Fabbri's Once Upon a Time series was based on the popular Story Teller series. It also had a slogan which was "The world of Traditional Fairy Tales & Fables." Like its predecessor, it was a collection of storybooks that came with cassette tapes. Story Teller regulars like Carole Boyd and Nigel Lambert lent their vocal talents to this collection. Actor John Shrapnel introduced each one and told one of the stories himself.
The intro of each cassette always started with this:
"Long Ago and Far Away in Enchanted Lands across the seas lived Kings and Queens, Princes and Princesses, Good Fairies and Wicked Witches, Ferocious Giants and Gentle Dwarfs. Their Adventures and Stories have been told for Hundreds of Years. Open the pages and listen to the words and you too can join the magical world of Once Upon a Time."
The main title theme was "Christmas Box" by Paddy Kingsland
Issues
Each issue of Once Upon a Time was devoted to one story only with mostly Fairy Tales by The Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen. The canary yellow cassettes came without a small plastic protective case but a total of five large red plastic cases were given away free with Issues 1, 12, 24, 36 and 48. Each were made to hold twelve of every issue and cassette. Some also came with a giant poster showing 24 Issues as a checklist to those who were collecting each one. 60 issues were produced:
| Issue | Story | Narrator | Original Author of the Story | Synopsis | Music Used for the Story |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | Cass Allen | The Brothers Grimm | Can the seven dwarfs save the beautiful Snow White from her evil stepmother? | Thames Rhapsody (Johnny Pearson) The Lonely Hours (b) (Richard Harvey) When Darkness Falls (Richard Harvey) Ghouls and Ghosts (Paddy Kingsland) Camelia Dance (Johnny Pearson) |
| 2 | Jack and the Beanstalk | Nigel Pegram | Joseph Jacobs | A boy named Jack has many adventures at the top of a beanstalk. | Down in the Mouth (Paddy Kingsland) Half O'Shanty (Ronald Aspery) Big Bad Giant (Paddy Kingsland) Permonitions (Richard Harvey) Blind Panic (Richard Harvey) |
| 3 | The Wizard of Oz | Carole Boyd | L. Frank Baum | Dorothy's adventures along the yellow brick road. | Homecoming (a) (Paddy Kingsland) The Water Garden (Richard Harvey) Fields and Hedgerows (Johnny Pearson) The Enchanted Wood (a) (Paddy Kingsland) The Eternal Loser (Paddy Kingsland) The Dragoons (Graham de Wilde) |
| 4 | Thumbelina | Denise Bryer | Hans Christian Andersen | Will poor Thumbelina ever get the husband she wants after so many bad suitors? | Lullaby (Tony Kinsey) Night Predator (Tony Kinsey) A Winter's Story (Tony Kinsey) Water Meadows (Tony Kinsey) The Vale of Tranquillity (Richard Harvey) Evergreen (Tony Kinsey) |
| 5 | Puss in Boots | Nigel Lambert | Charles Perrault | How a clever cat made his master's fortune. | Boy's Joke (George Callert) Mock Baroque (Joe Griffiths) The Haunted Castle (Paddy Kingsland) The Plot Thickens (Dick Walter) The Chase Continues (Dick Walter) |
| 6 | The Lion's Glasses | David Tate | Charles Vildrac | Find out why all the animals in the jungle are searching for a pair of glasses. | A Hippo Called Hubert (Joe Griffiths) The Eternal Loser (Paddy Kingsland) Night Predator (Tony Kinsey) Walk This Way (Ronald Aspery) |
| 7 | The Snow Queen | Carole Boyd | Hans Christian Andersen | Gerda's quest to find her lost friend Kay. | Age of Innocence (Keith Mansfield) Winter's Flight (Richard Harvey) The Water Garden (Richard Harvey) To Reflect (Richard Harvey) Dreams in Slow Motion (Richard Harvey) Icescape (a) (Graham de Wilde) Wonderland (Richard Harvey) |
| 8 | Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves | Steven Pacey | Antoine Galland | By chance, Ali Baba discovers an amazing secret, but the notorious forty thieves are determined to keep their secret safe. | Two Turkish Folk Songs (2. Slow) (Georges Behar) Desert Caravan (a) (Graham de Wilde) Baghdad Nights (Ali Isfahan) |
