Laughlin Brothers: New York

1888

THE THREE BEARS.

 ONCE upon a time, in a thick forest, there lived three bears. One was a great big bear, with a big head, and large paws, and a great voice. The next was a bear of middle size, with a middle-sized head, and a middle-sized body, and a voice quite low for a bear. The third bear was a funny little baby-bear, with a strange little head, a queer little body, wee bits of paws, and an odd little voice between a whine and a squeak.

Now these three bears had a nice home of their own, and in it was everything that they needed. There was a great big chair for the big bear to sit in, a large porridge-pot from which he could eat his meals, and a great bed on which he laid himself to sleep at night.

The middle sized bear had a middle-sized porridge-pot, and a bed and a chair to match. The wee little bear had a cunning little chair, a neat little bed, and a porridge-pot that held just enough to fill his little stomach; and there was even a wee little doll-baby-bear for him to play with! So you see they were very happy, for they had all they wanted, and what more could even bears desire?

There lived near the home of these bears a little child named Goldilocks. She was a pretty child, with bright yellow hair that shone and glittered in the sun like gold, and that is how she came to be called Goldilocks. She was very merry and light hearted, and when she laughed her voice rang out with a clear silvery sound that was pleasant to hear.

One day she ran off into the woods to gather flowers, and spent hours in making pretty wreaths and garlands of the blossoms and leaves she found there.

All at once she came to a queer sort of a house, with bee-hives around it, and other signs of wealth and high-living. Goldilocks looked up at the door-plate, but as she could not read Latin she did not know that Ursa Major meant Great Bear; Ursa Minor, Smaller Bear; and Ursa Minimus, Baby Bear. No, it was the same as Greek to her.

Being a polite little girl, she knocked at the door once — twice — thrice — but nobody came to let her in. Then she knocked again and waited, and listened, and said over and over again: "Anybody at home? Anybody at home? Anybody at home?"

There was no reply, so Goldilocks pushed open the door softly and timidly, and popped right into the bears' house. But the bears were not at home. They were out taking their morning walk and enjoying the fresh air. Papa Bruin was dressed up in fine style, with a high hat and nobby cane, and looked like a real gentleman. Mamma Bruin wore a very becoming bonnet, and a shawl that added much to the gracefulness of her form. But Tiny Cub, in trousers and jacket, broad collar, and a hat with a feather, was a sight to look at; and very proud, indeed, were Mr. and Mrs. Bruin of their promising young cub.

Goldilocks was very much surprised when she came into the bears' room, to see a great porridge-pot, a middle-sized porridge-pot, and a wee little porridge-pot standing in a row.

“Well,” thought she, "some of the people who live here must eat a good deal more than the others. I'm just as hungry as I can be, and I guess I'll eat some of the porridge in this great big pot." She took a taste, and then threw down the spoon with a great scream, for the porridge was hot, and it burnt her mouth. So she stuck the spoon straight up in the big bear's porridge, and wondered how any one could eat such hot stuff. Then she took some of the porridge from the middle-sized pot, but was careful to blow it well before she put it to her lips. The taste did not please her at all, so she stuck the spoon straight up in the porridge, and wondered how any one could eat such cold, clammy stuff

There was only a little porridge-pot left, and Goldilocks tried that. It was just right; and she liked it so well that she ate up every bit there was, and wished for more.

In the meantime she had been looking around for a nice seat on which to sit down, and finish eating the little bear's porridge. She came first to the great big chair, but that was much too hard.

"O dear me! what an uncomfortable chair!" she said, jumping out of it as quickly as possible

She next tried the middle-sized chair, which didn't suit any better; it was much too soft. "If any one likes that kind of a chair," said she, ''let them sit in it — the horrid old thing!"

Then she cast her eyes around the room, and caught sight of a cunning little chair that looked as if it had been made expressly for some one about her own size. So she sat down in that, and liked it so well that she would have sat much longer than she did if the chair hadn't gone to pieces under her. She was more scared than hurt when she picked herself up, and tried her best to put the chair together again; but it was no use.

Presently Goldilocks began to feel tired and sleepy, and looked around to see if there was any room in which she might lie down and rest.

Sure enough she found one, and in it were three beds side by side. One was a great big bed; the next a middle-sized bed; and the third a wee little bed; and they made her think of the three porridge-pots standing in a row.

First she laid down on the great big bed. There was plenty of room in it; but oh! it was as hard as a rock, and the pillow was much too high. So she soon crawled out of that and went and laid down on the middle-sized bed. But, dear me! that was as much too soft as the other was too hard; and Goldilocks was buried so deep in it that she had hard work getting out again.

"If any one likes that kind of a bed," said she, "let them sleep in it — the horrid stuffy thing!" And all the time she was growing so sleepy that she could hardly keep her eyes open.

There was only the wee little bed left, and Goldilocks tried that. It just suited her in every way — was the right height — the right width — not to soft, and not too hard — and she lay for a while wondering who owned such a nice comfortable nest, and if they would be angry at finding her in it; and, would you believe it? for company she took to bed with her the doll-baby-bear that she found on the floor in the kitchen! It was a bare-faced robbery!

