Once Upon a Time (Novel)

This article focuses on the book written by Henry Mills. For the television show, see Once Upon a Time. For the Authors' Books owned by Henry, see Henry's Once Upon a Time Book and Second Storybook. For the Underworld book, see Underworld Once Upon a Time (Book).

Once Upon a Time Novel
General Information
Origin:	Land Without Magic
Physical Description
Type:	Authors' Book
Color:	White, golden, red, green and black
Usage Information
Created by:	Henry Mills
Possessed by:	Lucy Nick Branson † (formerly) Rogers (formerly) Roni (formerly) Victoria Belfrey † (briefly) Weaver †
Used for:	Reading Entertainment Police evidence
Show Information
First appearance:	"The Final Battle Part 2"
Latest appearance:	"Homecoming"
Relevant Pages

“

Henry: You know, I didn't exactly write Harry Potter.
Lucy: Or anything since that one book.

”

—Henry and Lucy ^src

The Once Upon a Time Novel is an item featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It first appears in the twenty-second episode of the sixth season.

History

During Fifth Curse

As part of the Dark Curse, Henry has cursed memories of growing up as an orphan after being born in prison, and because he was never adopted, he grew up in the system. He fulfills his own wish for a family by creating a fictional depiction of himself in his novel, Once Upon a Time, a fantastical tale about him finding his birth mother, Emma Swan, who gave him up at birth, and persuading her into believing not only are fairytales real, but that she is the Savior who will save everyone from a curse. In addition to Emma, Henry creates Regina Mills, his adoptive mother whom he initially has a rocky relationship with. As such, it was his longing for a mother all his life which motivated him into making two mothers for himself instead of just one. The novel details Henry's adventures with his family as they battle curses and magical danger, with the last chapter taking place several years later when Henry is on his own adventure in the New Enchanted Forest, where he has his first meeting with his future true love, Cinderella. ("Hyperion Heights," "Wake Up Call," "Pretty in Blue")

With her own copy of Henry's novel, Lucy reads a chapter in it about Henry and his family finally gain peace and happiness after they win the final battle. She then shows up on Henry's door, claiming herself to be his daughter, and pushes her way in before surveying his stuffy apartment, remarking that despite him being her favorite author, he doesn't seem that successful. She tries to persuade him that everything he wrote in his book actually happened to him and his family, and insists he returns to Hyperion Heights with her to rescue them from a curse, including her mom, who was his true love Cinderella. Because Henry does not buy her story and unceremoniously tells her to go home, Lucy does go, however, she secretly swipes Henry's laptop and leaves him a note requesting that he meet her at Roni's in Hyperion Heights to get it back. Much later in Hyperion Heights, Henry helps Victoria Belfrey track down where Lucy and her mom, Jacinda, have run off to in order to retrieve his missing car. When Officer Rogers and Victoria's daughter Ivy show up to get Lucy, who Victoria has seized custody of, Ivy pulls out Henry's book from Lucy's bag and hands it to Rogers, insisting he get rid of it as it has caused too much trouble for their family. Rogers curiously opens the book and recognizes something in it, but snaps the book closed when Ivy notices his odd expression. Near his police car that night, Rogers looks at the book again, completely transfixed by an illustration of a blonde woman. ("The Final Battle Part 2", "Hyperion Heights")

The next day, Rogers takes the book with him to Henry's apartment to ask if he based the blonde woman on a real person. Henry states he did not and the woman is just a fictional character he made up, much to Rogers' disappointment, as the woman bears a striking resemblance to someone who once saved him when he was injured. ("A Pirate's Life")

Believing Victoria has something magical hidden beneath the mines under the Community Gardens, Lucy goes to the demolition site with Henry, reminding him that it's similar to the chapter in his novel where Snow White's coffin was hidden within the mines he and Archie were trapped in. Henry quips that it was just a story he made up, but Lucy brushes him off and sticks to her beliefs. ("The Garden of Forking Paths")