| 9 | The Emperor's New Clothes | David Tate | Hans Christian Andersen | How two swindlers made an emperor and all his courtiers look very foolish. | Ruffles and Lace (Sam Fonteyn) Happy Hippo (Harold Smart) Harpischord Link (1) (Sam Fonteyn) Crown Ceremonial (Richard Harvey) |
| 10 | Little Red Riding Hood | Cass Allen | The Brothers Grimm | A girl visiting her sick grandmother who soon becomes the target of a greedy, wicked wolf. | Without a Care (Paddy Kingsland) Ballet for Woodwind (Georges Behar) The Cunning Wolf (Paddy Kingsland) The Beast Within (Paddy Kingsland) Games Played in the Dark (Richard Harvey) |
| 11 | Old Sultan | Nigel Lambert | The Brothers Grimm | The story of a kind and gentle sheepdog. | The Cultured Cakewalk (Dick Walter) Slow Progress (Simon Benson) Dark Doings (Simon Benson) Creeping About (Dick Walter) |
| 12 | Gulliver in Lilliput | Tim Bentinck | Jonathan Swift | Gulliver's adventures in Lilliput. | The Golden Isles (c) (Richard Harvey) Stormy Passage (Cedric King-Palmer) Summer Wine (Richard Harvey) Minimal Chaconne (Tony Kinsey) |
| 13 | The Sleeping Beauty | Anna Bentinck | Charles Perrault | A princess is put under a spell to sleep for a hundred years. Can the spell be broken? | Childhood Memories (Skaila Kanga) Gavotte (Skaila Kanga) The Spider and the Fly (Richard Harvey) Real and Unreal (Richard Harvey) A Backward Glance (Richard Harvey) Dreaming Dreams (Skaila Kanga) In Times Gone By (Richard Harvey) |
| 14 | The Goose with the Golden Eggs | Gay Soper | Giambattista Basile | The two sisters Grace and Hope had the good fortune to possess a goose which laid a golden egg every day; but their greedy neighbors Envy and her niece Green With Envy also want this wealth... | Country Pictures (Dick Walter) Good Day (a) (Dick Walter) A Jolly Jaunt (a) (Dick Walter) Footsteps (a) (Dick Walter) Out of Step (Dick Walter) Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin (Fiachra Trench) |
| 15 | The Most Incredible Thing | Nigel Lambert | Hans Christian Andersen | How a clever young inventor's clock helped him win the hand of a princess of Slavonia. | The Courtiers' Gigge (Gareth Walters) Toyland (Paddy Kingsland) The Plot Thickens (Dick Walter) |
| 16 | The Wolf and the Seven Kids | Carole Boyd | The Brothers Grimm | How a mother goat outwitted a wicked wolf and saved her little kids. | Animal Capers (Tony Kinsey) On the Sly (Dick Walter) Witches' Brew (Tony Kinsey) Heartstrings (Dick Walter) Comic Tension (c) (Dick Walter) |
| 17 | The Little Matchgirl | Lindsay Duncan | Hans Christian Andersen | The sad story of how a poor lonely little girl tried to cope with the harsh world on Christmas Eve. | Baroque Pastorale (Robert Cornford) Nature's Realm (Robert Cornford) The Courtier (Robert Cornford) Silent Night (a) (Simon Benson) Wonderland (Richard Harvey) Distant Hills (Richard Harvey) |
| 18 | The Three Bears | Cass Allen | Robert Southey | How Goldilocks' curiosity got the better of her. | Once Upon a Time (Tony Kinsey) Pippin (Tony Kinsey) Brahms' Lullaby (Brian Gulland/Richard Harvey) Lumbering Giant (Paddy Kingsland) Games Played in the Dark (Richard Harvey) |
| 19 | The Emperor's Nightingale | Dermot Crowley | Hans Christian Andersen | What happened when a real nightingale and a clockwork nightingale met at the court of an Emperor? | Festival of the Dragons Boats (1) (John Leach) Water Course (a) (Richard Harvey) Oriental Garden (a) (Graham de Wilde) |
| 20 | Little Kim | Nigel Pegram | Helen Bannerman | The story of a young boy and four vain tigers that turned into a heap of melted butter. | Setting Out (Naresh Sohal) Birds of Prey (Naresh Sohal) The Perils of Pauline (Joe Griffiths) |
