Fabletown facts for kids

Fabletown is a secret, make-believe community where characters from fairy tales and folklore, known as "Fables," live. It's hidden right in New York City, within the world of the Fables comic book series.

This special community has two main locations. One is on Bullfinch Street in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The other is a large farm located in upstate New York. Both places are protected by powerful magic spells. These spells keep out regular humans, who are called "Mundanes" or sometimes "Mundys."

Fabletown: A Secret City

How Fabletown Started

Fabletown was created a long time ago, even before the British took over New York City. Back then, the city was called New Amsterdam. This means Fabletown was likely founded between 1625 and 1665. It probably happened closer to 1665. At that time, many people were moving to the area. This made it easier for the Fables to blend in without being noticed.

The Farm: A Home for Non-Human Fables

The Fabletown in New York City is only for Fables who look like normal humans. Fables who don't look human must live at a special place called the Farm. Many of these Fables don't like living there. They feel it's like a prison, even though it's big and comfortable. For example, Posey from the Three Little Pigs once said, "it is a prison, because we aren't allowed to leave!"

The Farm was created out of necessity. When King Cole became mayor, he had to sign a law. This law banished all non-human Fables from the city. New York City was growing, and it became impossible to hide non-human Fables from the Mundanes.

Currently, Rose Red is in charge of the Farm. She took over after a rebellion. This revolt was started by Goldilocks and the Three Little Pigs.

Wolf Manor: Bigby's Home

Bigby Wolf received a special retirement gift for his many years of service. He was given a large area of land called the Valley of the Big Sleepers. This valley used to be home to sleeping giants and dragons, but it was empty now.

This land allowed Bigby to live outside the city and the Farm. He could raise his children there with Snow White. They now live in a big mansion on the property. This mansion was built as a wedding gift by Boy Blue and many others. No one is allowed into Wolf Valley without permission from Bigby and Snow White.

Keeping Fabletown a Secret

Fabletown has always been kept a deep secret from regular human authorities. During a big battle in Fabletown, Snow White asked Fable magic-users for help. They created a huge thunderstorm and other illusions. This stopped Mundanes from seeing what was happening.

Fabletown has its own set of laws. If a Fable breaks these laws, they can face serious punishment. This might include being sent to the Farm for hard work. It also applies if they reveal their true nature to Mundanes.

Because of this secrecy, many Fables have rules about what they can do. These rules help them avoid giving away their magical nature. A good example is Rapunzel. She is not allowed to spend more than 25 minutes with any Mundane. This is because her hair grows incredibly fast. She also has to get three haircuts every single day!

Fabletown East: A New Alliance

The Adversary, a powerful enemy, started taking over lands where Arabian Fables lived. Because of this, a group led by Sinbad came to Fabletown. They wanted to discuss forming an alliance.

Things started badly when the two sides argued about Sinbad's slaves. It got much worse when one of Sinbad's sorcerers released a djinn. This djinn was ordered to kill Fabletown's top leaders.

Frau Totenkinder used her magic to stop the djinn. Even though Kay figured out that Sinbad didn't order the djinn's release, he was still blamed for bringing it. This was seen as an act of war. The Fabletown government decided to banish Sinbad for life.

The only way Sinbad could return was as a head of state. So, Prince Charming suggested that the Arabs form "Fabletown East." This new state is separate, but its rules are very similar to Fabletown's in New York. Old King Cole was chosen as the ambassador. When he arrived, he found that the Arab Fables still lived in a magical Baghdad. This city had not yet been touched by the Adversary.

Currently, Fabletown East is getting ready for a battle with the Adversary. They are also preparing for a planned move to the mundane world if needed. Besides Sinbad and Cole, other known residents include Ali Baba and Aladdin.