"Once upon a time there was a bear..."
Or, better still,
"Once, when I was a little boy..."
Or, best of all,
"When Grandfather went to the war..."
That was the story where Grandfather lay all day in the tall grass watching for Johnny Reb, and Johnny Reb was watching for Grandfather. When it came to the exciting part, you sat straight up to see Grandfather squint one eye and look along his outstretched arm, as though it were his gun, and say, "Bang!"
But Johnny Reb saw the tip of Grandfather's blue cap just peeping over the tops of the tall grass, and so he, too, went "Bang!"
And ever afterwards Grandfather walked with a cane.
"Did Johnny Reb have to walk with a cane, too, Grandfather?"
"Johnny Reb, he just lay in the tall grass, all doubled up, and says he, 'Gimme a chaw o' terbaccer afore I die.'"