If she had had any idea that she was in a bear's house how terrified she would have been! But it never entered her head, and so she dropped off to sleep as sweetly as if in her own bed at home, little thinking of the trouble that was brewing for her.

After the bears had walked about in the woods for some time, little bubby-cub began to grow tired, and cried to go home. Mrs. Bruin couldn't bear to hear him cry, so she urged Papa Bruin to take the cub in his arms and hurry on a little faster.

So the three bears came to their home all out of breath, and as hungry as any bears you ever heard of. The great big bear went to his great big porridge-pot, and as soon as he saw the spoon sticking up straight he gave a loud roar, and growled in his great hoarse voice:

 
"SOMEBODY HAS BEEN AT MY PORRIDGE!"
 

And he swung his great big cane around as if it were a club, and brought it down on the floor with a heavy thump, and with oh! such fierce look in his eyes.

Then Mrs. Bruin went up to her own middle-sized porridge-pot, and knew in a moment that some one had been meddling with it. So she threw up her paws and cried out in a voice, not quite so loud as the great bear's:

 "SOMEBODY HAS BEEN AT MY PORRIDGE!"

And she looked puzzled and vexed, for she was particular about her food, and didn't want any one to touch it.

Then the little bear went to his porridge-pot in a great Hurry, and on finding it empty, cried out with a squeaking voice:

 
"Somebody has been at my porridge, and eaten it all up!
 

Then he stuffed his fore-paws into his eyes, and cried as hard as he could, for he thought it was a mean trick to serve him, just because he happened to be such a tiny little bear.

His papa and mamma were just as angry, and declared that they would punish severely the one who had played the trick, if they could ever catch him.

Presently the big bear went to sit down in his great big arm-chair, and found it was not as he had left it.

Goldilocks had neglected to put the cushion back in its place, and there it was all awry. So the great bear growled out:

 
"SOMEBODY HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR!"
 

The middle-sized bear then went to her chair, and found a great hollow in it where Goldilocks had sat down. So she scowled and growled, though not so loudly as the big bear:

 

"SOMEBODY HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR!"

 

This put the little bear in a fidget, for he knew what to expect. If this strange visitor, he thought, has done so much harm to the other chairs, he has probably broken mine all to pieces, for he seems to treat me worse than the rest, because I am so little

So up jumped the little bear, and saw at a glance what had been done to the dear little chair of which he was so fond:

"Somebody-has-been-sitting-in-my-chair-and-has-sat-the-bottom-out-of-it!" he squeaked with a doleful wail, and then sat plump down on the floor to have his cry out.

Papa Bruin was in a great rage, and wondered who had dared to come into his house without leave. He was determined to find out, and strode off into the bedroom, followed by Mrs. Bruin, and the unhappy Tiny Cub.

Goldilocks had tumbled the big bear's big bolster in trying to make it low enough for her head. He noticed it at once, and roared out:

 
"SOMEBODY HAS BEEN LYING IN MY BED!"
 

Then they went to the middle-sized bed, and that was full of humps and hollows, and looked so untidy that the mother bear scowled and growled — though not so loudly as the big bear:

 

"SOMEBODY HAS BEEN LYING IN MY BED!"

 

Then they passed on to the third bed. The coverlet was in its place, the pillow was there, and on the pillow lay the fair head of little Goldilocks. And she was sound asleep, with the doll-baby-bear beside her!

"Somebody has been lying in my bed," shrieked the little bear "and-here-she-is-lying-still!"

The big bear, the middle-sized hear, and the little bear stood with their mouths wide open, staring with surprise at the pretty child they found there.

The big bear had a tender heart, and felt quite ashamed of himself for having threatened to punish the one who had dared to enter his house.

Mrs. Bruin said: "Poor child! I'd like to give her a hug and a kiss, she looks so sweet and good." And she regretted having made such a fuss over the porridge that had been touched, and the chair that had been sat in.

 

The little bear, however, was in great distress at the way in which he had been treated, and gave a most doleful whine.

Up started the little sleeper, alarmed at the bear's shrill cry; and when she saw the big bear, the middle-sized hear, and the little bear peering at her in a strange way, she was scared nearly out of her wits. She understood now who owned the three porridge-pots — the three chairs — and the three beds — and with a

One, two, three, out goes she!
 

She fell plump on the ground, and had to sit still a few moments to find out where she was. But it seemed as if the woods were full of bears, and so she kept on running as hard as ever she could until she was well out of the forest, and in sight of her own home.

 

O what joy it was to be safe inside her own home! And Goldilocks made up her mind never again to enter any one's house without being invited, and never to make herself quite so much at home as she did in the bears' house.

The three bears stared for some time out of the window from whence Goldilocks took her flight; and though at first they were quite angry with the little girl and ready to eat her up, they soon got over these bad feelings, remembering that it is wise to

 
BEAR AND FORBEAR.
 

And if you'll believe me, that little bear, who had made the biggest fuss, was just as proud as he could be to think that such a pretty girl had eaten his porridge — sat in his chair — and slept in his bed! Why, he actually hugged himself with delight! But as this feeling might not last long, I should advise you not to pry into other people's affairs; and if you go in the woods keep away from the house of

THE THREE BEARS!