A fox was walking through the forest when he fell into a deep hole. And there he sat and sat, till all at once he began to feel hungry.
Once upon a time there lived an old man and his wife, and one day she said to him: “Make me a straw ox and smear him over with pitch.”
There was once an old man and he had three little daughters, and one day he said to them:
One day a peasant saw a bear asleep in the forest, so he crept up to him and cut off one of his hind paws with an axe.
Once upon a time there lived an old man and his wife. She had one daughter of her own, and he had one of his own.
One summer a certain peasant's crops failed him, and so he had no food to give to his animals, which were a cock and a dog.
Once upon a time a certain peasant lost his wife, then he lost his other relations, and then he was left alone with no one to help him in his home or his fields.
There was once a wolf, and he got very hungry, and so he went to have a look to see what he could find for dinner.
Once upon a time there lived a man and his wife, and they had a goat and a ram.
A cock was scratching one day in the earth under the wall of a cottage when he found a bean.
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.