History Main / OnceUponaTime

Now, stories that began with "Once upon a time" often ended with "...and they all lived HappilyEverAfter." But [[FanNickname Once]] never got to the end of the stories -- he always stayed at the [[BeginningTropes beginning]]. And that is where he will always be.

* VideoGame/{{Wytchwood}}: Befitting it's dark fairytale theme, the game opens with Once upon a time.

-->'''Uncle Remus:''' '''Once upon a time...''' Not ''your'' time, not yet ''my'' time. But ''one'' time... I was goin' fishin', and I was just thinkin' how the flowers and critters is curious things. They can look in your heart and tell when it sings. If it's whistlin' a tine or singin' a song, they'll all say "Howdy!" when you come along.

--->'''Jiminy Cricket:''' '''One night, a long time ago,''' my travels took me to a quaint little village. It was beautiful night. The stars were shining like diamonds high above the roofs of that sleepy old town, pretty as a picture. As I wandered along the crooked streets, there wasn't a soul to be seen. The only sign of life was a lighted window in the shop of a woodcarver named Geppetto. So, I hopped over and looked in.

--->'''Jiminy Cricket:''' '''One night, a long time ago,''' my travels took me to a quaint little village. It was beautiful night. The stars were shining like diamonds high above the roost of that sleepy old town, pretty as a picture. As I wandered along the crooked streets, there wasn't a soul to be seen. The only sign of life was a lighted window in the shop of a woodcarver named Geppetto. So, I hopped over and looked in.

* ''Literature/RWBYFairyTalesOfRemnant'': ''The Girl in the Tower'' is written in a very traditional way, beginning with the standard "A long, long time ago..." and ending with "happily ever after". [[BigGood Professor Ozpin]] deconstructs this story in his notes, observing that it was a classic piece of propaganda, written by a protagonist who understood the power of fairy tales to inspire. [[spoiler:The reason for Ozpin's cynicism is because the classic layout of the fairy tale starkly contrasts the real story, which is revealed in the [[WebAnimation/{{RWBY}} main show]] to have been a tragedy that has trapped the BigBad and BigGood into an [[ForeverWar endless]] SecretWar for the fate of humanity.]]

--> '''Once upon a time''' there was an Ant. And this ant did not know that there was somebody in the world called Bee. And this bee did not know that there was somebody in the world called ''Ant'', because '''once upon a time''', Ant and Bee did not know about each other.

--> '''Once upon a time''' Ant had a hat which was too big for him. And '''once upon a time''' Bee had a hat which was too small for him.

->''For the book series, click [[Literature/OnceUponATime here]], for the Creator/{{ABC}} series, click [[Series/OnceUponATime here]], and for the Chinese film, click [[Film/OnceUponATime2017 here]]''

->''For the book series, click [[Literature/OnceUponATime here]] and for the Creator/{{ABC}} series, click [[Series/OnceUponATime here]].''

* ''Literature/PrincessesOfThePizzaParlor'': How the blurb at the back of the paperback collection of the first three episodes starts:
--> Once upon a time,\\

-->"'''Once upon a time''', there was a girl and the girl had a shadow. The two were connected, tethered together. And the girl ate, her food was given to her warm and tasty. But when the shadow was hungry, she had to eat rabbit raw and bloody. On Christmas, the girl received wonderful toys; soft and cushy. But the shadow's toys were so sharp and cold they sliced through her fingers when she tried to play with them. The girl met a handsome prince and fell in love. But the shadow at that same time had Abraham, it didn't matter if she loved him or not. He was tethered to the girl's prince after all. Then the girl had her first child, a beautiful baby girl. But the shadow, she gave birth to a little monster. Umbrae was born laughing. The girl had a second child, a boy this time. They had to cut her open and take him from her belly. The shadow had to do it all herself. She named him Pluto, he was born to love fire. So you see, the shadow hated the girl so much for so long until one day the shadow realized she was being tested by God."

The girls had no idea how to play;

* ''Disney/{{Cinderella}}'':

* ''Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast'':

* ''Disney/OliverAndCompany''

* In ''Discworld/TheColourOfMagic'':

-->"'''Once upon a time''', there was a girl and the girl had a shadow. The two were connected, tethered together. And the girl ate, her food was given to her warm and tasty. But when the shadow was hungry, he had to eat rabbit raw and bloody. On Christmas, the girl received wonderful toys; soft and cushy. But the shadow's toys were so sharp and cold they sliced through her fingers when she tried to play with them. The girl met a handsome prince and fell in love. But the shadow at that same time had Abraham, it didn't matter if she loved him or not. He was tethered to the girl's prince after all. Then the girl had her first child, a beautiful baby girl. But the shadow, she gave birth to a little monster. Umbrae was born laughing. The girl had a second child, a boy this time. They had to cut her open and take him from her belly. The shadow had to do it all herself. She named him Pluto, he was born to love fire. So you see, the shadow hated the girl so much for so long until one day the shadow realized she was being tested by God."