Scrapefoot
by Unknown · from Tales of Laughter: A third fairy book
Adapted Version
In a big, green forest lived three bears. There was a Big Bear. There was a Middle Bear. There was a Little Bear. They lived in a nice castle.
A fox lived in the forest too. His name was Scrapefoot. He was scared of the bears. But he was very curious about them.
One day, Scrapefoot found the castle. The bears were not home. The door was open. He walked inside very quietly.
Scrapefoot saw three chairs. A big chair. A middle chair. A little chair. He sat in the big chair. It was too hard. He sat in the middle chair. It was too bumpy. He sat in the little chair. It was just right! But then it broke. Oh no!
Scrapefoot saw three bowls of milk. A big bowl. A middle bowl. A little bowl. He tasted the big bowl. It was too sour. He tasted the middle bowl. It was not nice. He tasted the little bowl. It was just right! He drank it all up.
Scrapefoot went upstairs. He saw three beds. A big bed. A middle bed. A little bed. He tried the big bed. It was too hard. He tried the middle bed. It was too lumpy. He tried the little bed. It was just right! He fell fast asleep.
Then the bears came home. They looked at their chairs. The Big Bear said, "Who sat here?" The Middle Bear said, "Who sat here?" The Little Bear cried, "Who broke my chair?"
They looked at their milk. The Big Bear said, "Who drank milk?" The Middle Bear said, "Who drank milk?" The Little Bear cried, "Who drank my milk?"
The bears went upstairs. They looked at their beds. The Big Bear said, "Who slept in bed?" The Middle Bear said, "Who slept in bed?" The Little Bear cried, "Look! He is here!"
Scrapefoot woke up. He saw three bears. He was very, very scared. "Go away, fox!" said the Big Bear. Scrapefoot jumped out of bed.
Scrapefoot ran home very fast. He was so scared. He learned a big lesson. He never went to the castle again. Stay in your own home.
Original Story
Scrapefoot
Once upon a time, there were three bears who lived in a castle in a great wood. One of them was a great big bear, and one was a middling bear, and one was a little bear. And in the same wood there was a fox who lived all alone. His name was Scrapefoot. Scrapefoot was very much afraid of the bears, but for all that he wanted very much to know about them. And one day as he went through the wood he found himself near the bears’ castle, and he wondered whether he could get into the castle. He looked all about him everywhere, and he could not see any one. So he came on very quietly, till at last he came up to the door of the castle, and he tried whether he could open it. Yes! the door was not locked, and he opened it just a little way, and put his nose in and looked, and he could not see any one. So then he opened it a little way farther, and put one paw in, and then another paw, and another, and another, and then he was all in the bears’ castle. He found he was in a great hall with three chairs in it—one big, one middling, and one little chair; and he thought he would like to sit down and rest and look about him; so he sat down on the big chair. But he found it so hard and uncomfortable that it made his bones ache, and he jumped down at once and got into the middling chair, and he turned round and round in it, but he couldn’t make himself comfortable. So then he went to the little chair and sat down in it, and it was so soft and warm and comfortable that Scrapefoot was quite happy; but all at once it broke to pieces under him and he couldn’t put it together again! So he got up and began to look about him again, and on one table he saw three saucers, of which one was very big, one was middling, and one was quite a little saucer. Scrapefoot was very thirsty, and 234he began to drink out of the big saucer. But he only just tasted the milk in the big saucer, which was so sour and so horrid that he would not taste another drop of it. Then he tried the middling saucer, and he drank a little of that. He tried two or three mouthfuls, but it was not nice, and then he left it and went to the little saucer, and the milk in the little saucer was so sweet and so nice that he went on drinking it till it was all gone.
Then Scrapefoot thought he would like to go up-stairs; and he listened and he could not hear any one. So up-stairs he went, and he found a great room with three beds in it; one was a big bed, and one was a middling bed, and one was a little white bed; and he climbed up into the big bed, but it was so hard and lumpy and uncomfortable that he jumped down again at once, and tried the middling bed. That was rather better, but he could not lie comfortably in it, so after turning about a little while he got up and went to the little bed; and that was so soft and so warm and so nice that he fell fast asleep at once.
And after a time the bears came home, and when they got into the hall the big bear went to his chair and said: “WHO’S BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR?” and the middling bear said: “WHO’S BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR?” and the little bear said: “Who’s been sitting in my chair and has broken it all to pieces?” And then they went to have their milk, and the big bear said: “WHO’S BEEN DRINKING MY MILK?” and the middling bear said: “WHO’S BEEN DRINKING MY MILK?” and the little bear said: “Who’s been drinking my milk and has drunk it all up?” Then they went up-stairs and into the bedroom, and the big bear said: “WHO’S BEEN SLEEPING IN MY BED?” and the middling bear said: “WHO’S BEEN SLEEPING IN MY BED?” and the little bear said: “Who’s been sleeping in my bed?—and see, here he is!” So then the bears came and wondered what they should do with him; and the big bear said: “Let’s hang him!” and then the middling bear said: “Let’s drown him!” and then the little bear said: “Let’s throw him out of the 235window.” And then the bears took him to the window, and the big bear took two legs on one side and the middling bear took two legs on the other side, and they swung him backward and forward, backward and forward, and out of the window. Poor Scrapefoot was so frightened, and he thought every bone in his body must be broken. But he got up and first shook one leg—no, that was not broken; and then another, and that was not broken; and another and another, and then he wagged his tail and found there were no bones broken. So then he galloped off home as fast as he could go, and never went near the bears’ castle again.
