When Fabletown was first establish in New Amsterdam, after many Fables fled the Homelands from the bloody Adversary, Mother Birdie was one of the first witches to step up and take leadership of the growing coven. Her great task was to help establish Fabletown and all of the massive spells needed to construct and keep it safe. In addition to helping to weave the spells of non-detection and deterrence, it was up to Birdie to help in the construction of the Woodland building. It was her idea to magically link larger spaces (such as Bluebeard’s castle and the main office) to smaller ones through the use of the door frames.Â
After Fabletown was established, Frau Totenkinder, another member of the 13th floor witches, was seen talking with Birdie about a much needed rest. Shortly thereafter, Birdie began to lose her grip on reality–babbling nonsense as she quietly knitted–and stepped down as leader of the 13th floor. Â Before she lost her wits completely though, we learn that she was the fairy witch from the Thumbelina story and, therefore, the creator of the Barleycorn Brides for the men of Lilliput.Â
When Mister Dark took up the attack against Fabletown, Birdie’s magic and lack of memory was a detriment to her peers. Upon awakening, Mister Dark unraveled the magic that had been used to create Fabletown–magic stolen from his magical artifacts–and the Woodland building began to come apart. The doorways that Birdie had magically linked became undone, trapping Bufkin, Franky, and the Magic Mirror in the office along with the villainous Baba Yaga and the Djinn. The other Fables have yet to discover where their compatriots, along with many potent magical artifacts, have been shunted to.