[THE THREE BEARS](#contents)
by Unknown · from Favorite Fairy Tales
Adapted Version
Once upon a time, in a green forest, lived three bears. Papa Bear lived there. Mama Bear lived there. Baby Bear lived there too. They had a house. They had three porridge bowls. They had three chairs. They had three beds.
One day, they made hot porridge. They poured it into bowls. The porridge was very hot. They went for a walk. The porridge could cool down. They walked in the forest.
A girl walked in the forest. Her name was Goldilocks. She saw the bears' house. She was very curious. She opened the door. She went inside the house. No one was home.
Goldilocks saw three porridge bowls. She tasted Papa Bear's porridge. It was too hot! She tasted Mama Bear's porridge. It was too cold! She tasted Baby Bear's porridge. It was just right. She ate all of it.
Goldilocks saw three chairs. She sat in Papa Bear's chair. It was too hard! She sat in Mama Bear's chair. It was too soft! She sat in Baby Bear's chair. It was just right. The small chair broke. It was an accident.
Goldilocks went upstairs. She saw three beds. She lay on Papa Bear's bed. It was too hard! She lay on Mama Bear's bed. It was too soft! She lay on Baby Bear's bed. It was just right. She felt very sleepy. She fell fast asleep.
The three bears came home. They came from their walk. They were hungry. They wanted breakfast.
Papa Bear looked at his bowl. Mama Bear looked at her bowl. Baby Bear looked at his bowl. "Somebody ate my porridge!" he cried. All his porridge was gone. He felt sad.
Papa Bear looked at his chair. Mama Bear looked at her chair. Baby Bear looked at his chair. "Somebody broke my chair!" he cried. His little chair was broken. He was upset.
The three bears went upstairs. They looked at their beds. Papa Bear saw his bed. Mama Bear saw her bed.
Baby Bear looked at his bed. "Somebody is in my bed!" he cried. Goldilocks was sleeping there. She was fast asleep. Her head was on his pillow.
Goldilocks woke up. She saw the three bears. She heard their voices. She was very scared.
Goldilocks jumped out of bed. She jumped out the window. She ran very fast. She ran into the forest. She never came back.
Original Story
THE THREE BEARS
THERE were once three bears who lived together in a little house in the middle of a wood. One of them was a Little, Small, Wee Bear; one was a Middle-Sized Bear; and the other was a Great, Huge Bear.
And they each had a pot to eat their porridge from: a little pot for the Little, Small, Wee Bear; a middle-sized pot for the Middle-Sized Bear; and a great big pot for the Great, Huge Bear.
And they each had a chair to sit on: a little chair for the Little, Small, Wee Bear; a middle-sized chair for the Middle-Sized Bear; and a great big chair for the Great, Huge Bear.
And they each had a bed to sleep in: a little bed for the Little, Small, Wee Bear; a middle-sized bed for the Middle-Sized Bear; and a great big bed for the Great, Huge Bear.
One day they made the porridge for their breakfast, and poured it into their porridge-pots, and then went out in the wood for a walk while the porridge for their breakfast was cooling. And while they were out walking, a little Old Woman came to the house in the wood and peeped inside.
First she peeped through the keyhole; then she peeped through the window. Then she lifted the latch and peeped through the doorway; and, seeing nobody in the house, she walked in. And when she saw the porridge cooling on the table she was very pleased, for she had walked a long way, and was getting hungry.
So first she tasted the porridge of the Great, Huge Bear, but that was too hot. Then she tasted the porridge of the Middle-Sized Bear, but that was too cold. And then she tasted the porridge of the Little, Small, Wee Bear, and that was neither too hot nor too cold, but just right. And she liked it so much that she ate it all up!
Then the little Old Woman sat down in the chair of the Great, Huge Bear, but that was too hard. Then she sat down in the chair of the Middle-Sized Bear, but that was too soft. Then she sat down in the chair of the Little, Small, Wee Bear, and that was neither too hard nor too soft, but just right. And she liked it so much that she sat in it until suddenly the bottom came out, and she fell down plump upon the ground.