Story DNA
Moral
Uninvited curiosity and trespassing can lead to dangerous consequences.
Plot Summary
A curious fox named Scrapefoot, despite his fear, sneaks into the unlocked castle of three bears while they are away. He proceeds to try their chairs, breaking the smallest; drinks all the milk from the smallest saucer; and falls asleep in the smallest bed. Upon their return, the bears discover the disturbances and find Scrapefoot. They decide to throw him out the window, and Scrapefoot, unharmed, flees home, vowing never to return to the castle.
Themes
Emotional Arc
curiosity to fear to relief
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This is an early variant of the 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears' story, with a fox as the intruder instead of a girl. It predates the more widely known version.
Plot Beats (13)
- Three bears (big, middling, little) live in a castle in the woods.
- A fox named Scrapefoot is afraid of the bears but curious about their castle.
- Scrapefoot finds the castle door unlocked and sneaks inside when the bears are out.
- He tries the three chairs, finding the big and middling uncomfortable, and breaking the little one.
- He tastes the milk from the three saucers, disliking the big and middling, and drinking all of the little bear's milk.
- He goes upstairs and tries the three beds, finding the big and middling uncomfortable, and falling asleep in the little bear's bed.
- The three bears return home and discover someone has been sitting in their chairs, with the little bear's chair broken.
- They then discover someone has been drinking their milk, with the little bear's milk all gone.
- They go upstairs and find someone has been sleeping in their beds, with Scrapefoot still in the little bear's bed.
- The bears decide to throw Scrapefoot out the window.
- The big and middling bears swing Scrapefoot back and forth before tossing him out.
- Scrapefoot lands, checks himself for broken bones, and finds none.
- Scrapefoot gallops home as fast as he can, vowing never to go near the bears' castle again.
Characters
Scrapefoot
A lean, agile fox of typical size, with a lithe build suitable for sneaking and quick escapes. His fur is a rich reddish-brown, and he has a bushy tail. His paws are nimble, allowing him to open doors and navigate silently.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To satisfy his curiosity about the bears and their castle, despite his inherent fear.
Flaw: His timidity and fear, which lead him to panic and flee when confronted.
Begins as a curious but fearful fox, ventures into the unknown, experiences the consequences of his intrusion, and learns to respect boundaries, resolving never to repeat his mistake.
Curious, timid, adventurous (despite his fear), easily frightened, and somewhat mischievous. He is driven by a desire to explore the unknown.
The Great Big Bear
An enormous brown bear, significantly larger than the other two, with broad shoulders and a powerful build. His fur is thick and shaggy, a deep, dark brown.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To maintain order and security in his home, and to punish intruders.
Flaw: His quick temper and tendency towards harsh judgment.
Remains consistent, acting as the stern, punishing figure for the intrusion.
Authoritative, easily angered, possessive, and decisive. He is the leader of the bear family.
The Middling Bear
A medium-sized brown bear, noticeably smaller than the Great Big Bear but larger than the Little Bear. His build is sturdy and well-proportioned, with rich brown fur.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To protect his home and property from intruders.
Flaw: Follows the lead of the Great Big Bear, lacking independent initiative in punishment.
Remains consistent, acting as a supportive figure in the family's reaction to the intrusion.
Observant, somewhat less aggressive than the Great Big Bear but still firm, and protective of his belongings. He is a follower of the Great Big Bear's lead.
The Little Bear
A small, endearing brown bear, the smallest of the three, with soft, lighter brown fur. His build is still sturdy but with a youthful roundness.
Attire: None, as he is an animal.
Wants: To enjoy his comfortable home and belongings, and to express his distress when they are disturbed.
Flaw: His small size makes him vulnerable, and his sensitivity leads to strong emotional reactions.
Remains consistent, acting as the most directly affected and vocal victim of the intrusion.
Sensitive, easily upset, possessive of his belongings, and observant. He is the one who discovers the intruder.
Locations
The Great Wood
A dense, ancient forest surrounding the bears' castle, where Scrapefoot lives alone and ventures towards the castle.
Mood: Mysterious, slightly foreboding due to Scrapefoot's fear, but also inviting for exploration.
Scrapefoot's initial approach to the castle, driven by curiosity and fear.
Castle Great Hall
A large, open room inside a medieval castle, featuring three chairs of varying sizes and a table with three saucers. The architecture suggests a European medieval style.
Mood: Initially quiet and inviting, then tense as Scrapefoot causes mischief, and finally chaotic upon the bears' return.
Scrapefoot's first entry into the castle, where he tries the chairs and drinks the milk, breaking the little chair.
Castle Bedroom
A large room upstairs in the castle, containing three beds of different sizes. The room has a window overlooking the outside.
Mood: Peaceful and comfortable for Scrapefoot initially, then becomes a scene of discovery and panic for both Scrapefoot and the bears.
Scrapefoot falls asleep in the little bed, and is discovered by the bears, leading to his expulsion from the window.