| 21 | The Enchanted Princess | Carole Boyd | Ludwig Bechstein | Two sons Henry and John both set out for the sake of their father Marcus to rescue a princess named Esmerelda from a wicked spell, but who will triumph? | Heritage (Robert Cornford) Run! (Richard Harvey) Robbers (Richard Harvey) Inward Eyes (Richard Harvey) Adrenalin (Richard Harvey) Dreams in Slow Motion (Richard Harvey) Phantasy (Richard Harvey) Amoroso (Van Phillips) |
| 22 | The Selfish Giant | John Shrapnel | Oscar Wilde | How a selfish giant suddenly became generous and made the lives of many children very happy. | Land of Marvels (Tony Kinsey) Cuddle Bear (Norman Candler) |
| 23 | The Wild Swans | Cass Allen | Hans Christian Andersen | How a young princess Elise saved her brothers from a wicked spell. | Destiny (a) (Richard Harvey) Secrets of the Past (Richard Harvey) Chronicles in Time (Richard Harvey) Dreams in Slow Motion (Richard Harvey) |
| 24 | Johnny-Cake | Nigel Lambert | Joseph Jacobs | How a cake thought he was the fastest in the world in getting away from people and animals, but not fast at thinking. | Peacherine Rag (Jonathan C. Starkey) St. Louis Rag (Jonathan C. Starkey) |
| 25 | The Brave Tin Soldier | Mick Ford | Hans Christian Andersen | The sad story of a one-legged tin soldier who falls in love with a beautiful ballerina. | Piccolo Parade (Peter Deryng) The Little Ballerina (a) (Dick Walter) Morning Darling! (Ronald Aspery) Reported Missing (Richard Harvey) Silent Scream (Richard Harvey) Growing Together (a) (Dick Walter) |
| 26 | Cinderella | Anna Bentinck | Charles Perrault | How a beautiful girl goes to the ball and discovers the prince of her dreams. | Dreamland (a) (Paddy Kingsland) Grey Morning (Richard Harvey) Dreaming (Dick Walter) Dreams in Slow Motion (Richard Harvey) Dreamland Waltz (Paddy Kingsland) |
| 27 | Great Grandmother's Nightshirt | Steven Pacey | Guido Gozzano | How a nightshirt becomes very useful to a boy named Patrick. | Cockney Carousel (Gareth Walters) The Pursuers (Laurie Johnson) Hampton Court (Laurie Johnson) Royal Pavan (Laurie Johnson) |
| 28 | The Twelve Dancing Princesses | Carole Boyd | The Brothers Grimm | A mystery is trying to be solved of where the Princesses go every night and why their shoes are always worn through. | Minuet from L'Arlésienne, Suite No. 2 (Fiachra Trench) Pause for Thought (Dick Walter) Newborn (a) (Johnny Pearson) Pastoral Colours (Keith Mansfield) The Imperial Ballroom (Graham de Wilde) |
| 29 | The Master Thief | Nigel Lambert | The Brothers Grimm | To prove his abilities as a master thief, a gentleman is set three difficult tasks. | The Highwayman (Richard Myhill) Heartstrings (Dick Walter) Is There Anybody There? (Richard Myhill) Lamplight Spies (Richard Myhill) |
| 30 | Aladdin | Jason Isaacs | Antoine Galland | A street urchin finds a lamp with incredible special powers. | Arabian Nights (Paddy Kingsland) The Waiting Darkness (Richard Harvey) Snake Charmer (Paddy Kingsland) |
| 31 | The Silver Shilling | David Tate | Hans Christian Andersen | What happens when a silver shilling goes on his travels in the big wide world? | Imperial Hotel (John Leach) Valse Sentimentale (John Leach) Victoriana (John Leach) Victorian Prelude (William Davies) Sinister Link (John Leach) Industrial Revolution (John Leach) |
| 32 | The Little Mermaid | Carole Boyd | Hans Christian Andersen | How a beautiful mermaid's love for a handsome prince makes her swap her fishtail for a pair of legs. | Alice's Theme (Tony Kinsey) Trumpet Hornpipe (a) (Brian Gulland/Richard Harvey) In Summer's Past (a) (Robert Howes/Barbara Courtney-King/Bill McGillivray/Steve Davies) A-Sitting on a Gate (a) (Tony Kinsey) Harp Theme for Alice (a) (Tony Kinsey) |
| 33 | The Goatherd and the King's Daughter | Nigel Lambert | Ludwig Bechstein | A picky king who dislikes commoners, makes a goatherd complete many tasks before he is allowed to marry his daughter. | The King's Codpiece (Paddy Kingsland) On the Funny Side (Richard Myhill) |
