Once on a time, in the days when our Lord and St Peter used to wander on earth, they came to a smith’s house. He had made a bargain with the Devil, that the fiend should have him after seven years, but during that time he was to be the master of all masters in…

Once on a time there was a lad who went out to woo him a wife. Amongst other places, he came to a farm-house, where the household were little better than beggars; but when the wooer came in, they wanted to make out that they were well to do, as you may guess. Now the…

(In this tale the notes of the Cock and Hen must be imitated.) Hen—You promise me shoes year after year, year after year, and yet I get no shoes! Cock—You shall have them, never fear! Henny penny! Hen—I lay egg after egg, egg after egg, and yet I go about barefoot! Cock—Well, take your eggs,…

Once on a time there was a man who had a meadow, which lay high up on the hill-side, and in the meadow was a barn, which he had built to keep his hay in. Now, I must tell you, there hadn’t been much in the barn for the last year or two, for every…

Once on a time there was a man up in Finnmark who had caught a great white bear, which he was going to take to the king of Denmark. Now, it so fell out, that he came to the Dovrefell just about Christmas Eve, and there he turned into a cottage where a man lived,…

Once on a time there was a woman who went out to hire a herdsman, and she met a bear. ‘Whither away, Goody?’ said Bruin. ‘Oh, I’m going out to hire a herdsman’, answered the woman. ‘Why not have me for a herdsman?’ said Bruin. ‘Well, why not?’ said the woman. ‘If you only knew…