During Halloween night, Lucy goes missing while under Ivy's supervision, leading Henry to try to locate the girl by asking people passing by if they've seen her. Ivy, upon finding out he is helping Jacinda, looks down on him for doing so even though he's a self-published writer, to which Henry defensively replies he worked hard to sell that book. ("Beauty")

After Lucy sees a picture of Roni in different clothes with a much younger Henry, she recalls details from Henry's book and determines that Roni is the Evil Queen, Regina, who adopted Henry from Boston when he was a baby. Henry and Roni, believing the picture was photoshopped by Victoria, work together in Operation Heartbreak to help Lucy see that the fairytales she believes aren't actually real. However, Roni unexpectedly regains her memories after Ivy drugs her with a memory potion, causing her to remember Henry is really her son. Unable to tell him the truth, she instead asks about his mother under the pretense that this information will help Lucy, to which Henry reveals he was born in prison and grew up in the system after never being adopted. Henry is surprised when Roni expresses knowledge about Emma, one of his fictional characters, with him recalling that he gave himself two mothers in his book to fulfill his lifelong desire for a mother. Regina then almost tells him the truth but catches herself before she does and instead says she is glad that they are getting to know each other. ("Wake Up Call")

While Lucy is staying at a foster care home, Henry visits her and brings her an autographed copy of his novel. Lucy excitedly flips it open to work on figuring out the fairytale counterpart of Nick, her mother's ex-boyfriend, to which Henry reminds her that Nick is actually her biological father and she should try to accept him into her life. Lucy insists the curse made it that way, and that, in fact, what is happening is a "classic Kathryn Nolan situation". She explains that much like how Prince Charming was cursed to believe he was meant to be with his wife Kathryn when his true love was Snow White, Nick is the Kathryn in this case, with Henry and Jacinda being the ones who are meant to be together. Henry is skeptical and instead wonders if he is the Kathryn, especially since his novel ended with his fictional counterpart meeting Cinderella so he never wrote whether they got together or not. ("Pretty in Blue")

To entact her plan of making Lucy forfeit her power of belief so she can revive her daughter Anastasia, Victoria shows the Once Upon a Time storybook to Lucy. She admits it's all real, including everything Henry wrote in his novel, however, Lucy doesn't know the whole story, which she allows Lucy to read about in the storybook. ("One Little Tear")

Upon receiving news from Jacinda about Lucy's comatose state, Henry cuts short his trip in San Francisco and books a flight back to Seattle. In the hospital room, Jacinda encourages Henry to read his novel out loud to Lucy as it always gave her hope when she needed it. After reading up to the part where Emma starts to believe in magic to save her son's life, Henry considers out loud that he too would be willing to believe in the impossible if it means his belief could save Lucy. He decides he does believe in another reality where he really is her father, and then kisses her on the forehead in an attempt to evoke true love's kiss and wake her up. To Henry's disappointment, Lucy remains unconscious, in part because Lucy no longer has her belief and true love's kiss can only work if both parties have belief. ("The Eighth Witch")

When Roni returns from San Francisco with Kelly to check up on Henry, she sees him keeping Jacinda company in Lucy's hospital room, where the novel sits on the bed. Later, Jacinda is standing outside the room watching her daughter's still body as the book remains in the same spot as before. The book is left untouched by Doctor Sage when she enters to check Lucy's pulse. When Lucy begins waking up from her coma, the book is still beside her on the bed. ("Secret Garden")

During game night, Lucy retires to her bedroom early in order to give her mom and Henry some alone time together. She reads the novel while sipping her hot cocoa, but sets the book down after hearing her closet creak open. Lucy investigates and finds nothing inside, however, when she returns to her bed and grabs the book, a loose, folded-up storybook page flutters out from it. She opens it, and from reading its contents, discovers if her parents share true love's kiss, Henry will die. ("A Taste of the Heights")

