ONCE there were three daughters in a family. The oldest one married a physician, the second one married a magistrate; but the third, who was more than usually intelligent and a clever talker, married a farmer. Now it chanced, once upon a time, that their parents were celebrating a birthday. So the three daughters came,…
Women’s Words Part Flesh and Blood – (The Chinese Fairy Book, 1921) by Richard Wilhelm
ONCE upon a time there were two brothers, who lived in the same house. And the big brother listened to his wife’s words, and because of them fell out with the little one. Summer had begun, and the time for sowing the high-growing millet had come. The little brother had no grain, and asked the…
Lovely Ilonka (The Crimson Fairy Book, 1910) by ANDREW LANG
There was once a king’s son who told his father that he wished to marry. ‘No, no!’ said the king; ‘you must not be in such a hurry. Wait till you have done some great deed. My father did not let me marry till I had won the golden sword you see me wear.’ The…
LONG, BROAD, AND SHARPSIGHT (Dlouhy, Siroky, Bystrozyakr) in (SIXTY FOLK-TALES FROM EXCLUSIVELY SLAVONIC SOURCES, 1889) by K. J. Erben
There was a king, who was already old, and had but one son. Once upon a time he called this son to him, and said to him, ‘My dear son! you know that old fruit falls to make room for other fruit. My head is already ripening, and maybe the sun will soon no longer shine…
VARDIELLO (Stories from Pentamerone, 1637) by Giambattista Basile
If Nature had given to animals the necessity of clothing themselves, and of buying their food, the race of quadrupeds would inevitably be destroyed. Therefore it is that they find their food without trouble,—without gardener to gather it, purchaser to buy it, cook to prepare it, or carver to cut it up; whilst their skin…
THE EIGHT IMMORTALS (II) – (The Chinese Fairy Book, 1921) by Richard Wilhelm
ONCE upon a time there was a poor man, who at last had no roof to shelter him and not a bite to eat. So, weary and worn, he lay down beside a little temple of the field-god that stood by the roadside and fell asleep. And he dreamed that the old, white-bearded field-god came…