Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Once upon a time, in a cozy little cottage at the edge of a deep green forest, there lived three bears. There was a Great Big Papa Bear, a Middle-Sized Mama Bear, and a Tiny Little Baby Bear. Each morning, Mama Bear made warm porridge for breakfast and set it out in three bowls — a great big bowl, a middle-sized bowl, and a tiny little bowl.

One morning, the porridge was much too hot to eat, so the three bears decided to take a walk in the forest while it cooled.

A Curious Visitor

Not long after the bears left, a little girl named Goldilocks came skipping through the forest. She had golden curls and a curious heart, and when she saw the bears' cottage with its door standing open, she peeked inside — and then walked right in!

On the table she saw three bowls of porridge. She was very hungry, so she tasted the porridge in the great big bowl. "This porridge is too hot!" she said. Then she tasted the porridge in the middle-sized bowl. "This porridge is too cold!" she said. Then she tasted the porridge in the tiny little bowl. "Ah, this porridge is just right!" And she ate it all up.

Chairs and Beds

Next, Goldilocks saw three chairs. She sat in the great big chair, but it was too hard. She sat in the middle-sized chair, but it was too soft. Then she sat in the tiny little chair, and it was just right — until, SNAP! — the little chair broke into pieces!

Feeling sleepy, Goldilocks went upstairs, where she found three beds. The great big bed was too hard, and the middle-sized bed was too soft. But the tiny little bed was just right, and soon Goldilocks was fast asleep.

The Bears Come Home

Before long, the three bears came home from their walk, hungry for breakfast. "Someone has been eating my porridge!" growled Papa Bear in his great big voice. "Someone has been eating my porridge!" said Mama Bear in her middle-sized voice. "Someone has been eating my porridge, and they ate it all up!" cried Baby Bear in his tiny little voice.

Then they saw their chairs. "Someone has been sitting in my chair!" said Papa Bear. "Someone has been sitting in my chair!" said Mama Bear. "Someone has been sitting in my chair, and they've broken it all to pieces!" cried Baby Bear.

Worried now, the three bears climbed the stairs. "Someone has been lying in my bed!" said Papa Bear. "Someone has been lying in my bed!" said Mama Bear. And then Baby Bear cried, "Someone has been lying in my bed — and here she is!"

Goldilocks Runs Home

Just then, Goldilocks woke up and saw the three bears standing over her. She was so frightened that she jumped out of bed, ran down the stairs, out the door, and all the way home through the forest as fast as her legs could carry her. And she never went back to the little cottage in the woods again.

Lesson: It's important to be respectful of other people's things, and to remember that our actions can affect others — even when no one seems to be watching.

Attribution: Adapted from the traditional English folk tale, first recorded in print by Robert Southey (1837) and Joseph Cundall (1850) — public domain.