The next day, in Lucy's room, Jacinda talks to her daughter about her shifting behavior with Henry last night. Lucy feigns disinterest in having Henry around her mother, while Jacinda points out that he is her favorite author. She then claims she has moved on from fairytales and no longer believes in them after going through real-life bad experiences. To further eliminate the possibility of Henry's death, Lucy declares she doesn't want her mom to see Henry ever again. Lucy goes to Roni for help and shows her the storybook page, despite that Roni didn't believe her the last time she insisted she was Regina. However, Roni says she does now, and when asked by Lucy if she read Henry's book, she confirms she lived the story. ("Knightfall")

Upon finding a copy of Henry's novel that the Candy Killer wrote notes in, Weaver persuades Henry to look through it and figure out what the killer's motives are. Henry has a hard time getting into the killer's mind at first since the novel was always meant to be a symbol of hope and now a psycho is using it for other purposes. Weaver suggests he has the means to stop the killer, but Henry becomes frustrated over being depended upon when he doesn't actually have the answers. To change his mind, Weaver compares Henry's likeness to his fictional namesake, who had hope and belief, and the best part about the character was his ability to fight for those things like Henry will. Henry agrees, stating he wrote himself into the stories to connect with them, leading him to he realizes the killer sees himself as a character in the novel too. From looking at the killer's notes in the Hansel and Gretel chapter, Henry notices he changed certain parts of the story, such as Gretel dying instead of having a happy ending and written references to being physically burned, leading him to conclude the killer believes himself to be Hansel who is avenging his sister's death. ("Breadcrumbs")

Trivia

• On-Screen Notes
• Set Notes

On-Screen Notes

• There is an illustration of an apple tree on the cover of Henry's novel. This is a reference to his adoptive mother's apple tree. ("The Final Battle Part 2" et al.)
• Henry's storybook novel seems to include the present-day events between the episodes "Pilot" and "Hyperion Heights". But as Lucy says, the story ends after Henry meets Cinderella for the first time. ("Hyperion Heights", "The Eighth Witch" et al.)
• The book blurb for Henry's novel is a slightly modified version of a synopsis for the show, which can be found on several online websites. The original synopsis reads thus:

For Emma Swan, life has been anything but a happy ending. But when she's reunited with Henry - the son she gave up for adoption ten years ago - on the night of her 28th birth- day, everything changes. The now 10-year-old Henry is in desperate need of Emma's help because he believes from reading a book of fairytales that she's the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming - who sent her away from the Enchanted Forest to be protected from a curse that was enacted by the Evil Queen. Emma initially refuses to believe a word of Henry's story but soon finds that his hometown of Story- Brooke, Maine is more than it seems. Because it's in Story- brooke that all of the classic characters we know are frozen in time with no memories of their former selves – except for the Evil Queen, who is Storybrooke's mayor and Henry's adoptive mother Regina Mills. Now, as the epic "Final Battle" for the future of both worlds approaches, Emma will have to accept her destiny and uncover the mystery behind a place where fairytales are to be believed.

The show version reads (differences are highlighted):

For bail bond agent, Emma Swan, life has been anything but a fairy tale. But when she's reunited with Henry - the son she gave up for adoption on the night of her 28th birth- day, everything begins to change. The young boy is in desperate need of Emma's help: he is convinced from reading a book of fairytales that she is no other than the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming - who sent her away from the realm of the Enchanted Forest to be protected from a curse that was enacted by the Evil Queen. Emma initially refuses to believe a word of Henry's story but soon discovers that his sleepy hometown of Story- brooke, Maine is more than it seems. Because it's in Story- brooke that all of the preeminent characters we know are frozen in time with no memories of their former selves – except for the Evil Queen, who is Storybrooke's mayor and Henry's adoptive mother, Regina Mills. Emma will have to accept her destiny and uncover the mystery behind a place where fairytales are, truly, to be believed. ("Hyperion Heights")

Stories

• An excerpt from "The Loveliest Rose in the World", a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, can be seen in Henry's novel when Rogers flips though it. ("Hyperion Heights")
• The text page next to Emma's illustration is a retelling of the scene where Emma leaves the Underworld in "Firebird". Some of the text appears on-screen, while the rest of it can be seen on a prop photograph from an online auction (the missing text is set in fuchsia, or, in the case of links, is underlined). It reads:

