting the following morning. The first item on Ozma's agenda is to gather information about their enigmatic new enemy.[9]
Mr. Grandour is one of the Fables who watches as the dryads; Princess Alder and Prince Aspen, arrive at the main square of the Farm, accompanied by their new employer, Geppetto. He joins his fellow magicians in another meeting at the Pumpkin House, where Ozma asks the others to lend her some of their powers to deal with Geppetto's new claim for leadership. He and the other magicians then accompany their leader as she stands up to Geppetto.[10]
He later watches as Rose Red addresses her fellow Fables after finally overcoming her long depression.[11]
Fall of Fabletown
When many Fables decide to leave Fabletown for the Homelands, Mister Grandours guides the people who are waiting for Flycatcher to transport them all to Haven as a group.[12]
Powers and abilities
- Immortality: Like the rest of the 13th Floor magicians, Mister Grandours is immortal.[9]
- Magic: Mister Grandours is a sorcerer[1] and it is through his efforts that Boy Blue and Bigby Wolf are not instantly killed by a magic arrow that was unleashed upon them. However, he admits that he is not one of the 13th Floor's best magicians, and he is unable to get the remains of the arrow out of Boy Blue's arm.[7]
- Shapeshifting: By borrowing Arrow's wings, Mr. Grandours was capable of transforming himself into a bear with falcon wings. His natural form is that of a bear, but he eventually assumed human form when he moved from the Farm to Fabletown.[1]
Physical appearance
Mr. Grandour's natural form is that of a brown bear.[1] Even in his human form, he still has some bear-like qualities to him: He is a big man clad in furs and sporting a fur hat, and his eyes are still those of a bear.[2]
Original source
Mister Grandours is based on the titular character of "The Wizard King,"[2] a French fairy tale by the Chevalier de Mailly.[13] The Fables Encyclopedia mistakenly claims that Andrew Lang wrote "The Wizard King" for The Yellow Fairy Book;[2] however, the version in Lang's anthology is just a translation of the original story.[13]
In the story, a powerful king ruled over vast territories, with a wealth of magical knowledge at his disposal. He took a princess as his wife, and they were blessed with a son. However, the queen soon learned that her husband was a wizard, and in the land of feuding wizards and fairies, she sought out her fairy godmother for protection once her child was strong enough. Thanks to his fairy godmother's gift, he had the ability to please anyone and had a knack for quick learning. Years passed, and when the queen passed away, she made her son promise to always seek guidance from the fairy before making any decisions.[14]
The king was heartbroken and could not bear to be in his usual surroundings that constantly reminded him of his lost queen. He decided to leave his kingdom and travel to foreign lands, using his powers to transform into different animals so he could roam without restriction. In the form of an eagle, he flew over a distant land where the queen had a daughter who was breathtakingly beautiful. He took her away, begging her to marry him. Despite the luxurious castle he installed her in, complete with servants and a delightful parrot as her pet, her capture had ensured that she would never be swayed or won over by him. The king made sure to keep her away from his court, but eventually he wondered if she had heard about his son's charm. Worrying that his son might be a competitor, the king decided to send his son off on a journey.[14]
The prince journeyed until he arrived at the kingdom from which the princess had been taken. He was greatly touched by her plight and made a firm decision to save her, seeking assistance from the fairy. The prince was determined to reach the enchanted castle where the princess was being held, but according to the fairy, it was impossible. The only solution she could come up with was for him to catch her parrot. When he successfully caught the bird, the fairy used her magic to transform the prince into an identical parrot. The prince, in his transformed state, approached the princess and, upon realizing that she held animosity towards his father, the king, explained to her his purpose for being there.[14]
Summoning her magical powers, the fairy conjured a chariot pulled by eagles. The captive parrot guided them to the castle, where the prince and princess quickly boarded and escaped. The king pursued them to her mother's land, but his attempt to use a magical elixir on them was thwarted by the fairy, who threw it back at him. This led to their capture of the king and stripping him of his powers. At the prince's request, the king was granted a pardon. As he soared through the clouds, the king swore to never forgive his son or the fairy responsible for his freedom.[14]
Etymology
"Grand ours" is French for "large bear."[2] In the original fairy tale, the Wizard King is unnamed.
Appearances
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