History, Wonder Tales, Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends How to Write A Good Fairy Tale | Page 40
Once upon a time when princes still set out to seek their fortunes and when
cranky old women still sometimes turned out to be witches... (_Tales from
the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Weird_)
Once upon a time, when the grass grew greener, the trees grew taller, and the sun shone
more brightly than it does today, there was a ....
Once upon a time, so long ago, nobody but the storytellers remember...
Once upon a time, in a time and place beyond measure...
Once upon a time, a couple of days ago...
Once upon a time, and a time before that...(Scandinavian)
Once upon a time, in the long long ago...(Scandinavian)
One Way-Back Day...
So long ago that we have lost count when...(Scandinavian)
So long ago that no one can quite say when...(Scandinavian)
So long ago that we are not sure when... (Scandanavian)
Some people don't believe what they are told. They only believe what they
see...
Somewhere or other, but I don't know where, there lived...
Somewhere, some place, beyond the Seven Seas... (The Little Rooster, the
Diamond Button, and the Turkish Sultan)
That's the flourish (prishazka) just for fun; the real tale (shazka) has
not yet begun... (Russia)
There once lived a man as poor and humble as a body has ever been. All the same, he
brought up his children to be sharp, nimble and hard-working. (Tartar)
There was once in old times, in old times there was...
There was, there was, and yet there was not (Georgian, Papashvili)
This here's a story that happened back when animals were more like people
and people were more like animals and things were just plain better all around...
This is my story which I have told you. If it be sweet, tell it to someone
again and then some of the thanks will come back to me. (Africa)
This is what the Old Ones told me when I was a child... (traditional
Cherokee opening & ending)
This tale goes back to a time long ago, when sheep grazed peacefully in the
green folds of the Tartar homelands. (Tartar)