Once Upon a Time (Fabbri Publishing)
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 The Lonely Hours When Darkness Falls Ghouls and Ghosts Camelia Dance |
| 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 Half O'Shanty Big Bad Giant Permonitions Blind Panic |
| 3 | The Wizard of Oz | Carole Boyd | L. Frank Baum | Dorothy's adventures along the yellow brick road. | Homecoming The Water Garden Fields and Hedgerows The Enchanted Wood The Eternal Loser The Dragoons |
| 4 | Thumbelina | Denise Bryer | Hans Christian Andersen | Will poor Thumbelina ever get the husband she wants after so many bad suitors? | Lullaby Night Predator A Winter's Story Water Meadows The Vale of Tranquillity Evergreen |
| 5 | Puss in Boots | Nigel Lambert | Charles Perrault | How a clever cat made his master's fortune. | Mock Baroque The Haunted Castle The Plot Thickens The Chase Continues |
| 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 The Eternal Loser Night Predator Walk This Way |
| 7 | The Snow Queen | Carole Boyd | Hans Christian Andersen | Gerda's quest to find her lost friend Kay. | Winter's Flight The Water Garden Dreams in Slow Motion Icescape |
| 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 Desert Caravan Baghdad Nights |
| 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 Happy Hippo Crown Ceremonial |
| 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 Ballet for Woodwind The Cunning Wolf The Beast Within Games Played in the Dark |
| 11 | Old Sultan | Nigel Lambert | The Brothers Grimm | The story of a kind and gentle sheepdog. | The Cultured Cakewalk Slow Progress Dark Doings Creeping About |
| 12 | Gulliver in Lilliput | Tim Bentinck | Jonathan Swift | Gulliver's adventures in Lilliput. | The Golden Isles Summer Wine |
| 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 Gavotte The Spider and the Fly Real and Unreal A Backward Glance Dreaming Dreams In Times Gone By |
| 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 Good Day A Jolly Jaunt Footsteps Out of Step Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin |
| 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 Toyland The Plot Thickens |
| 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 On the Sly Witches' Brew Heartstrings Comic Tension |
| 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 Nature's Realm The Courtier Silent Night Wonderland Distant Hills |
| 18 | The Three Bears | Cass Allen | Robert Southey | How Goldilocks' curiosity got the better of her. | Once Upon a Time Pippin Brahms' Lullaby Lumbering Giant Games Played in the Dark |
| 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? | |
| 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 Birds of Prey The Perils of Pauline |
| 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 Run! Robbers Inward Eyes Adrenalin Dreams in Slow Motion Phantasy |
| 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 Melody for a Flute |
| 23 | The Wild Swans | Cass Allen | Hans Christian Andersen | How a young princess Elise saved her brothers from a wicked spell. | Destiny Secrets of the Past Chronicles in Time Dreams in Slow Motion |
| 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 St. Louis Rag |
| 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. | The Little Ballerina Morning Darling! Growing Together |
| 26 | Cinderella | Anna Bentinck | Charles Perrault | How a beautiful girl goes to the ball and discovers the prince of her dreams. | Dreamland Grey Morning Dreaming Dreams in Slow Motion Dreamland Waltz |
| 27 | Great Grandmother's Nightshirt | Steven Pacey | Guido Gozzano | How a nightshirt becomes very useful to a boy named Patrick. | Cockney Carousel The Pursuers Hampton Court Royal Pavan |
| 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 Pause for Thought Newborn Pastoral Colours The Imperial Ballroom |
| 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 Heartstrings Is There Anybody There? Lamplight Spies |
| 30 | Aladdin | Jason Isaacs | Antoine Galland | A street urchin finds a lamp with incredible special powers. | Arabian Nights Snake Charmer |
| 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 Valse Sentimentale Victoriana Victorian Prelude Sinister Link Industrial Revolution |
| 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 Trumpet Hornpipe In Summer's Past A-Sitting on a Gate Harp Theme for Alice |
| 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 |
| 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 Pause for Thought Perky Tumpets The Cunning Wolf Fertile Land Fond Memories |
| 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 Carolina Clog Dance |
| 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 The Beauty of Time The Vale of Tranquillity |
| 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 March Waltz of the Flowers Taking Chances Coffee Arabian Dance Dance of the Reed Flutes |
| 38 | Hansel and Gretel | Carole Boyd | The Brothers Grimm | What happens when two children find a candy house in the woods? | Twilight Follow the Leader The Enchanted Forest The Woman at the Window Stepping Stones Ghouls and Ghosts Homestead |
| 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 Spooky |
| 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 On Mid-Summer's Night |
| 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 Harmonica Link |
| 42 | The Serpent Woman | Carole Boyd | Carlo Gozzi | When Princess Laila turns into a fire-breathing serpent, only a kiss can save her. | Quest |
| 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. | |
| 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 On With the Race Lighting the Fuse |
| 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 The Mouse in the Windmill A Jolly Jingle Chase Me Spooky Sleepy Head Finder's Creepers |
| 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 Country Lullaby Snuffling Around Night Predator The Beast Within |
| 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. | What's in the Gazebo? |
| 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 |
| 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 Grey Morning The Sad Princess |
| 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 One Man's View |
| 51 | Pinocchio | Steven Pacey | Carlo Collodi | When a wooden puppet comes to life, he embarks on a series of exciting adventures. | The Puppeteers The Merry March Lumbering Giant Menace from the Deep Lullaby Unease |
| 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 Autumn Days I Remember Dreamland Waltz |
| 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 |
| 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 Village Folk |
| 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 On Mid-Summer's Day My Lady's Pleasure Magical Effect |
| 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 Take to the Air |
| 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 |
| 58 | The Little Parsley Girl | Eva Haddon | The Brothers Grimm | 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 Lute Air |
| 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 |
| 60 | Heidi | Eve Karpf | Johanna Spyri | A young girl has amazing adventures in the Swiss mountains. | Folk Song |