NOW it once happened that one of the king’s herdsmen had three sons. Two of these lads were supposed to be very sharp-witted, while the youngest was thought to be very stupid indeed.
ONCE upon a time there was a poor woman who had an only daughter, named Helen, a very lazy girl. One day when she had refused to do a single thing, her mother took her down to the banks of a stream and began to strike her fingers with a flat stone, just as you do in beating linen to wash it.
ON the banks of a certain river, where there was always good fishing, lived an old man and his three sons. The two eldest were sharp-witted, active young men, already married; the youngest was stupid and idle, and a bachelor.
ONCE upon a time there lived a very rich widow, with whom lived three children—a handsome stepson; his sister, who was marvellously beautiful; and her own daughter, passably good-looking.
A CERTAIN king had a beautiful garden which contained a number of very rare trees, but the most rare of all was an apple tree. It stood in the middle of the garden, and produced one golden apple every day.
ONCE upon a time, ever so many years ago, there lived a little old man and a little old woman. Very old indeed were they, for they had lived nearly a hundred years.
THERE once lived a king and queen who had an only daughter. And the beauty of this princess surpassed everything seen or heard of.
In ancient days there lived a king and queen; the former was old but the latter young. Although they loved one another dearly they were very unhappy, for God had not given them any children. They fretted and grieved about this so deeply that the queen became ill with melancholy.
In those days the king of a certain country had a daughter, who was not only exceedingly beautiful but also remarkably clever.
In a cottage near the high-road, and close to the shores of a large lake, there once lived a widow, poor and old.
In a far distant land there reigned a king, and he had an only daughter who was so very beautiful that no one in the whole kingdom could be compared to her.
There were once two young people who loved each other dearly. The young man was called Jean, the girl, Annette.
There was once a king so wise and clever that he understood the language of all animals. You shall hear how he gained this power.
Long long ago there lived a very rich nobleman. But though he was so rich he was not happy, for he had no children to whom he could leave his wealth.
Once upon a time, and a long long time ago it was, there lived a widow who had a very pretty daughter. The mother, good honest woman, was quite content with her station in life.
Can this be a true story?
It is said that once there was a king who was exceedingly fond of hunting the wild beasts in his forests.
There was once a widow who had two daughters, Helen, her own child by her dead husband, and Marouckla, his daughter by his first wife.
There was once a married pair who loved each other tenderly.
Once upon a time there were two brothers whose father had left them but a small fortune.