Once upon a time three bears lived in a nice little house in a great
forest.
There was Father Bear, Mother Bear, and Baby Bear.
They had each a bed to sleep in, a chair to sit on, and a basin and a
spoon for eating porridge, which was their favourite food.
One morning the three bears went to take a walk before breakfast; but
before they went out they poured the hot porridge into their basins,
that it might get cool by the time they came back. Mr and Mrs Bear
walked arm-in-arm, and Baby Bear ran by their side. Now, there lived
in that same forest a sweet little girl who was called Golden Hair.
She, also, was walking that morning in the wood, and happening to
pass by the bear's house, and seeing the window open, she peeped in.
[Illustration: The Three Bears.]
There was no one to be seen, but three basins of steaming hot
porridge all ready to be eaten, seemed to say "Come in and have some
breakfast." So Golden Hair went in and tasted the porridge in all the
basins, then she sat down in Baby Bear's chair, and took up his
spoon, and ate up all his porridge. Now this was very wrong. A tiny
bear is only a tiny bear, still he has the right to keep his own
things. But Golden Hair didn't know any better.
Unluckily, Baby Bear's chair was too small for her, and she broke the
seat and fell through, basin and all.
Then Golden Hair went upstairs, and there she saw three beds all in a
row. Golden Hair lay down on Father Bear's bed first, but that was
too long for her, then she lay down on Mother Bear's bed, and that
was too wide for her, last of all she lay down on Baby Bear's bed,
and there she fell asleep, for she was tired.
By-and-by the bears came home, and Old Father Bear looked at his
chair, and growled:
"Somebody has been here!"
Mother Bear growled more softly:
"Somebody has been here!"
Baby Bear, seeing his chair broken, squeeled out "Somebody has been
here, and broken my chair right through!"
Then they went to the table, and looked at their porridge, and Father
Bear Growled:
"Who has touched my basin?"
And Mother Bear growled:
"Who has touched my basin?"
And Baby Bear squeaked:
"Somebody has broken mine and eaten up all my porridge!"
They went upstairs and Father Bear growled:
"Who has been lying on my bed?"
And Mother Bear growled:
"Who has been lying on my bed?"
And Baby Bear squeaked out:
"O! here is a little girl in my bed; and it must be she who has
eaten my breakfast and broken my chair and basin!"
Then Father Bear growled:
"Let us eat her up!"
Then Mother Bear growled:
"Let us eat her up!"
And Tiny Bear squeaked:
"Let us eat her up!"
But the noise they made awoke Golden Hair; she startled out of bed
(on the opposite side) and jumped out of the window. The three bears
all jumped out after her, but they fell one on the top of the other,
and rolled over and over, and while they were picking themselves up,
little Golden Hair ran home, and they were not able to catch her.