In "Over Sea, Under Stone," Simon and Jane discuss the traditional opening of fairy tales, which often starts with the phrase "once upon a time." Simon suggests that this format implies the stories' lack of truth, while Jane offers a more hopeful perspective, proposing that these tales may have been real at one point, but have since faded from collective memory. This conversation encapsulates the blend of imagination and reality that fairy tales represent.

Jane's reflection highlights a sense of nostalgia and the yearning for connections to a past that feels distant. The notion that these stories might have been true sparks a sense of wonder about forgotten histories and the power of storytelling. The characters’ dialogue underlines the theme of exploring the boundaries between myth and reality, inviting readers to consider what might be lost to time.