Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Once upon a time, deep in the forest, there lived three bears in a cozy cottage: Papa Bear, Mama Bear, and little Baby Bear. One morning, Mama Bear made hot porridge for breakfast. "It is too hot to eat," she said. "Let us take a walk in the woods while it cools." So off they went, leaving the door open.

A Curious Visitor

Soon, a little girl with golden curls named Goldilocks came skipping through the forest. She saw the cottage and peeked inside. "Hello? Anyone home?" No one answered. Being very curious, she walked right in. On the table were three bowls of porridge. "I'm hungry!" she said, and tasted Papa Bear's bowl. "Too hot!" She tasted Mama Bear's bowl. "Too cold!" She tasted Baby Bear's bowl. "Just right!" And she ate it all up.

Then Goldilocks felt tired. She sat in Papa Bear's big chair. "Too hard!" She sat in Mama Bear's chair. "Too soft!" She sat in Baby Bear's little chair. "Just right!" — but crack! It broke into pieces. Goldilocks ran upstairs to the bedroom. She tried Papa Bear's bed — too hard. Mama Bear's bed — too soft. Baby Bear's bed — just right! She curled up and fell fast asleep.

The Bears Come Home

Just then, the three bears came home. "Someone has been eating my porridge!" growled Papa Bear in his big voice. "Someone has been eating my porridge!" said Mama Bear. "Someone has been eating my porridge — and ate it all up!" cried Baby Bear. They looked at the chairs. "Someone has been sitting in my chair!" they each said, and Baby Bear added, "And broke it to pieces!" Upstairs, they found Goldilocks asleep in Baby Bear's bed.

"Someone is sleeping in my bed!" roared Papa Bear. Goldilocks woke up, saw three bears staring at her, screamed, jumped out of bed, and ran out of the cottage into the forest as fast as she could. She never went into a stranger's house again!

The Bears' Morning Walk

While their porridge cooled, the three bears enjoyed their walk in the woods. Papa Bear pointed out the tall pine trees. Mama Bear picked wildflowers for the table. Little Baby Bear chased butterflies and splashed in the stream, laughing. "Our porridge will be just right when we get back," said Mama Bear. They had no idea that a curious little girl was about to visit their cottage.

The morning was so pleasant that they walked a little farther than usual, all the way to the old oak tree where the bees kept their hive. Baby Bear wanted honey on his porridge, but Papa Bear said, "The bees are busy today. We will ask them another time." Hand in hand, the three bears strolled home through the dappled sunlight, talking about how good their breakfast would taste.

The forest was full of friendly sounds that morning. Squirrels chattered in the branches, a woodpecker tapped a steady rhythm, and the stream sang over the smooth stones. Baby Bear skipped ahead, picking up pine cones for his collection, while Mama Bear breathed in the sweet smell of the wildflowers. It was the perfect start to a perfect day.

Moral of the Story

Always respect other people's homes and things. Never take what is not yours without asking.