| “ | The Dish: It so happens that I was there to see everything. It was no one less than Santa Claus himself who did battle with the Dark Man. The Spoon: You were not! You're such a fibber! We were both in the kitchen getting washed! Besides, Santa Claus doesn't exist! He's a silly myth, concocted by inept parents to bribe and bludgeon unruly children into better behavior. |
„ |
| ~ The Dish and the Spoon to the Cult of Blue, Fables #106 — "Downfall: Chapter Five of Super—Team" |
The Dish and the Spoon are an anthropomorphic Fable duo that resides on the Farm and debuts in Fables #6 — "Road Trip: Part One of Animal Farm." They tend to show up as a background characters among the crowds, occasionally interacting with the odd Fable.
History
Exile
| “ | Since Mr. Dish and Miss Spoon take their nourishment from what's eaten off them, rather than what they eat, we'll use you to serve up the share for one of those with a larger appetite. | „ |
| ~ King Cole to the Dish and the Spoon, Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall — "Fair Division" |
The Dish and the Spoon are an anthropomorphic dish and spoon; the Dish is male while the Spoon is female. They take their nourishment from what's eaten off them, as opposed to what they eat.[1]
The two are from King Cole's kingdom and are among the many talking creatures who hide in an abandoned mine during the Adversary's invasion. They are eventually joined by King Cole himself. Cole puts the welfare of his people before himself and makes sure all of them eat first, even if it means he does not eat at all. To provide sustenance for Miss Dish and Mr. Spoon, the King makes use of them to serve food to Papa Bear, who is one of the larger animals and thus has a more considerable appetite.[1]
When the King succumbs to delirium from hunger, the animals take it upon themselves to steal food from a nearby farm. They skillfully concoct a savory stew for King Cole, with Mama Bear graciously serving the meal on the Dish, and using the Spoon to feed him. The Dish observes the pleasant warmth of the stew, while the Spoon expresses the opinion that King Cole's tongue is quite ticklish.[1]
Eventually, the small community is able to escape the Homelands and settle in Fabletown, a secret Fable community in the mundane world, where Cole was elected mayor. Unfortunately, with the ever-expanding mundane population around them, King Cole is eventually left with no option but to exile all non-human Fables to the Farm in order to maintain the secrecy of Fabletown from the mundys.[1]
Goldilocks' revolution
The Dish and the Spoon are present at a gathering of Fable creatures discussing whether they should take up arms against the Adversary. Coincidentally, Snow White arrives at the Farm just as she does twice a year to check on the Fable community there, and walks in on them. The animals are shocked when they notice her sudden presence in the room.[2]
A few days later, the duo attends a meeting held outside the barn, along with the other non-human Fables. During this gathering, Dun discloses the revolutionary group's intentions to secure transportation and launch an operation in New York City, with the ultimate goal of gaining control over Fabletown. However, the plans are derailed before they can be put into action: Snow White swiftly compels the surrender of the group through the intimidation of the dragon Clara and the three giant brothers, commanding everyone to drop their weapons and disperse.[3]
New leadership
Several months later, the pair watch as the Farm's new leader, Rose Red, presents the new Three Little Pigs, the three giants turned pigs, Johnny, Donny and Lonny.[4]
The Dish and the Spoon are later observed sleeping in the barn at daybreak, nestled in the hay beside a slumbering Luna and the milkmaid.[5]
The duo is observed smiling happily as they wait in line to cast their vote at the Farm during the election for Fabletown's new mayor.[6]
New neighbors
As Snow White settles into the Farm with her newborn cubs, the Dish and the Spoon join the multitude of Fables creatures who assemble to greet their new neighbor in the Farm square.[7]
Following Prince Charming's failure to fulfil his promise of granting transformations to all non-human Fables upon assuming the role of Mayor of Fabletown, the Dish and the Spoon are holding hands while they bear witness to Rockford and Stinky engaging in a heated argument about the Prince's broken promises.[8]
Later, the Dish has his arm around the Spoon while they and other Farm Fables are listening to Boy Blue as he recounts the story of the Adversary's recent ill-fated attack on the Kingdom of Haven.[9]
Fabletown-Imperial war
Having a chat about the Homelands and modern technology
The non-human Fables living on the Farm are offered a chance to relocate to the Kingdom of Haven and begin anew. Afterward, the Dish, the Spoon and a few other Fables chat among themselves. The Tortoise ponders if they will have television in this mysterious new kingdom, but the Dish reminds them that modern technology does not exist in their old world. The Tortoise admits that he has reservations about giving up his favorite TV shows. The Dish believes there is no reason for his own iPod to be nonfunctional in that environment, thereby ensuring he retains access to his tunes. The Spoon expresses doubt regarding Flycatcher's willingness to allow the Dish to bring it, pondering whether the king of Haven seeks to prohibit mundy technology from entering his kingdom, akin to the Adversary's stance.[10]