Then the little Old Woman went upstairs into the bedroom, where the three Bears slept. And first she lay down on the bed of the Great, Huge Bear, but that was too high at the head for her. Then she lay down on the bed of the Middle-Sized Bear, but that was too high at the foot for her. So then she lay down on the bed of the Little, Small, Wee Bear, and that was neither too high at the head nor too high at the foot, but just right. And she liked it so much that she covered herself up and lay there till she fell fast asleep!
By and by the three Bears came home to breakfast. Now, the little Old Woman had left the spoon of the Great, Huge Bear standing in his porridge pot.
Somebody has been at my porridge!"
said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice.
And when the Middle-Sized Bear looked, she saw that the spoon was standing in her porridge-pot too.
Somebody has been at my porridge!"
said the Middle-Sized Bear in her middle-sized voice.
Then the Little, Small, Wee Bear looked, and there was the spoon in his porridge-pot; but the porridge was all gone.
Somebody has been at my porridge and has eaten it all up!"
said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice.
Then the three Bears began to look about them. Now, the little Old Woman had not put the hard cushion straight after she had sat in the chair of the Great, Huge Bear.
"Somebody has been sitting in my chair!"
said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice.
And the little Old Woman had squashed the soft cushion of the Middle-Sized Bear.
"Somebody has been sitting in my chair!"
said the Middle-Sized Bear, in her middle-sized voice.
And you know what the little Old Woman had done to the third chair.
"Somebody has been sitting in my chair and has sat the bottom out!"
said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice.
Then the three Bears went upstairs into their bedroom. Now, the little Old Woman had pulled the pillow of the Great, Huge Bear out of its place.
"Somebody has been lying in my bed!"
said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice.
And the little Old Woman had pulled the bolster of the Middle-Sized Bear out of its place.
"Somebody has been lying in my bed!"
said the Middle-Sized Bear, in her middle-sized voice.
And when the Little, Small, Wee Bear came to look at his bed, there was the bolster in its place, and the pillow in its place upon the bolster; and upon the pillow was the little Old Woman's head, which was not in its place, for she had no business there at all.
"Somebody has been lying in my bed—and here she is!"
cried the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice.
The little Old Woman had heard in her sleep the great, rough, gruff voice of the Great, Huge Bear, but she was so fast asleep that it seemed to her no more than the roaring of the wind, or the rumbling of thunder. And she had heard the middle-sized voice of the Middle-Sized Bear, but it was only as if she had heard some one speaking in a dream. But when she heard the little, small, wee voice of the Little, Small, Wee Bear, it was so sharp and shrill that it woke her up at once. Up she started, and when she saw the three Bears, on one side of the bed, she tumbled out at the other, jumped out of the window and ran away through the wood to her own home. And the three Bears never saw anything more of her.
Story DNA
Moral
It is wrong to enter someone's home without permission and use their belongings.
Plot Summary
Three bears of varying sizes live in a house in the woods, each possessing size-appropriate belongings. One day, while their porridge cools, they go for a walk, and a curious Old Woman (or Goldilocks) enters their empty home. She proceeds to taste their porridge, try their chairs, and lie in their beds, always preferring the smallest bear's items, eating his porridge, breaking his chair, and falling asleep in his bed. Upon their return, the bears discover the disturbances, culminating in finding the intruder asleep. Startled awake by the smallest bear's cry, she flees the house and is never seen by the bears again.
Themes
Emotional Arc
curiosity to fear
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story has evolved, with the intruder originally being an old woman, later replaced by a girl named Goldilocks. The bears were initially three bachelor bears, later becoming a family.
Plot Beats (13)
- Three bears (Great, Middle, Small) live in a house, each with size-appropriate porridge pots, chairs, and beds.
- They make porridge and go for a walk while it cools.
- A little Old Woman (or Goldilocks) discovers the empty house and enters.
- She tastes the porridge: Great Bear's is too hot, Middle Bear's is too cold, Small Bear's is just right, and she eats it all.
- She tries the chairs: Great Bear's is too hard, Middle Bear's is too soft, Small Bear's is just right, and she breaks it.
- She goes upstairs and tries the beds: Great Bear's is too high, Middle Bear's is too high, Small Bear's is just right, and she falls asleep.
- The three Bears return home for breakfast.
