what was the controversy relates to ' the Frost King'. what humiliation did it cause to helen?
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A story similar to 'The Frost King' had been discovered called the 'The Frost Fairies' by Miss Margaret T. Canby which had appeared before Helen was born in a book called 'Birdie and His Friends'. The two stories were so much alike in thought and language that it became evident that Miss Canby's story had been read to Helen and that Helen's own work was a case of plagiarism. It became difficult for Helen to understand the charges against her and she was astonished and grieved. She could not recall anything about the frost that she had read before she wrote her story except a common reference to Jack Frost and a poem for children. Helen had to launch an investigation into the matter in order to prove her innocence.
Miss Sullivan came to Helen's aid and helped her establish the truth. Miss Sullivan had never heard of 'The Frost Fairies' or the book in which it was published. With the assistance of Dr Alexander Graham Bell, she investigated the matter with precision and at last came out with the result that Mrs. Sophia C. Hopkins had a copy of Miss Canby's 'Birdie and His Friends' in 1888. It was the year when they had spent the summer with her at Brewster. Mrs Hopkins was unable to find her copy but she had told Helen that at that time while Miss Sullivan was away on a vacation she had tried to amuse Helen by reading from various books. Although she could not remember reading 'The Frost Fairies' any more than Helen did, yet she felt sure that 'Birdie and His Friends' was one of them. She explained the disappearance of the book by the fact that she had a short time before sold her house and disposed of many juvenile books, such as old schoolbooks and fairy tales, the text probably being one of them.
Miss Sullivan came to Helen's aid and helped her establish the truth. Miss Sullivan had never heard of 'The Frost Fairies' or the book in which it was published. With the assistance of Dr Alexander Graham Bell, she investigated the matter with precision and at last came out with the result that Mrs. Sophia C. Hopkins had a copy of Miss Canby's 'Birdie and His Friends' in 1888. It was the year when they had spent the summer with her at Brewster. Mrs Hopkins was unable to find her copy but she had told Helen that at that time while Miss Sullivan was away on a vacation she had tried to amuse Helen by reading from various books. Although she could not remember reading 'The Frost Fairies' any more than Helen did, yet she felt sure that 'Birdie and His Friends' was one of them. She explained the disappearance of the book by the fact that she had a short time before sold her house and disposed of many juvenile books, such as old schoolbooks and fairy tales, the text probably being one of them.
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