| 34 | The Ugly Duckling | Denise Bryer | Hans Christian Andersen | A poor duckling is made fun of for his looks, but will he eventually become handsome? | Make Believe (Dick Walter) Pause for Thought (Dick Walter) Perky Tumpets (Pete Ross Winslow) The Cunning Wolf (Paddy Kingsland) Fertile Land (Georges Behar) Fond Memories (Richard Myhill) |
| 35 | Brer Rabbit and the Tar-Baby | Kerry Shale | Joel Chandler Harris | Brer Fox tries to outwit Brer Rabbit, but things don't work out quite the way he planned. | Swinging Jugs (Stefan Grossman) Carolina Clog Dance (Stefan Grossman) Just Memories (b) (Graham Preskett) Mountain Dew (a) (Graham Preskett) |
| 36 | The Happy Prince | Tim Bentinck | Oscar Wilde | What happens when the Happy Prince tries to help the poor people of his city? | The Physick Garden (Graham de Wilde) The Beauty of Time (a) (Graham de Wilde) The Vale of Tranquillity (Richard Harvey) |
| 37 | The Nutcracker | Cass Allen | E. T. A. Hoffmann | When Marie receives a very unusual Christmas present, many exciting things happen. | Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) March (Pyotr Ilyich) Waltz of the Flowers (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) Taking Chances (Richard Harvey) Coffee Arabian Dance (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) Dance of the Reed Flutes (Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky) |
| 38 | Hansel and Gretel | Carole Boyd | The Brothers Grimm | What happens when two children find a candy house in the woods? | Twilight (Dick Walter) Follow the Leader (Brian Bennett) The Enchanted Forest (a) (Richard Myhill) The Woman at the Window (Dick Walter) Stepping Stones (Brian Bennett) Ghouls and Ghosts (Paddy Kingsland) Homestead (Georges Behar) |
| 39 | The Brave Little Tailor | Steven Pacey | The Brothers Grimm | When a tailor kills seven with one blow, he finds he is the talk of the kingdom. | Jaunty People (Dick Walter) Spooky (Steve Gray) |
| 40 | King Rough-Beard | Eve Karpf | The Brothers Grimm | A vain and rude princess marries a beggar, but she soon finds out he's not quite as humble as she thinks. | On Mid-Summer's Day (Paddy Kingsland) On Mid-Summer's Night (Paddy Kingsland) |
| 41 | The Three Lucky Charms | Nigel Lambert | Guido Gozzano | A Father leaves each of his three sons a lucky charm, Simon inherits a table cloth that always has food and drink appear on it, John inherits a cloak that gives him invisibility and transportation and Peter inherits a purse that is never empty, but the greedy Princess Lorraine wants these items for herself. | Shamrock Jig (Gareth Walters) Harmonica Link (1) (Gareth Walters) Youthful Spirits (Paddy Kingsland) On the Sly (Dick Walter) Early to Bed (Gareth Walters) Jolly Jack Tar (Dick Walter) Dolls' Minuet (Gareth Walters) |
| 42 | The Serpent Woman | Carole Boyd | Carlo Gozzi | When Princess Laila turns into a fire-breathing serpent, only a kiss can save her. | Quest (a) (Robert Howes/Barbara Courtney-King/Bill McGillivray/Steve Davies) |
| 43 | The Flying Trunk | Steven Pacey | Hans Christian Andersen | A merchant's son is given a trunk that seems to have a mind of its own. | The Enchanted Forest (d) (Richard Myhill) Duet for Hippo and Fairy (Richard Myhill) The Enchanted Forest (a) (Richard Myhill) Heavenly Clockwork (Max Reinsch) The Sad Princess (Paddy Kingsland) Is There Anybody There? (Richard Myhill) |
| 44 | The Town Musicians | Denise Bryer | The Brothers Grimm | When a donkey is no longer useful to his master, he heads for the city to become a musician. | All Together Now (Pete Ross Winslow) On With the Race (Dennis Farnon) Lighting the Fuse (b) (Dick Walter) |
| 45 | Tom Thumb | Nigel Pegram | The Brothers Grimm | The adventures of small boy who is only as big as the size of a thumb. | The Town Mouse (Tony Kinsey) The Mouse in the Windmill (Tony Kinsey) A Jolly Jingle (Dick Walter) Chase Me (Tony Kinsey) Spooky (Steve Gray) Sleepy Head (Steve Gray) Finder's Creepers (Paddy Kingsland) |