- They notice their porridge has been disturbed, with the Small Bear's entirely eaten.
- They notice their chairs have been disturbed, with the Small Bear's broken.
- They go upstairs and notice their beds have been disturbed.
- The Small Bear discovers the Old Woman (or Goldilocks) asleep in his bed.
- The Old Woman (or Goldilocks) wakes up, hears the bears' voices, and is frightened.
- She jumps out of bed, out the window, and runs away into the woods, never returning.
Characters
Great, Huge Bear
An exceptionally large and robust brown bear, standing significantly taller and wider than the other bears. His fur is thick and shaggy, indicative of his age and size.
Attire: None, as he is a wild animal.
Wants: To maintain his comfortable, orderly home and enjoy his breakfast in peace.
Flaw: His size makes him less agile, and his gruffness might intimidate others.
Remains unchanged, his character serves as a constant in the story.
Gruff, possessive, observant (notices his spoon), easily annoyed when his routine is disturbed.
Middle-Sized Bear
A medium-sized brown bear, noticeably smaller than the Great, Huge Bear but larger than the Little, Small, Wee Bear. Her fur is well-kept and a warm brown.
Attire: None, as she is a wild animal.
Wants: To maintain order and comfort in her home and enjoy her breakfast.
Flaw: Her comfort-seeking nature makes her susceptible to minor disturbances.
Remains unchanged, her character serves as a constant in the story.
Observant, slightly less gruff than the Great Bear, but still possessive of her belongings. Seems more attuned to details (notices her spoon and squashed cushion).
Little, Small, Wee Bear
A very small, young brown bear, the smallest of the three. His fur is soft and light brown, indicating youth.
Attire: None, as he is a wild animal.
Wants: To enjoy his simple comforts and maintain the order of his small world.
Flaw: His small size and vulnerability make him easily overwhelmed by larger disturbances.
Remains unchanged, his character serves as a constant in the story.
Innocent, sensitive (his porridge is eaten, his chair broken), observant, and easily distressed when his belongings are disturbed.
Little Old Woman
A small, elderly woman, likely of a slight build, with the typical signs of age such as wrinkles and possibly a stoop. Her clothing suggests a simple, rural background, consistent with a European fairy tale setting.
Attire: Simple, practical peasant attire typical of 19th-century rural Europe. This would include a long, plain linen or wool dress, possibly an apron over it, and sturdy, low-heeled shoes. Colors would be muted, like browns, greys, or dull blues.
Wants: To satisfy her immediate needs for food, rest, and comfort after a long walk.
Flaw: Her impulsiveness and lack of respect for others' property lead her into trouble.
She experiences a brief period of comfort followed by a rude awakening and a hasty retreat, learning a lesson about trespassing, though her ultimate change is not explicitly stated.
Curious, intrusive, self-serving (eats porridge, sits in chairs, sleeps in bed without permission), somewhat reckless (breaks the chair), easily startled.
Locations
The Bears' Cottage Exterior
A small, sturdy cottage, likely a traditional German Fachwerk house with exposed timber frames and whitewashed infill, nestled deep within a dense wood. It has a simple wooden door with a latch and a small window, possibly with leaded panes. The surrounding wood is thick and green.
Mood: secluded, quaint, inviting yet isolated
Goldilocks approaches and enters the house while the bears are out for a walk.
The Bears' Cottage Living/Dining Room
A cozy, rustic room within the cottage, furnished with three distinct sizes of furniture: a great, huge chair, a middle-sized chair, and a little, small, wee chair, all made of sturdy, simple wood. A table holds three corresponding sizes of porridge pots. The room feels lived-in and orderly before Goldilocks' intrusion.
Mood: cozy, domestic, initially orderly, then disturbed
Goldilocks tastes the porridge and breaks the chairs. The bears discover the disturbance upon their return.
The Bears' Cottage Bedroom
An upstairs bedroom in the cottage, containing three beds of varying sizes: a great, huge bed, a middle-sized bed, and a little, small, wee bed. Each bed has a pillow and bolster. The room is quiet and dim, suitable for sleeping.
Mood: peaceful, private, then startling
Goldilocks falls asleep in the smallest bed. The bears discover her presence, leading to her escape.