Emma and her family raced across the cemetery, the ground quaking beneath their feet. In the distance, the portal in the face of the fallen clock tower was going dark. It was about to close! Emma helped Henry and Regina through. They were getting out of this place if it was the last thing she ever did. Emma turned to her father with steely resolve in her eyes and zipped up her red leather jacket. "When I bought this jacket, it was meant to be an armor to protect me from getting hurt by those I love," Emma told David. "But now it's just a reminder that I have to protect those I love." Looking down at that trusty armor, it struck Emma for for the first time how far she had truly come. And while she may have lost much, she had gained a family. She was not going to lose anyone else. Because she was the Savior and there were people who still needed saving. Emma led David through the fading portal. And with one last look behind her, Emma wiped the tears from her eyes. She knew what her mission was. And with she stepped into the clock-faced portal and disap- peared into the void. The portal was gone, replaced once again by an ordinary clock face. Then.... tick. It was 8:15 once again in Storybrooke. ("Hyperion Heights", "A Pirate's Life")

• Henry reads a portion from the book to Lucy from the scene when Henry is in the hospital and Emma gives him true love's kiss. It reads:

"Every curse can be broken, you just need belief. Maybe the help of your family. It took time but Emma learned that. And when she did, she knew she could believe in anything if it would save her child's life."
("The Eighth Witch")

• When Henry opens the novel in his apartment, excerpts from two fairytales by Hans Christian Andersen can be seen. The left page contains an excerpt from "The Thistle's Experiences", while the right page contains another excerpt from "The Loveliest Rose in the World". ("Breadcrumbs")
  • When Henry flips through the book at the police station, the first page he looks at contains the same excerpt from "The Thistle's Experiences". The second page contains an excerpt from the Grimm fairytale "The Queen Bee", before he turns the page to an illustration of the Jolly Roger.
  • As Henry continues to flip through the book in a different scene, the first page he is looking at (seen upside-down) contains an excerpt from the Grimm fairytale "The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage".
  • When Henry looks through the book with Rogers and Weaver, the first page contains an excerpt from the Grimm fairytale "Mother Holle". The second page contains another excerpt from "The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage" (seen the right way up this time), while a micro-excerpt from "Mother Holle" can be glimpsed on the opposite page. The third page he looks at contains an excerpt from the Grimm fairytale "The Old Woman in the Wood". A micro-excerpt from the ending of "Mother Holle" can be glimpsed on the top half of the opposite page, while the bottom half contains a micro-excerpt from the opening of Grimm version of "Little Red Riding Hood".
• An excerpt from "The Darning Needle" by Hans Christian Andersen can be seen next to an illustration of Emma holding the first storybook. ("Is This Henry Mills?")

Props Notes

• According to a set photograph posted on Twitter, the price of the novel is 7.99 dollars in the United States, and 10.99 dollars in Canada.

Unseen Stories

• According to a photograph on an online prop auction held in December 2018, an unseen page contains an excerpt from the Grimm fairytale "The Fisherman and His Wife" ("…a pretty little parlor and bedroom, and a kitchen and pantry, with the best of furniture, and fitted up with the…").
  • Another unseen page contains an original story:

In spite of urging, he refused to stay. A little girl,
clasped his foot and kissed it, commending him. The
knight asked why she had done that, and then she
replied that she had kissed his foot in order that he
should remember her wherever he went. He answered,
"Doubt it not, fair maiden! I shall never forget you,
after I have parted hence."

With that he and Alma took their leave of their host
and the others. So they rode, sometimes by water and
sometimes by land, away from everything they knew,
under the setting sun.