| 46 | Rose White and Rose Red | Eva Haddon | The Brothers Grimm | How the kindness of two sisters is rewarded by a huge brown bear. | Land of Make Believe (Tony Kinsey) Country Lullaby (Clive Hicks) Snuffling Around (Alec Gould) Night Predator (Tony Kinsey) The Beast Within (Paddy Kingsland) |
| 47 | The Prince and the Pauper | Jason Isaacs | Mark Twain | A prince called Edward and a pauper called Tom are so intrigued by each other's lifestyles that they decide to swap roles for a while. | A Life of Elegance (Tony Hymas) What's in the Gazebo? (John Devereaux) |
| 48 | The Three Little Pigs | Gay Soper | Joseph Jacobs | When three little pigs each build a house in the forest, the big bad wolf pays them all a visit. | Mr Fixit (Paddy Kingsland) |
| 49 | The Twelve Brothers | Cass Allen | The Brothers Grimm | When twelve brothers are turned into ravens, only their sister can break the spell. | Far Away Lands (Paddy Kingsland) Lives and Times (Richard Harvey) Youthful Spirits (Paddy Kingsland) Watching and Waiting (Richard Harvey) Grey Morning (Richard Harvey) The Sad Princess (Paddy Kingsland) Heartland (b) (Robert Howes/Barbara Courtney-King/Bill McGillivray/Steve Davies) |
| 50 | Dick Whittington | Mike Grady | Joseph Jacobs | Dick, a boy from a poor family, sets out for London to make his fortune, accompanied by his cat. | Catch as Comet Can (a) (Dick Walter) One Man's View (Dick Walter) |
| 51 | Pinocchio | Steven Pacey | Carlo Collodi | When a wooden puppet comes to life, he embarks on a series of exciting adventures. | The Puppeteers (Paddy Kingsland) The Merry March (a) (Paddy Kingsland) Lumbering Giant (Paddy Kingsland) Menace from the Deep (Robert Cornford) Lullaby (b) (Tony Kinsey) Unease (Dick Walter) |
| 52 | Jorinda and Joringle | Anna Bentinck | The Brothers Grimm | When a wicked witch turns Jorinda into a nightingale, her sweetheart is determined to break the spell. | Mount Olympus (Paddy Kingsland) Autumn Days (Paddy Kingsland) I Remember (Richard Harvey) Dreamland Waltz (Paddy Kingsland) |
| 53 | Little Lord Fauntleroy | Kerry Shale | Frances Hodgson Burnett | A young boy named Cedric discovers that he is heir to a fortune, but this turns out to be the start of his problems. | Days of Hope (Richard Harvey) |
| 54 | Iron Jack | Nigel Lambert | The Brothers Grimm | When a wild man of the forest is caught, the King keeps him in a special cage, but he doesn't stay there very long... | The Merry Hunters (Paddy Kingsland) Village Folk (a) (Keith Mansfield) |
| 55 | The Big-Nosed Dwarf | Liz Whitting | Wilhelm Hauff | A witch turns a little boy named Jacob into a big-nosed dwarf, but can the spell be broken? | Country Store (a) (Paddy Kingsland) On Mid-Summer's Day (Paddy Kingsland) My Lady's Pleasure (Richard Myhill) Magical Effect (a) (Paddy Kingsland) |
| 56 | The Enchanted Horse | Jason Isaacs | Antoine Galland | An enchanted horse plays an important part in bringing a prince and princess together. | East of Java (a) (Eric Spear) Take to the Air (Tony Hymas) |
| 57 | The Elephant's Child | Carole Boyd | Rudyard Kipling | Rudyard Kipling's highly fantasized original tale from Just So Stories of how the elephant got his trunk. | Waddle (Graham Preskett) |
| 58 | The Little Parsley Girl | Eva Haddon | Giambattista Basile | When a witch locks a beautiful girl called "The Little Parsley Girl" up in a tower, a prince named Leopold comes to her rescue. | Springtime Dance (b) (Richard Myhill) Lute Air (Richard Myhill) |
| 59 | Jack the Dullard | Nigel Lambert | Hans Christian Andersen | When an awkward young man sets off to woo a princess, the results are quite surprising. | The English Manor (Graham Preskett) |
| 60 | Heidi | Eve Karpf | Johanna Spyri | A young girl has amazing adventures in the Swiss mountains. | Folk Song (Dick Walter) |
In other languages
- French "Il était une fois"
- German "Die Märchen dieser Welt"
References
External links
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