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This article is about a subject whose real name is unknown, and is known only by a title, nickname, alias or description |
| “ | Yeah, I like the feisty little badger, so I joined his cult to no one can dismiss it as exclusive an animal Fable victim group. But I don't really care who ends up running things here, because Jack Horner was right all along. Fabletown is dead. Gone. History. I'm thinking about emigrating to Haven. I hear Flycatcher knows how to run a safe kingdom. There's no bogeyman darkening his doorstep. | „ |
| ~ Thrushbeard sharing his concerns with Rose Red in Fables #98 — "Red Dawn, Chapter Five of Rose Red" |
Thrushbeard is a human Fable who lives in Fabletown in New York City, and first appears in Fables #21 — "Stop Me If You've Heard This One, But a Man Walks Into a Bar…: Chapter Three — March of the Wooden Soldiers."
History
Life in Fabletown
When Rapunzel makes her way to the Business Office to address a message conveyed to her by an origami crane, Thrushbeard is seen standing in line outside the Business Office, hoping to have a conversation with the Fabletown officials. Jack Horner attempts to push his way through the crowd, but Thrushbeard tells him to stop shoving him.[3]
Battle of Fabletown
Still as hirsute as his name suggests, Thrushbeard must have either escaped the Homelands with some of his fortune, or acquired wealth in the mundane world: While Thrushbeard is drinking in the Branstock Tavern, Jack observes that Thrushbeard has money and tries to persuade him to sponsor an expedition to the Cloud Kingdoms. Thrushbeard, wise to Jack's ways, wants nothing to do with it.[1]
As Fabletown becomes endangered by the wooden soldiers, Thrushbeard joins the other Fables in the Business Office to attend Snow White's briefing on security measures.[4]
During the Battle of Fabletown, Thrushbeard is seen participating in the battle against the wooden soldiers, fighting alongside his fellow Fables.[nb 1]
Aftermath
He can later be found in the Branstock Tavern, engaging in a conversation with Edmond Dantès. Edmond notes that Bigby Wolf and Snow White have both left their jobs, and that Boy Blue and Jack Horner are no longer around. Furthermore, the previous mayor, King Cole, has been removed from office. He expresses concern that everything is going to pieces. Thrushbeard is surprised to hear about Jack's absence, and Edmond explains that Jack left last year, asking if Thrushbeard has not noticed his absence.[5]
Fabletown-Imperial war
Thrushbeard later attends Prince Charming's funeral.[6]
Threat of Mister Dark
Thrushbeard can be seen among the Fables gathered outside the Farm's main building as Rose Red, the leader of the Farm, addresses her fellow Fables after finally overcoming her long depression. Afterward, he patiently queues up to have a conversation with the newly invigorated leader. Upon his chance to speak, he clarifies that his reason for joining Brock Blueheart's cult was to avoid people dismissing it as just an animal victim group, and he now contemplates moving to Haven for protection from Mister Dark's threat.[7]
Physical appearance
True to his name, Thrushbeard's sports a thick beard in the shape of a thrush.[8]
Appearances
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Original source
He is based on the titular character of "King Thrushbeard," a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. In the story, a beautiful, but spoiled and haughty princess rudely criticizes all her suitors. She mocks the last one, a young king with such a pointed chin that to her it looks like a thrush's beak, and she cruelly dubs him King Thrushbeard. Her father, exasperated and angry at how she has scorned all her rich suitors, vows that she shall marry the first beggar who comes to the palace.
A young minstrel arrives at the palace a few days later and plays music for the king. Pleased with the minstrel's performance, the king offers him his daughter's hand in marriage. The princess opposes vehemently, but the king has given his word. The minstrel marries the princess and he takes her away from the palace to his home.
As they travel to the minstrel's home, they pass by the fine lands and properties that belong to King Thrushbeard, and the princess begins to regret scorning him. They arrive at his home, a small house fit only for two. He treats her as though she were a commoner and she is upset now that she must work for a living. He has her doing practical chores such as cleaning the house, weaving baskets, and spinning cotton, at which she is completely inept. She is then sent to sell pots in the marketplace and all seems to go well, until a drunken soldier on horseback smashes all the pots to pieces. Thoroughly annoyed at his wife's constant failures, the minstrel tells her the only job left for her is to work as a servant at the nearby castle of King Thrushbeard himself.
The princess gets hired as a kitchen maid, taking home the leftovers in jars she hides in her apron pockets and sharing the food with her husband. One day, the princess hears that King Thrushbeard is getting married. As she watches the guests having a good time in the ballroom, the princess regrets her haughtiness. Out of the blue, King Thrushbeard forces the princess to dance with him, sending her jars of leftovers spilling all over the floor and making the guests laugh at her. The princess is so upset that she runs off.
However, to the princess's surprise, King Thrushbeard follows her and reveals that he and her husband, the minstrel, are the same person. He had fallen in love with her despite her haughtiness and secretly married her through her father's vow. Her ordeals (including his disguise as a drunken soldier) were meant to both humble her and punish her for her cruelty towards him. The princess swears that she has indeed been humbled. The princess and King Thrushbeard have another wedding with her father in attendance and they all live happily ever after.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fables #21 — "Stop Me If You've Heard This One, But a Man Walks Into a Bar…: Chapter Three — March of the Wooden Soldiers"
- ↑ Fables #142 — "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? Chapter Two of Happily Ever After"
- ↑ Fairest #8 — "The Hidden Kingdom Chapter One: Big in Japan"
- ↑ Fables #24 — "The Letter: Chapter Five of March of the Wooden Soldiers"
- ↑ Fables #33 — "Until the Spring"
- ↑ Fables #79 — "Fabletown Unbound: Chapter Three of The Dark Ages"
- ↑ Fables #98 — "Red Dawn, Chapter Five of Rose Red"
- ↑ Fables Encyclopedia pg. 214
Note
- ↑ Fables #26 — "The Battle of Fabletown: Chapter Seven — March of the Wooden Soldiers" — note that Thrushbeard may be hard to spot; he can be seen in the background in the panel where two human Fables rush though the crowd of fighters while carrying a wounded soldier on a stretcher and shouting, "Let us through, please!" and "Make a hole!"