Chapter 7

Steered by the hope of something
greater, they continued on for
many days, through many lands.
The knight looked behind him,
and saw through the bushes that
they had, without knowing it, sat
down close under the old walls of
a castle. And here is where they slept, under the
protection of the walls of the castle, and under a
blanket of stars. In the morning when they awoke,
they began their journey once again, walking over hill
and dale, and through meadows beautiful with flowers.
One flower, in the middle of which was a large dew-
drop, as big as a costly pearl, he plucked and handed
to Alma.
Alma took his hand as they crested the rolling green
hill and looked out over the valley. The sun was rising
swiftly in the east, warming the land with its golden
embrace.
"Do you see that there? " Alma asked him.
"Just beyond the ridge. Our next great adventure… "

• The first section is adapted from King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, a book from 1919, written by an unknown author. The original excerpt reads: "In spite of urging, Sir Gawain refused to stay. The little girl, who was good and clever, clasped his foot and kissed it, commending him to God. Sir Gawain asked why she had done that, and the girl replied that she had kissed his foot in order that he should remember her wherever he went. He answered, "Doubt it not, fair sweet friend! I shall never forget you, after I have parted hence." With that Sir Gawain took leave of his host and the others, who one and all commended him to God.."
• "The knight looked behind him, and saw through the bushes that they had, without knowing it, sat down close under the old walls of a castle" is adapted from a sentence from the Grimm fairy tale "Jorinde and Joringel". The original reads: "Jorindel on a sudden looked behind him, and as he saw through the bushes that they had, without knowing it, sat down close under the old walls of the castle".

• The part "…through meadows beautiful with flowers. One flower, in the middle of which was a large dewdrop, as big as a costly pearl, he plucked and handed to Alma." is adapted from another part of "Jorinde and Joringel", which reads "…he found the beautiful purple flower; and in the middle of it was a large dewdrop, as big as a costly pearl. Then he plucked the flower and set out and traveled day and night".

• Another prop photograph from the December 2018 auction shows an excerpt from the Snowdrop (Snow White) fairytale ("Then poor Snowdrop wandered along through the wood in great fear; and the wild beasts roared about her, but none did her any harm. In the evening she came to a cottage among the hills, and went in to rest, for her little feet would carry her no further. Everything was spruce and neat in the cottage: on the table was spread a white cloth, and there were seven little plates, seven little loaves, and seven little glasses with wine in them; and seven knives and forks laid in order; and by the wall stood seven little beds. As she was very hungry, she picked a little piece of each loaf and drank a very little wine out of each glass; and after that she thought she would lie down and rest. So she tried all the little beds; but one was too long, and another was too short, till at last the seventh suited her: and there she laid herself down and went to sleep.").
• A set of prop pages auctioned of in October 2019 include the opening of the Grimm fairytale of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" and the opening of the "Rapunzel" fairytale.

Appearances

Once Upon a Time: Season Six
"The Savior":	"A Bitter Draught":	"The Other Shoe":	"Strange Case":	"Street Rats":	"Dark Waters":	"Heartless":	"I'll Be Your Mirror":	"Changelings":	"Wish You Were Here":	"Tougher Than the Rest":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent
"Murder Most Foul":	"Ill-Boding Patterns":	"Page 23":	"A Wondrous Place":	"Mother's Little Helper":	"Awake":	"Where Bluebirds Fly":	"The Black Fairy":	"The Song in Your Heart":	"The Final Battle Part 1":	"The Final Battle Part 2":
Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Absent	Appears

Once Upon a Time: Season Seven
"Hyperion Heights":	"A Pirate's Life":	"The Garden of Forking Paths":	"Beauty":	"Greenbacks":	"Wake Up Call":	"Eloise Gardener":	"Pretty in Blue":	"One Little Tear":	"The Eighth Witch":	"Secret Garden":
Appears	Appears	Mentioned	Mentioned	Absent	Mentioned	Absent	Appears	Mentioned	Appears	Appears
"A Taste of the Heights":	"Knightfall":	"The Girl in the Tower":	"Sisterhood":	"Breadcrumbs":	"Chosen":	"The Guardian":	"Flower Child":	"Is This Henry Mills?":	"Homecoming":	"Leaving Storybrooke":
Appears	Appears	Absent	Absent	Appears	Appears	Absent	Appears	Appears	Archive	Absent