THE THREE BEARS
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pa-pa down-stairs por-ridge Sil-ver-locks
rough squeak-y up-stairs screamed
1. Three bears once lived by themselves in a little house in the forest. They were the huge Papa Bear, the big Mamma Bear, and the little Tiny Cub. Their house had two rooms—a big room downstairs to live in, and a small room upstairs to sleep in.
2. Each of the bears had a bowl and a spoon, a chair to sit on, and a bed to sleep in—all just the right size for each bear.
3. A wood-cutter lived, near the edge of the forest, with his wife and his little girl. Her hair was so fair that she was called Silver-locks. She often went into the forest with her father. Sometimes she went for a walk all alone.
4. One day little Silver-locks came to the bears' house. She was a very rude little girl, I fear. First she peeped in at the window, but she saw no one, as the three bears had gone out for a walk. Then she opened the door and walked in.
5. On the table stood three bowls full of porridge, which the bears had left there to cool, so as to be ready when they came back.
6. Silver-locks first tasted the big bowl, but the porridge was too salt. Then she tasted the middle bowl, but the porridge was not salt enough. Then she tasted the little bowl, and the porridge was so good that she ate it all up.
THE LITTLE BEAR'S PORRIDGE BOWL
7. Then she noticed the three chairs. She tried to sit in the big chair, but it was far too hard. She tried the middle chair, but it was far too soft.
Then she tried the little chair, but when she sat down in it the bottom fell out.
8. After this Silver-locks went upstairs to the bears' bedroom, and saw their three beds. She was tired with her walk, and she thought that she would like a short nap.
9. First she went to the big bed, but it was much too high for her. She went to the middle bed, but it was much too low. Then she went to the little bed, and it suited her so well that she fell fast asleep.