Lady Mary was young and Lady Mary was fair, and she had more lovers than she could count on the fingers of both hands.
Once upon a time there reigned a King in Colchester, valiant, strong, wise, famous as a good ruler.
One day Henny-penny was picking up corn in the rickyard when—whack!—an acorn hit her upon the head.
At the court of great King Arthur, who lived, as all know, when knights were bold, and ladies were fair indeed, one of the most renowned of men was the wizard Merlin.
Mr. and Mrs. Vinegar, a worthy couple, lived in a glass pickle-jar.
Once upon a time there lived a King and a Queen who didn't differ much from all the other kings and queens who have lived since Time began.
Once upon a time there was an old sow who had three little pigs, and as she had not enough for them to eat, she said they had better go out into the world and seek their fortunes.
Once upon a time there lived a gentleman who owned fine lands and houses, and he very much wanted to have a son to be heir to them.
Titty Mouse and Tatty Mouse both lived in a house.
Titty Mouse went a-gleaning, and Tatty Mouse went a-gleaning.
In Bamborough Castle there once lived a King who had two children, a son named Childe Wynde, and a daughter who was called May Margret.
Once upon a time there were two sisters who were as like each other as two peas in a pod; but one was good, and the other was bad-tempered.
Once upon a time there lived two lasses, who were sisters, and as they came from the fair they saw a right handsome young man standing at a house door before them.
Once upon a time, when folk were not so wise as they are nowadays, there lived a farmer and his wife who had one daughter.
I
When good King Arthur reigned with Guinevere his Queen, there lived, near the Land's End in Cornwall, a farmer who had one only son called Jack.
Once upon a time there was a boy whose name was Jack, and he lived with his mother on a common.
Once upon a time there lived a girl who was wooed and married by a man she never saw; for he came a-courting her after nightfall, and when they were married he never came home till it was dark, and always left before dawn.
In a great Palace by the sea there once dwelt a very rich old lord, who had neither wife nor children living, only one little granddaughter, whose face he had never seen in all her life.
Once upon a time, and a very good time too, though it was not in my time, nor your time, nor for the matter of that in any one's time, there lived a man and a woman who had one son called Jack, and he was just terribly fond of reading books.
Once upon a time there was a woman and she baked five pies. But when they came out of the oven they were over-baked, and the crust was far too hard to eat.
Once upon a time there were three Bears, who lived together in a house of their own, in a wood.