Once upon a time

File:The How and Why Library 001.jpg

Frontispiece to The How and Why Library, 1909

"Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 in storytelling in the English language and has started many narratives since 1600. These stories sometimes end with "and they all lived happily ever after", or, originally, "happily until their deaths".

The phrase is common in fairy tales for younger children. It was used in the original translations of the stories of Charles Perrault as a translation for the French "", of Hans Christian Andersen as a translation for the Danish "" (literally "there was once"), the Brothers Grimm as a translation for the German "" (literally "it was once") and Joseph Jacobs in English translations and fairy tales.

In More English Fairy Tales, Joseph Jacobs notes that:

The opening formula are varied enough, but none of them has much play of fancy. 'Once upon a time and a very good time it was, though it wasn't in my time nor in your time nor in any one else's time.' is effective enough for a fairy epoch, and is common, according to Mayhew (London Labour, III), among tramps.

The phrase is also used in retellings of myths, fables and folklore.

Other languages

The "story-starting phrase" is a common feature of many languages.

Language	Common beginning	Common beginning (English translation)	Common ending	Common ending (English translation)
Albanian		Once there was...		And they lived happy forever
Afrikaans		One day, a long time ago...		Whistle, whistle, the story is done
Moroccan Arabic	Template:Transliteration ()	I've told you what's coming	وخبيرتي مشات من واد لواد وانا بقيت مع الناس الجواد	And my tale went from valley to valley and I remained with the good people.
Amharic		Once a long time ago...		Return my story and feed me bread. (It is a way of saying tell me a story for the one I have told you.)
Classical Arabic	Template:Transliteration ()	There was, oh what there was (or there wasn't) in the oldest of days and ages and times...	Template:Transliteration ()	Tuta tuta, the story is over. (Tuta can mean berry, but in this context has no real meaning.)
Armenian (Eastern)	(Template:Transliteration)	There was, there was not...	(Template:Transliteration)	3 apples fall from the sky/heaven - one for the writer/author, one for the storyteller, one for the listener Note: (the three apples can "be given" to different people, when people tell stories they change the three to whatever they like. The version noted here is the most common/known)
Armenian (Western)	(Template:Transliteration)		(Template:Transliteration)
Assamese	(Template:Transliteration)	Long time ago...	Unknown
Asturian		There was once...		And so the tale is finished.
Azeri		There was, (and) there was not...	Unknown
Basque		Once upon a time...		... and whether it were or it were not, may it [the story] come into the pumpkin and come out in the town square of... (name of a town).
Bengali	(Template:Transliteration)	Once there lived a king...	আমার কথাটি ফুরোলো, নটে গাছটি মুড়োলো। (Template:Transliteration)	My story ends and the spinach is eaten by the goat. (cf A Goat eats the root of a herb unlike cows, so being consumed by goats figuratively means something being irreversibly ended.)
	(Template:Transliteration)	In a country, there was...
Breton		Once upon a time...		...and they lived happily and had many children.
Bulgarian	(Template:Transliteration)	There was, once upon a time...	(Template:Transliteration)	...and they lived happily until the end of their days
			(Template:Transliteration)	...and for three days they ate, drank and had fun.
Catalan		There was a time...		Here's a cat, here's a dog, this tale is already melted. And here's a dog, here's a cat, this tale is finished.
		Time was time...		And they were happy and they ate candies.
		This was and was not...		Tale told, tale finished
		This went and was...		And they lived many years of happiness.
		This occurred in those ancient times		They were very happy, had many children, and still would live if they had not died
Chinese (Mandarin)	T: S: P: Hěnjiǔ hěnjiǔ yǐqián 從前 从前 Cóngqián	A very very long time ago... Once upon a time...	T: S: P: Cóngcǐ, tāmenguòzhe xìngfú kuàilè de rìzi	... and they lived a happy life
Chinese (Classical)	Xīzhě	Anciently...
Croatian		There was once a...		...and they lived happily until the end of their lives.
Czech		There was, there was not...		...and they lived happily until they died.
		There was once a ...		...and if they have not died yet, they still live there today.
		Beyond seven mountain ranges, beyond seven rivers . . .		A bell rang and the tale comes to its end.
Danish		There was, once...		And they lived happily until the end of their days.
		Once a long time ago...		And if they're not dead, they are still alive.
Dutch		Once there was...		...and they lived long and happily.
				And then came an elephant with a very long snout, and it blew the story out (over).
Esperanto		Once there was...		Their misery was ended and they lived together joyfully.
		In a time already long past, when it was still of use to cast a spell...		Nothing was lacking to their happiness until their death.
Estonian		There once lived a...		...and they lived happily until the end of their lives.
		Behind seven lands and seas there lived a...		...and if they're not dead, they still live happily.
Faroese		Once there was...		and they lived happily all their days.
				snip, snap, snout, then the story was out.
Filipino		At the beginning of time... / At the first time...		And they lived peacefully and prosperously.
			Wakas.	[The] end.
Finnish		Once there was...		And they lived happily until the ends of their lives.
