Once upon a time, there was a poor peasant who had many children. One day, a white bear arrived at their door, promising wealth in exchange for the company of the peasant’s youngest daughter, whom the bear would treat as a queen. The girl was hesitant, but eventually agreed for the sake of her family.
Every afternoon, children would play in the garden of a giant who had been away for seven years. Upon his return, the giant saw the children in his garden and angrily built a high wall around it, banning the children from entering. He declared, “My own garden is my own garden.”
In a town square stood a beautiful statue of the Happy Prince covered in fine gold leaves, with sapphires for eyes and a ruby on the hilt of his sword. The statue could see all the miseries and hardships of the city he once governed.
Once upon a time, there was a king with three daughters. When the king left for a war, he warned his daughters not to open the cellar door while he was away. The eldest two promised to obey, but the youngest, Lina, couldn’t contain her curiosity and opened the cellar door. Inside, she saw a great enchanted pig.
Once upon a time, a young boy built a snowman in his garden as the winter snow fell. The snowman was a magnificent figure, standing tall with a pipe in his mouth, coal eyes, and an old broom in his hand.
Once upon a time, a set of twenty-five tin soldiers was gifted to a young boy on his birthday. All soldiers were identical, standing upright on one foot, except for one who had been cast last when there was not enough tin left. This soldier stood just as proudly on his lone leg.
Once upon a time, on a freezing New Year’s Eve, a poor little girl wandered through the snowy streets barefoot, trying to sell matches. Earlier that day, she had lost her slippers.
Once upon a time, there was a poor prince who had a magical kingdom. He desired to marry the Emperor’s daughter. To impress her, he sent her the finest roses and nightingales, but she discarded them, as she preferred artificial things.
Once upon a time, a penniless soldier was returning home after a long war. On his way, he met an old witch who promised him riches in exchange for retrieving a tinderbox from a hollow tree.
Once upon a time, there was a little girl called Karen who was adopted by a rich old lady after her mother’s death. When preparing for her confirmation, Karen chose red shoes, ignoring the old lady’s advice that they were inappropriate for church.
