First she tasted the porridge of the Great Big Bear, and that was too hot for her.  Next she tasted the porridge of the Middle-sized Bear, but that was too cold for her.  And then she went to the porridge of the Little Wee Bear, and tasted it, and that was neither too hot nor too cold, but just right, and she liked it so well that she ate it all up, every bit!

Then Goldilocks, who was tired, for she had been catching butterflies instead of running on her errand, sate down in the chair of the Great Big Bear, but that was too hard for her.  And then she sate down in the chair of the Middle-sized Bear, and that was too soft for her.  But when she sat down in the chair of the Little Wee Bear, that was neither too hard nor too soft, but just right.  So she seated herself in it, and there she sate till the bottom of the chair came out, and down she came, plump upon the ground; and that made her very cross, for she was a bad-tempered little girl.

Now, being determined to rest, Goldilocks went upstairs into the bedchamber in which the Three Bears slept.  And first she lay down upon the bed of the Great Big Bear, but that was too high at the head for her.  And next she lay down upon the bed of the Middle-sized Bear, and that was too high at the foot for her.  And then she lay down upon the bed of the Little Wee Bear, and that was neither too high at the head nor at the foot, but just right.  So she covered herself up comfortably, and lay there till she fell fast asleep.

By this time the Three Bears thought their porridge would be cool enough for them to eat it properly; so they came home to breakfast.  Now careless Goldilocks had left the spoon of the Great Big Bear standing in his porridge.

“Somebodyhas been at my porridge!”

said the Great Big Bear in his great, rough, gruff voice.

Then the Middle-sized Bear looked at his porridge and saw the spoon was standing in it too.

“Somebodyhas been at my porridge!”

said the Middle-sized Bear in his middle-sized voice.

Then the Little Wee Bear looked at his, and there was the spoon in the porridge-bowl, but the porridge was all gone!

      “Somebodyhas been at my porridge, and has eaten it all up!”

said the Little Wee Bear in his little wee voice.

Upon this the Three Bears, seeing that some one had entered their house, and eaten up the Little Wee Bear’s breakfast, began to look about them.  Now the careless Goldilocks had not put the hard cushion straight when she rose from the chair of the Great Big Bear.

“Somebodyhas been sitting in my chair!”

said the Great Big Bear in his great, rough, gruff voice.

And the careless Goldilocks had squatted down the soft cushion of the Middle-sized Bear.