The Magic Porridge Pot

A Hungry Girl in the Woods

Once upon a time, a girl and her mother lived in a little house at the edge of the woods. They were very poor, and one morning there was no food left at all.

"I will go and look for berries," said the girl. She walked deep into the woods, but she could not find a single one. Her tummy rumbled. Grrr.

Then she met a kind old woman. "Why so sad, little one?" asked the woman.

"We have nothing to eat," said the girl.

"Then take this," said the old woman. She gave the girl a small black pot. "It is a magic pot. When you say, Cook, little pot, cook! — it will make sweet porridge. And when you say, Stop, little pot, stop! — it will stop."

Warm Porridge for Everyone

The girl ran home with the pot. "Look, Mother! Cook, little pot, cook!" she said.

At once, the pot began to bubble. Plip, plop, plip. Warm porridge filled it right to the top.

"Stop, little pot, stop!" said the girl. And the pot was still.

The girl and her mother ate until their tummies were full and happy. Every day after that, the little pot made porridge for them. They were never hungry again.

The Boy Who Forgot

One day, the girl went out to play. Her little brother stayed at home. He was hungry, and he had watched her use the pot.

"I know how to do it!" he said. "Cook, little pot, cook!"

The pot began to bubble. Plip, plop, plip. Porridge filled the pot. The boy ate a big bowl. "Yummy!" But the pot kept cooking.

Porridge filled the pot. Then it spilled over the top. "Oh no!" said the boy. He tried to remember the magic words. "Halt, pot! Wait, pot! No more, pot!" But none of them were right.

A River of Porridge

The porridge poured onto the floor. It went out the door. It flowed down the path and into the street, glug, glug, glug. Soon it filled the whole town! People had to climb onto their roofs.

Just then, the girl came running home. She splashed through the porridge and shouted, "Stop, little pot, STOP!"

The pot went still at once. The porridge stopped flowing. Everyone in the town cheered — and then they all sat down with their spoons and ate the porridge up.

After that, the boy always remembered both magic words: how to start AND how to stop. And he never forgot again.

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The moral: Always listen carefully and remember the whole rule, because too much of a good thing can cause trouble.

Want more read-along tales? Try The Little Red Hen or The Gingerbread Man next.