Thereby Hangs a Tale

In “Othello,” act iii, scene 1:

Clown.—O, thereby hangs a tail.

First Musician.—Whereby hangs a tale, sir?

In “Merry Wives of Windsor,” act i, scene 4, Mrs. Quickly remarks:

Well, thereby hangs a tale; good faith, it is such another Nan.

In “As You Like It,” act ii, scene 7, in the middle of Jaques’s first speech:

And so, from hour to hour, we ripe and ripe.
And then, from hour to hour, we ripe and rot.
And thereby hangs a tale.

And in the “Taming of the Shrew,” act iv, scene 1:

Grumio. First, know, my horse is tired; my master and mistress have fallen out.

Curtis. How?

Grumio. Out of their saddles into the dirt. And thereby hangs a tale.