One day, after they had made the porridge for their breakfast, and poured it into their porridge-pots, they walked out into the wood while the porridge was cooling, that they might not burn their mouths, by beginning too soon to eat it.  And while they were walking, a little girl named Goldilocks came to the house.  She had never seen the little house before, and it was such a strange little house that she forgot all the things her mother had told her about being polite:  first she looked in at the window, and then she peeped in at the keyhole; and seeing nobody in the house, she lifted the latch.  The door was not fastened, because the Bears were good Bears, who did nobody any harm, and never suspected that anybody would harm them.  So Goldilocks opened the door, and went in; and well pleased she was when she saw the porridge on the table.  If Goldilocks had remembered what her mother had told her, she would have waited till the Bears came home, and then, perhaps, they would have asked her to breakfast; for they were good Bears—­a little rough, as the manner of Bears is, but for all that very good-natured and hospitable.  But Goldilocks forgot, and set about helping herself.

So first she tasted the porridge of the Great Huge Bear, and that was too hot.  And then she tasted the porridge of the Middle-sized Bear, and that was too cold.  And then she went to the porridge of the Little Small Wee Bear, and tasted that:  and that was neither too hot nor too cold, but just right; and she liked it so well, that she ate it all up.

Then Goldilocks sat down in the chair of the Great Huge Bear, and that was too hard for her.  And then she sat down in the chair of the Middle-sized Bear, and that was too soft for her.  And 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.  So she seated herself in it, and there she sat till the bottom of the chair came out, and down she came, plump upon the ground.

Then Goldilocks went upstairs into the bed-chamber in which the Three Bears slept.  And first she lay down upon the bed of the Great Huge 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 Small 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; so they came home to breakfast.  Now Goldilocks had left the spoon of the Great Huge Bear standing in his porridge.

“SOMEBODY HAS BEEN AT MY PORRIDGE!” said the Great Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice.  And when the Middle-sized Bear looked at his, he saw that the spoon was standing in it too.

“SOMEBODY HAS BEEN AT MY PORRIDGE!” said the Middle-sized Bear, in his middle-sized voice.