Once upon a time ... but no: that's how fairy tales begin, and this story here is indeed improbable, but nonetheless so true that I would be willing to put my hand in the fire if one of my charming readers (all readers are charming) were so cruel and antique (no reader is antique) as to demand such a thing from a man who has often burned his mouth but prefers to come closer to other fiery things with his hands rather than to charred logs or coals that only cause pain. Otto Julius Bierbaum was one of the most popular writers of the 19th century. In his multi-part series "Wonderful Stories," he entertainingly recounts cheerful anecdotes and fairy tales, some with serious backgrounds. The present third volume contains.