Page 387 - The Story of My Lif

Sir: In compliance with your wishes I make the following statement concerning

Helen Keller’s story of “King Frost.” It was sent to me as a birthday gift on
November 7th, from Tuscumbia, Alabama. Knowing as well as I do Helen’s
extraordinary abilities I did not hesitate to accept it as her own work; nor do I
doubt to-day that she is fully capable of writing such a composition.

Soon after its appearance in print I was pained to learn, through the Goodson
Gazette, that a portion of the story (eight or nine passages) is either a
reproduction or adaptation of Miss Margaret Canby’s “Frost Fairies.” I
immediately instituted an inquiry to ascertain the facts in the case. None of our
teachers or officers who are accustomed to converse with Helen ever knew or
heard about Miss Canby’s book, nor did the child’s parents and relatives at home
have any knowledge of it. Her father, Captain Keller, wrote to me as follows on
the subject: “I hasten to assure you that Helen could not have received any idea
of the story from any of her relations or friends here, none of whom can
communicate with her readily enough to impress her with the details of a story
of that character.”

At my request, one of the teachers in the girls’ department examined Helen in
regard to the construction of the story. Her testimony is as follows:

“I first tried to ascertain what had suggested to Helen’s mind the particular
fancies which made her story seem like a reproduction of one written by Miss
Margaret Canby. Helen told me that for a long time she had thought of Jack
Frost as a king, because of the many treasures which he possessed. Such rich
treasures must be kept in a safe place, and so she had imagined them stored in
jars and vases in one part of the royal palace.

She said that one autumn day her teacher told her as they were walking together
in the woods, about the many beautiful colours of the leaves, and she had
thought that such beauty must make people very happy, and very grateful to
King Frost. I asked Helen what stories she had read about Jack Frost. In answer
to my question she recited a part of the poem called ‘Freaks of the Frost,’ and
she referred to a little piece about winter, in one of the school readers. She could
not remember that any one had ever read to her any stories about King Frost, but