				That's the length of it.
French		There was one time / There was once...		...and they lived happily and had many children.
				...and they lived happily until the end of time.
Galician		There was a time...		And this tale ends with bread and peppers and we're all happy.
		There was a time...		And with this an old woman made a basket.
		There was a time...		And redhead, red, this tale has ended.
German		Once there was...		...and if they have not died, they are still alive today.
		Back in the days when it was still of help to wish for a thing,...		...and they lived happily and contentedly until the end of their days.
Georgian	(Template:Transliteration)	There was, and there was not, there was...	(Template:Transliteration)	Disaster there, feast here... bran there, flour here...
Goemai (Nigeria, West Chadic)	Unknown	(Story teller begins in a sing song voice) "Story, Story". The children reply "Story" A long time ago... / In the days of our ancestors / When men were men and women tended the kitchen		My tale has finished, (it) has returned to go (and) come home.
Greek (Ancient)	(Template:Transliteration)	For there was once a time...
Greek (Modern)	(Template:Transliteration)	Once and a time... (time = epoch/era/age) (or) Once upon a time and once upon an era	(Template:Transliteration)	And they lived well, and we lived better
Guarani	Oiko va'ekue petei	There used to be a	Heta ara rire otopa tembiapo ha upei rire oiko porã vy'apope	After some days he found a job his life changed and he was truly happy ever after
Gujarati	(Template:Transliteration)	This is a story from many years ago.	Unknown
	(Template:Transliteration)	In one era, ...
	(Template:Transliteration)	Years ago...
Hebrew	(Template:Transliteration)	Once there was...	(Template:Transliteration)	And they lived in happiness and wealth to this very day.
	(Template:Transliteration)	Once there were...
Hindi	(Template:Transliteration)	In one era, ...	Unknown
	(Template:Transliteration)	It's an old story, ...
Hungarian		Once there was, where there wasn't, there was a...		This is the end; run away with it.
	... Hetedhétországon is túl, az Óperenciás tengeren is túl, az üveghegyeken is túl, hol a kurtafarkú malac túr	[Optional, signifying distance] ... cross seven countries, through the sea of Operencia, through the glass mountains, where the curly-tailed pig delves
				They lived happily until they died.
			Aki nem hiszi, járjon utána!	Whoever doesn't believe it shall investigate.
Icelandic		Once a long time ago...		And they lived happy for the rest of their lives.
		Once there was...		A cat in the bog put up his tail and there ends the fairytale.
				Cat out in the swamp, lifted its tail, the adventure is finished.
Indonesian		A long time ago...	Dan mereka hidup bahagia selama-lamanya.	And they lived happily ever after.
Iraqw (Tanzania, Kenya, Cushitic)		Once upon a time	Unknown
	In oral literature:	I remember something that our father told me and that is this:
Irish		Long, long ago in Ireland
		It was long long ago. If I was there that time I would not be here now. But as I am I have one small story. As I have it today may you have it seven thousand times better tomorrow. May you only lose a pair of the incisors by it, five of the grinders and a fine strip of the gum.		They went by the ford, and I went by the stepping stones. They were drowned and I survived. They gave me nothing but paper shoes and fat milk!
Italian		There was once...		And they lived happy and content.
Japanese	, , Template:Transliteration)	Long ago, long ago...	, (Template:Transliteration)	So blissful
Kannada	Template:Transliteration	Once, in a long past age,...	Unknown
Kazakh	Ерте ерте ертеде, ешкі жүні бөртеде (erte erte ertede, eshki zhuni bortede)	Direct translation: "A long, long time ago, when goat's wool was grey". Meaning: "A long long time ago, when goats had feathers")
Khroskyabs (Sichuan, Qiangic)		Long, long ago		My story has finished
				Was that fun?
Korean	(Template:Transliteration)	On an old day, in the old times,	(Template:Transliteration)	And they lived happily after then.
	(Template:Transliteration)	Back when tigers used to smoke tobacco.
Koti (Mozambique, Bantu)		Once upon the time, there was a truly great friendship...	Unknown
Kurdish	ھەبوو نەبوو (ڕۆژێ لە ڕۆژان)	Once there was and there was not, there was...		My story went to other homes, God bless the mothers and fathers of its listeners
Kyrgyz	(Template:Transliteration)	A long, long time ago...	Unknown
Ladino	Avia de ser...	There once was...
Latin		At that time, Once	Unknown
Latvian		Once long ago in times long gone
Lithuanian		Once upon the time
		Beyond nine seas, beyond nine lagoons		And I was there, drank some mead ale, dribbled through my beard, had not in my mouth
		Once long, long ago
		There was, and there was not
Luxembourgish	(old orthography: )	Once there was...		...and if they haven't died yet, they are still living today.
Macedonian	(Template:Transliteration)	Once upon the time there was...	Unknown
Malayalam	Template:Transliteration	Long ago, at a place...
Malay		Once upon a time		They lived happily ever after.
Marathi	(Template:Transliteration)	in a very old time...	(Template:Transliteration)	and they lived happily ever after
Maragoli		In olden days	Unknown
Maltese		Once upon a time...		And they lived happily and contentedly ever after.
Nepali	(Template:Transliteration)	Once in a country...	(Template:Transliteration)	A golden–garland to the listener, A flower–garland to the narrator; This story shall go to Vishnu's abode (Heaven), And come back hot (fresh) on someone else's (the next narrator) lips. (Said in a rhyme.)