After the Empire is defeated, Fabletown celebrates their victory and the Dish and the Spoon are two of the many Fables who join in the joyous festivities.[11]
Threat of Mister Dark
When Boy Blue is on his deathbed, a variety of Fables, both human and animal, gather outside the main house at the Farm. The Dish and the Spoon stand by as Flycatcher delivers the heartbreaking news that he was unable to save him.[12]
The Dish and the Spoon both attend a sermon where Stinky, now going by Brock Blueheart, preaches with great conviction that Boy Blue will one day return from the dead to slay the Fables' great foe Mister Dark and usher in a new age of power and glory.[13]
After discovering that Jack Horner has been pretending to be Boy Blue, the Dish and the Spoon team up with an enraged crowd who demands that Sheriff Beast surrenders Jack for retribution.[14]
The Dish and the Spoon are among the Fables who watch as the dryads; Princess Alder and Prince Aspen, arrive at the main square of the Farm, accompanied by their new employer, Geppetto. The Dish comments on Geppetto's disheveled appearance, prompting the Spoon to question where he's been and to wonder about what the two people beside him are.[15]
They later watch as Rose Red addresses her fellow Fables after finally overcoming her long depression.[16]
When Beauty goes into labor, the Spoon suggests that they should seek out Rose Red; however, the Dish counters that she is occupied and proposes that they locate Clara or Snow White instead. Subsequently, Snow White is in attendance during Beauty's difficult childbirth.[17]
Kingdom of Haven
After the Fables are forced to relocate to Haven, the Dish and the Spoon watch as people line up to audition for Pinocchio's new super team.[18]
Brock Blueheart addresses a gathering of animal Fables and shares his vision of Boy Blue returning from the dead to defeat the Dark One in glorious fashion. The Dish and the Spoon are among those present for the sermon.[19]
The Dish and the Spoon, having missed Boy Blue's "revival"
In the end, Mister Dark is defeated by the North Wind. The Dish and the Spoon attend Brock Blueheart's subsequent sermon, although the latter erroneously holds the belief that Boy Blue was the individual responsible for vanquishing the Dark One, and that he failed to witness Blue's revival. The Dish falsely claims to have witnessed the event firsthand, asserting that it was Santa Claus who did battle with the Dark Man. However, the Spoon quickly challenges this assertion, labeling the Dish a liar and disclosing that they were actually in the kitchen, being washed. Furthermore, she argues that Santa Claus is a fictional character, created by incompetent parents to bribe and coerce misbehaving children into improving their conduct.[20]
Return to the Farm
When the Fables are celebrating Christmas at the Farm, the Dish and the Spoon join in on the festivities.[21]
After the disappearance of Bigby and Snow White's cubs, Therese and Darien, the Dish and the Spoon are among the Fables noticing Bigby searching for clues near the motionless form of Lord Mountbatten.[22]
Later on, the Dish is seen helping one of the drunken playing cards get up after an exuberant party night at the Farm.[23]
Campaign for glamour
Mister Sunflower rallies the non-human Fables to speak up and demand the glamours that Prince Charming had promised them when he was elected mayor, and the Dish, the Spoon and many other Fables join him as he leads a raucous protest in the center of the Farm. They shout for their glamours and hold up signs as they make their voices heard.[24]
The Dish and the Spoon later watch as Reynard the Fox arrives at the Farm with his new mundy girlfriend Meghan by his side. Without warning, Meghan's family also reveals themselves, causing a commotion among the non-human Fables, and the Dish, the Spoon and the other Fables move to attack them. Fortunately, Meghan successfully soothes their nerves.[25]
Goodbye to the Farm
The Dish and the Spoon can be spotted in a panel among a group of Fable creatures at the Farm bidding farewell to the readers in Fables #150.[26]
The Dish and the Spoon, and other Fable creatures, wondering where to go next
As a result of some of the human Fables accidentally being transformed into animals during the glamour casting, the Farm is partially wrecked.[25] Standing amidst the ruins of the Farm, the Dish, the Spoon and a cadre of Fable creatures confront the new reality that Fabletown in New York City has been laid bare to the mundys and it is only a matter of time before they find their way to the Farm as well.[27]
Alternate universe
An alternate version of the Dish and the Spoon appears in The Unwritten Fables, which takes place in an alternate universe where Mister Dark was never defeated. The two are present at a gathering outside the gingerbread house of Frau Totenkinder, while the witch converses with Tom Taylor inside.[28] Later, the Dish attends a meeting led by Frau Totenkinder where she shares the 13th Floor magicians' strategy for saving the remaining Fables.[29] He also observes the Fables as they transport the felled trees from the sacred grove to make new wooden soldiers for Flycatcher, with the Dish standing on the stump of one of the felled trees.[30]
Appearances
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Original source
The Dish and the Spoon are based on the characters from the nursery rhyme "Hey Diddle Diddle." The poem goes:
Hey diddle diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon;
The little dog laughed
To see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.
References