Help me figure out these kids' books?

Question

Okay, the first one:
It started like "In a big big house there was a big big door, and in that big door big door there was a bigg hallway, and in that big big hallway there was a big big... and it goes on, until at the end it says, and in that big big box there was a medium box and in the medium box there was a small box and in that small box there was a...jellybean!" and it shows a drawing of a pink jellybean in a box

The second picture book is of a girl who always wore a ribbon around her neck. She married her childhood friend, and he always wanted to know why she never took of her ribbon. When she was dying, she told him to untie the ribbon, and her head fell off, because it was the ribbon that was keeping her head attached to her body. Pretty dark for an 8-year old kid, now that I think about it, LOL

So these books must have come out in the mid nineties because that's when I was a kid and read them

Answer 1

'Pink Jellybean story'
At the end of a long, dark road is a long, dark path.
At the end of the long, dark path is a lone, dark house.
And the lone, dark house has a single, dark door.
Behind the single, dark door is a long, dark hall.
At the end of the long, dark hall are some tall, dark stairs.
At the top of the tall, dark stairs is a long dark balcony.
At the end of the long, dark balcony is a big dark room.
In the big, dark room is a big, dark closet.
In the big, dark closet is a big, dark door.
Behind the big, dark door are some steep, dark stairs.
At the top of the steep, dark stairs is a dark, dusty attic.
In the dark, dusty attic is a big, dark chest.
In the big, dark chest is a small, dark box.
And in the small, dark box is a pink jellybean

The other is 'Red Ribbon', a folktale - I found an online version on this site: http://www.sheezyart.com/view/693792/

Answer 2

I know both these stories, and I'd have to say they are earlier than the nineties.

The second, for example, I read as a story in a well-known children's magazine called "Cricket" - and that was in my childhood (never mind, but trust me, it was at least late seventies/early eighties). I remember the protagonists' names as John and Jane; very clearly, as the last line went "So John untied the ribbon, and Jane's head fell off."

Sorry, I know that's not MUCH help, but that might help to narrow down the timeframe somewhat.

Bardmistress

Answer 3

The first one sounds to me like it's just explaining big and small to young children. They expect something big at the end, but it's a surprise ending, and a sweet one at that!

The other story, who knows? Go by what the illustrations are like. Did it look gross or silly when her head fell off? I'm guessing silly. Still, the topic of death is a little dark for a kid. But then old fairy tales were very dark!

Answer 4

I've never heard of the first one but the second one I have heard told as a horror story called The Velvet Ribbon.

Answer 5

I never knew of these stories being books, just camp-fire stories. The second one (with the ribbon girl) sounds like something from Edgar Allen Poe (?) Sorry, not much more help....