Norwegian		There was, once...		And then they lived happily for the remainder of their days.
				And if they're not dead, they still live.
				Snip, snap, snute (snout), then this adventure is finished. (sometimes the English is translated to rhyme "Snip, snap, snout, this adventure is told out.")
Occitan		There was one time / There was once...
Pashto	(Template:Transliteration)	There was this work that...	Bas	The End
	(Template:Transliteration)
Persian	Template:Transliteration	Someday, sometime, ...	Template:Transliteration	This book has come to end, (but) the story yet remains.
	Template:Transliteration	Someone was, someone wasn't, ...		Our tale has come to end, (but) the crow hasn't arrived at his house.
Polish		(A long, long time ago,) beyond seven mountains, beyond seven forests...		...and they lived long and happily.
		Beyond seven mountains, beyond seven rivers...		...and I was there [usually at a wedding] too, and drank mead and wine.
Portuguese		There was, once...		...and they lived happily forever.
Qiang		A long long time ago...	Unknown
Romanian		There once was, (as never before)... because if there wasn't, it wouldn't have been to told		...and they lived happily until old age.
Russian	(Template:Transliteration)	Long, long time ago...	(Template:Transliteration)	...and they lived long and happily [and died on the same day]
	(Template:Transliteration)	(In the three-ninth kingdom, in the three-tenth realm) There lived, there was...	... и стали они жить поживать, да добра наживать. (i stali oni zhit' pozhivat', da dobra nazhivat')	... and they lived and prospered.
Sanskrit	(Template:Transliteration)	In the ancient time...	Unknown
	(Template:Transliteration)	Once upon the time, At any time
Scots	In the days o lang syne	Long ago
Scottish Gaelic		A day that was here		(and that's still how it is) until the present day.
Serbian	(Template:Transliteration); (Template:Transliteration)	Once, a long time ago...	(Template:Transliteration)	...and they lived happily for the rest of their lives.
	(fem., Template:Transliteration) (masc., Template:Transliteration) (neuter, Template:Transliteration)	There once was one...	(Template:Transliteration)	...and they lived long and happily.
Shona		A long time ago, there existed	Ndopanoperera sarungano	End of the story.
Slovak		Where it was, there it was...		...and they lived together happily, until they died.
		Beyond the hills, beyond the valleys...		...and they lived together happily until their deaths.
		Beyond seven mountains and seven valleys...		...and if they haven't died already, they are living happily to this day.
		Where the water was being strewn and the sand poured...		The bell chimed and the tale came to its end.
		Once, there was a...
Slovene		A long time ago...		...and they (both) lived happy until the end of their days.
		Once upon a time there was/lived...		... and they (all) lived happily until the end of their days.
Somali	Sheeko, sheeko, sheeko xariir...	Story, story, a story of silk...
Spanish		There was, once...		...and they lived happy and ate partridges.
				...and redhead, red, this tale has ended.
Swahili (east African)		A long time ago	Unknown
Swedish		Once, there was...		...and then they lived happily for all of their days.
		Once, long ago...	Snipp snapp snut, så var sagan slut	Snip, snap, snute (snout), thus the story ends.
Tagalog		Back in the old time...		And they lived happily.
Tamil language	(Template:Transliteration)	At a time long ago	Subham	The End.
Telugu language	(Template:Transliteration)	Once upon a day...	Subham/ Kadha Kanchi ki	The End.
Thai	(Template:Transliteration)	Once upon the time (long ago)...	(Template:Transliteration)	And they lived happily forever.
Turkish		Once there was, and once there wasn't. In the long-distant days of yore, when haystacks winnowed sieves, when genies played jereed in the old bathhouse, [when] fleas were barbers, [when] camels were town criers, [and when] I softly rocked my baby grandmother to sleep in her creaking cradle, there was/lived, in an exotic land, far, far away, a/an...* ∗ : This traditional opening phrase by the storyteller is rich with rhyming wordplays, tongue-twisters, as well as comedic and bizarre situational juxtapositions that are meant to draw listeners in, and set the stage for a whimsical, fantastical storyline.	Alternatively:	Lastly, three apples fell from the sky; one for our story's heroes, one for the person who told their tale, and one for those who listened and promise to share. And with that, they* all achieved their hearts' desires. Let us** now step up and settle into their thrones.*** Alternatively: Lastly, three apples fell from the sky; one for those who know to keep their inner child alive, one for those who know to listen and think before they act, and one for those who never lose the love and hope within their soul. And with that, they* all achieved their hearts' desires. Let us** now step up and settle into their thrones.*** ∗ : the protagonists of the story ∗∗: the listeners ∗∗∗: a common conclusory storytelling expression meaning "may we all share in their good fortune"
Ugaritic		When ... then	N/A
Ukrainian	(Template:Transliteration)	Long, long time ago...	(Template:Transliteration)	...and they lived long and happily.
	(Template:Transliteration)	(In some kingdom, in some land) There lived, there was...
Urdu	(Template:Transliteration) بہت بہت سال پہلے۔۔۔ (Bohut bohut sal pehle...)	Once upon a time... Many many years ago...	Unknown
Vietnamese		A long, long time ago...	...và họ sống hạnh phúc mãi mãi về sau	...and they live happily ever after
Yiddish	אַמאָל איז געווען אַ מעשׂה (Amol iz geven a mayse)	Once there was a story
Welsh		A long time ago...	Unknown

