Written by Once upon a time something happened. If it had not happened, it would not be told. There was once an emperor who had three daughters; the oldest was beautiful, the middle one more beautiful, but the youngest, Ileane, was so fair that even the sun stopped to gaze at her and admire her charms. One […]
Once upon a time something extraordinary happened. If it had not happened it would not be told. It was when the wolves lay down to rest with the sheep, and the shepherds feasted in the green fields with emperors and kings, when one sun rose and another set. There was once a man, my dear […]
There was once a young lad who had neither father nor mother. Every thing his parents had left him was in the care of guardians, and at last he could bear their unjust reproaches no longer, but went out into the wide world, entered a path leading to a glade in the forest, and followed […]
Once upon a time something happened. If it had not happened it would not be told. There was once a man who had a child. This child was the youngest of seven which the Lord had given him, so it was destined from its birth to be lucky. It was christened John, because all dunces […]
Once upon a time, something happened. If it hadn’t happened, it wouldn’t be told. At the edge of the village, where the peasants’ oxen break through the hedges and the neighbors’ hogs wallow in the ground under the fences, there once stood a house. In this house lived a man, and the man had a […]
Once upon a time something very extraordinary happened. If it had not happened, it would not be told. There was once a husband and wife. The husband had a son by a former marriage, and the wife had a daughter by her first husband. This wicked woman could not bear the sight of her husband’s […]
Once upon a time something happened. If it hadn’t happened, it wouldn’t be told. There was once a great and mighty emperor, whose kingdom was so large that no one knew where it began and where it ended. Some believed it was boundless, others said that they dimly remembered having heard from very old people […]
There was once an old man and an old woman. The old woman had a hen and the old man had a rooster; the old woman’s hen laid two eggs a day and she ate a great many, but she would not give the old man a single one. One day the old man lost […]
Once upon a time something extraordinary happened. If it had not happened it would not be told. There was once an emperor and empress who were childless. So they sought out all the wizards and witches, all the old women and astrologers; but their skill proved vain, no one knew how to help them. At […]
Once upon a time there was an old man and an old woman, who had not a single child in their old age, and it was very hard for them, because they had no help, not even to light the fire; when they came home from working in the fields, they were obliged to begin […]
Once upon a time something wonderful happened. If it hadn’t happened, it wouldn’t be told. There was once a good for nothing fellow, who was so poor and needy that he had not even enough to eat to be able to drink water after it. When he had wandered through all the countries in the […]
Once upon a time something happened. If it hadn’t happened, it wouldn’t be told. There was once a poor widow, so poor that even the flies would not stay in her house, and this widow had two children, a boy and a girl. The boy was such a brave fellow that he would have torn […]
Once upon a time something happened. If it had not happened, it would not be told. There was once a fisherman, neither very well off nor very poor, but he was young, with a mustache that curled fiercely at the ends, you know, and a fine-looking fellow. Whenever he passed the imperial palace, the emperor’s […]
Once upon a time something happened. If it hadn’t happened, it wouldn’t be told. There was an emperor, who ruled over a whole world, and in this world lived an old shepherd and shepherdess, who had three daughters, Anna, Stana, and Laptitza(Little Milk-white). Anna, the oldest sister, was so beautiful that the sheep stopped feeding […]
Once upon a time there was an old widower, who had one daughter; he married again and took for his wife a widow, who also had a daughter. The widow’s daughter was ugly, lazy, obstinate and spiteful; yet as she was her mother’s own child, the latter was delighted with her and pushed every thing […]
Once upon a time something happened. If it had not happened, it would not be told. There was once a man who prayed daily to God to grant him riches. One day his numerous and frequent prayers found our Lord in the mood to listen to them. When the man had grown rich he did […]
Once upon a time, something happened. If it had not happened, it would not be told. There was a good, pious emperor, who had three sons. Among many other benefits bestowed upon the inhabitants of his empire he built a church, about which marvelous stories were told, for he adorned it with gold, precious stones […]
Once upon a time something happened whose like never occurred before—if it had not happened it would not be told—since the flea had one foot shod with ninety-nine pounds of iron and jumped into the skies to get us fairy tales. There was once a mighty emperor and empress. Both were young and handsome, and […]