| 100% | PITIEDPIPEROFHAMELIN | 20 | Grimm Brothers story about a sorry leader, with "The"? |
| 40% | TSAR | 4 | "The Young ___" (short story about a Russian leader by Tolstoy) |
| 40% | TSAR | 4 | Leader with a title derived from the name "Caesar" |
| 39% | GAMEPLAY | 8 | Interaction with the plot of a computer story |
| 39% | BIGBICBIZBIO | 12 | Major book about a leader of the lighter industry? |
| 38% | AIDA | 4 | 2000 musical with the song "Every Story Is a Love Story" |
| 38% | AIDA | 4 | Musical with the opening number "Every Story Is a Love Story" |
| 38% | HENGIST | 7 | Leader, with brother Horsa, of the first Jutish settlers in Britain |
| 37% | JUNGLE | 6 | The __ Book, story about a boy raised by animals |
| 37% | LADYEVE | 7 | 1941 Preston Sturges comedy about a con artist and her father, with The |
| 36% | THELEGENDOF | 11 | With 23-Across, story about a noisy snorer? |
| 36% | SICARIO | 7 | 2015 thriller about a task force taking down the leader of a drug cartel |
| 36% | PARISREVIEW | 11 | With “The,” magazine with a long-running interview series about the craft of writing |
| 36% | TWOPARTER | 9 | Story with a cliffhanger, perhaps, and a hint to the starred answers |
| 36% | STLEO | 5 | A famous religious leader who met with Attila the Hun: 2 wds |
| 36% | BEERHUNTER | 10 | Best Picture adaptation about ... a search for the perfect brew, with "The"? |
| 36% | HER | 3 | 2013 movie about a man who falls in love with the voice on his smartphone |
| 36% | ROGERFRY | 8 | Art critic associated with the Bloomsbury Group about whom Virginia Woolf wrote a 1940 biography |
| 36% | WHATYOUWISHFOR | 14 | Katherine Center novel about a school librarian and her relationship with the principal (4 wds.) |
| 36% | MYTH | 4 | Story about a deity |
| 36% | SAGA | 4 | Story about a gas |
| 36% | HENGIST | 7 | Leader, along with his brother Horsa, of the first Jutish settlers in Britain |
| 35% | CHARLOTTE | 9 | In the story, the spider who's friends with a pig |
| 35% | FLA | 3 | *One with a minority opinion about the shape of the world |
| 35% | ADDY | 4 | American Girl doll with a back story on the Underground Railroad |
| 35% | IDIOT | 5 | Dostoyevsky novel about a "positively beautiful man," with "The" |
| 35% | FRY | 3 | Roger —, art critic associated with the Bloomsbury Group about whom Virginia Woolf wrote a 1940 biography |
| 35% | MYTH | 4 | Story about a deity, often |
| 35% | ANECDOTE | 8 | Story about a real incident |
| 35% | TALEOFTHESCOTCH | 15 | Story about a drinking binge? |