Today’s letter is O for:
Once upon a time…
I have been telling stories to kids since I was a kid. There is something about starting a tale with “Once upon a time” that inspires my creativity. Those four familiar words entice my imagination to freely wander with abandon through the magical world of make believe.
It has been my experience that whenever I begin a “Once upon a time” tale, my listeners are immediately engaged. As I look into their eyes, bright with wonder, I intuitively sense that they are seeing, so clearly, the word pictures I am painting for them.
Of course they are free, as they often do, to contribute their own texture and color to what eventually becomes a collaborative mural of memories.
My joy is complete when I hear the words, “Tell me a story…
"Once upon a time in a land far, far, away there lived a little girl and little boy, who looked just like you.
"And what do you think their names were?”
"Once upon a time" is a stock phrase
that has been used in some form since at least 1380 (according to the Oxford English
Dictionary) in storytelling in the English language, and
seems to have become a widely accepted convention for opening oral narratives
by around 1600. These stories often then end with "and they all lived happily ever after,"
or, originally, “happily until their deaths."
But I am Princess Lynda Scheherazade, my stories never end, because there is always another “Once upon a time…
"Once upon a time..." the most powerful phrase in the English language.
ReplyDeleteGreat post and posts!
Looking forward to more.
--
Tim Brannan
The Other Side and The Witch
Red Sonja: She-Devil with a Sword
The Freedom of Nonbelief
Thanks for your kind words and for visiting.
DeleteLovely post, and thanks for the background info on the phrase. I remember listening to stories as a kid, and that phrase always held a certain kind of magic.
ReplyDeleteSilvia @ Silvia Writes
Yes, what was most interesting to me how long that phrase has been in use.
DeleteI remember most of the stories when I was a kid starting with- Once Upon A Time.
ReplyDeleteDark Thoughts Blog
Me too. I loved the magic of fairy tales.
Deleteahhhh, once upon a time. The art of telling a story vs reading a story have been lost. Families no longer pass stories down person to person. Nice memories. A-Z
ReplyDeleteI wonder if books will eventually be obsolete one day.
DeleteThanks for visiting.
Here in Tenerife, where we get Spanish television, "Once upon a time" translates as "Eras una vez" - I still don't know what their equivalent ending is.
ReplyDeleteThat is so interesting.
DeleteI love your blog, btw.
Thanks for visiting.
I once heard that the modern equivalent would be, "Yo! Check it out..."
ReplyDeleteThat’s very funny, Mark and probably very true.
DeleteI found Scheherazade's story a fascinating tale within itself.
ReplyDeleteThey are magic words that get you in the mindset to visit magical places. :)
ReplyDeleteYes, tell me a good story.
ReplyDelete