Goldilocks and the Three Bears

A House in the Woods

Once upon a time, three bears lived in a little house in the woods. There was a big Papa Bear, a middle-sized Mama Bear, and a small Baby Bear.

One morning, they made porridge for breakfast. But the porridge was too hot!

"Let us go for a walk while it cools," said Mama Bear. So out they went. Plod, plod, plod.

A Little Girl Comes In

A little girl named Goldilocks was walking in the woods. She saw the bears' house and peeped in the window. Then she knocked. Knock, knock. No one answered, so she went inside. (But she should have waited to be asked!)

On the table were three bowls of porridge.

She tasted the big bowl. "Too hot!" she said.

She tasted the middle bowl. "Too cold!" she said.

She tasted the small bowl. "Mmm — just right!" And she ate it all up.

Too Big, Too Small, Just Right

Goldilocks felt tired. She saw three chairs.

She sat in the big chair. "Too hard!"

She sat in the middle chair. "Too soft!"

She sat in the small chair. "Just right!" But the little chair went crack! and broke.

So Goldilocks went upstairs. She saw three beds.

The big bed was too hard. The middle bed was too soft. But the small bed was just right. Soon she was fast asleep. Z-z-z-z.

The Bears Come Home

Home came the three bears.

"Someone has been eating my porridge," said Papa Bear in his big voice.

"Someone has been eating my porridge," said Mama Bear in her middle voice.

"Someone has been eating my porridge," said Baby Bear, "and they ate it all up!"

They looked at the chairs. "Someone broke my chair!" cried Baby Bear.

Then they went upstairs. And there, in Baby Bear's bed, was Goldilocks!

A Quick Goodbye

Goldilocks woke up and saw the three bears looking at her. Oh no! She jumped out of bed, ran down the stairs, and hurried home as fast as she could.

"I am sorry," she said to herself. "Next time I will ask before I go into someone's house, and before I touch their things."

And she never forgot her manners again.

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The moral: Always ask before using other people's things — and say sorry when you make a mistake.

Want more read-along tales? Try The Lion and the Mouse or The Boy Who Cried Wolf next.