“Once upon a time” Around the World

Written by: Ava Heydarian Edited by: Rachel Chen

Image by Elizabeth Yuan

“Once upon a time there was a Prince, and he wanted to get himself a Princess”. “Once upon a time there was a dear little girl who was loved by everyone who looked at her”. And, once upon a time, there was a world full of stories. These stories existed around the world, taking shape in every language and tongue. The stories shared tales of journeys, battles, and the magic of everyday life. They told of lessons to be learned and memories to be shared.

In English, we begin these stories with the familiar phrase, “once upon a time.” Hearing this gets us excited and ready to hear a story. It is part of a tradition that tells us we are about to hear something magical. However, have you ever wondered if stories begin the same way in other languages? It turns out that different languages and cultures begin their stories in different ways. Each of these phrases hold their own meaning and spark the imagination of both the storyteller and the listener. Let’s take a look at a few of these story beginnings around the world! 

Polish 

Stories in Polish often begin with the saying: “Beyond seven mountains, beyond seven forests.” This beginning to fairytales makes the world seem so big and full of possibilities. It makes the listener think of a faraway land, where the rules of everyday life don’t apply. Anything is possible and the story is waiting to be discovered. There are lots of story beginnings across cultures that connect with nature like this one. What do you think is “beyond seven mountains, beyond seven forests”? Does it make you excited for the story to come? 

Māori

The Māori people are the indigenous people of New Zealand. Māori storytelling often begins by telling the origin stories of different parts of nature. For example, a story may begin by speaking about how the sky father, Ranginui, and the earth mother, Papatūānuku, separated from each other to allow light to come in between them and create the world. 

This shows how there can be different languages and cultures in the same country. New Zealand has people who speak English and start their stories with “Once upon a time.” But, there are also people in New Zealand who speak Māori and start stories by tracing the history of nature, instead of with a phrase. 

Note: Does the Māori storytelling remind you of the seven mounts and seven forests in Polish? Both cultures start stories by talking about nature—how neat!

Farsi

Farsi, one of the languages in Iran, also has a unique way to begin stories. Farsi speakers say, “There was one, there was not one” (or “yeki bud, yeki nabud”). This phrase was the title of a short story collection by the author Mohammad Ali Jamalzadeh in 1921. However, this phrase has been part of Iranian storytelling for hundreds of years– it is also seen in some Arabic stories. 

Sometimes, people will add on to this phrase, making the start of the story longer. For example, someone might say “There was one, there was not one. Under the dome of the sky, other than God, there was no one.” Do you ever add a unique twist to your stories to make them your own? 

Creole– Haiti

Storytellers in Haiti often begin a story by saying, “Krik” (creek), then the listener will reply and say, “Krak!” (crack). This is called a call and response, where the speaker says something and the listener replies. Call and response is a tradition originating from Africa. It is very common in countries with African roots, such as Haiti. In Haiti, oral storytelling is also a very important tradition. Oral storytelling means stories that are spoken out loud instead of written down. The Krik/Krak beginning of stories encourages stories to be told out loud and for the listeners to be included in the oral storytelling.  

This story beginning involves the listener being a part of the storytelling process. Do you ever like to help tell stories? 

Spanish– Chile

Spanish is spoken in over 20 countries, and lots of these countries begin stories in different ways. In Chile, stories begin by directing the listener: “Listen to tell it and tell it to teach it.” This beginning tells the listener that it is important to pay attention to the story so that they can pass it on to others. This is an important part of storytelling– stories are passed down by generations and can teach us important lessons. Can you think of a time a story taught you something important that you still think about today? 

These are just a few of the many different ways people begin stories around the world. From people who speak English, to people who speak Polish, Māori, Farsi, Creole, Spanish, or any other language in the world, the one thing we all have in common is that we all love stories. They are an important part of so many cultures, and are used to entertain and to teach. However these stories begin, they are all special and meaningful. 

References 

1. Andersen, H. C. (1930). The Princess on the Pea. In M. R. James (Trans.), Hans Andersen Forty-Two Stories. Project Gutenberg Canada. Retrieved October 22, 2025, from https://gutenberg.ca/ebooks/andersen-pea/andersen-pea-00-h.html

2. Beralus, M. (2020, May). Krik-krak! – The Haitian tradition of storytelling. Visit Haiti. Retrieved October 22, 2025, from https://visithaiti.com/art-culture/krik-krak/

3. Encyclopaedia Iranica. (2011, February 18). Yeki bud, yeki nabud. Encyclopaedia Iranica. Retrieved October 22, 2025, from https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/yeki-bud-yeki-nabud

4. Fiveable Content Team. (2025, September). African musical traditions and their Caribbean adaptations. Fiveable. https://fiveable.me/music-of-the-caribbean/unit-2/african-musical-traditions-caribbean-adaptations/study-guide/Xg7tDzP2Ff4W07kK

5. Grimm, J., & Grimm, W. (2001). Grimms’ fairy tales (E. Taylor & M. Edwardes, Trans.). Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 22, 2025, from https://www.gutenberg.org/files/2591/2591-h/2591-h.htm#link2H_4_0023

6. Lyons, K. (2019, April 19). 'Here is a story! Story it is': How fairytales are told in other tongues. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/apr/19/here-is-a-story-story-it-is-how-fairytales-are-told-in-other-tongues

7. Royal, T. A. C. (2009, March 4). Māori creation traditions. Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved October 22, 2025, from https://teara.govt.nz/en/maori-creation-traditions