Modern variants

• The novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens opens with the line “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...” which has been reused and parodied in many modern works of fiction.
• Don McLean's "American Pie" begins with the phrase "A long, long time ago...".
• All of the Star Wars films, as well as several of the expanded universe novels, begin with the phrase "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....".
• The musical Into the Woods begins with the Narrator's line, "Once upon a time." The second act commences with his line, "Once upon a time... later..." The musical is a retelling of many famous fairy tales.
• In the Singaporean comedy series Under One Roof, Moses Lim's character Tan Ah Teck begins his stories with "Long before your time, in the southern province of China ...".
• In the 2010 Edgar Wright film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, the opening scene narrates the words "Not so long ago, in the mysterious land of Toronto, Canada."
• The opening line of the theme song to MST3k is: "In the not-too-distant future ... next Sunday, A.D."
• Bionicle features the line "In the time before time...".
• In Ninjago, in-universe tales often begin "Long before time had a name...".
• The opening line of the TV series Merlin features the line "In a land of myth, and a time of magic..."
• The first episode of Ivor the Engine opens with the line "Not so very long ago, in the top left-hand corner of Wales..."

See also

• In the beginning (phrase)
• All's Well That Ends Well
• Happy ending
• It was a dark and stormy night

External links

• Template:Usurped