English Fairy Tales | Page 7

Christians, St. George, leaving the Government
in the hands of his trusted counsellors, took truce with the world and returned to England,
where, at Coventry, he lived for many years with the Egyptian Princess Sâbia, who bore
him three stalwart sons. So here endeth the tale of St. George of Merrie England, first and
greatest of the Seven Champions.

THE STORY OF THE THREE BEARS
Once upon a time there were three Bears, who lived together in a house of their own, in a
wood. One of them was a Little Wee Bear, and one was a Middle-sized Bear, and the
other was a Great Big Bear. They had each a bowl for their porridge; a little bowl for the
Little Wee Bear; and a middle-sized bowl for the Middle-sized Bear; and a great bowl for

the Great Big Bear. And they had each a chair to sit in; a little chair for the Little Wee
Bear; and a middle-sized chair for the Middle-sized Bear; and a great chair for the Great
Big Bear. And they had each a bed to sleep in; a little bed for the Little Wee Bear; and a
middle-sized bed for the Middle-sized Bear; and a great bed for the Great Big Bear.
One day, after they had made the porridge for their breakfast, and poured it into their
porridge-bowls, they walked out into the wood while the porridge was cooling, that they
might not burn their mouths by beginning too soon, for they were polite, well-brought-up
Bears. And while they were away a little girl called Goldilocks, who lived at the other
side of the wood and had been sent on an errand by her mother, passed by the house, and
looked in at the window. And then she peeped in at the keyhole, for she was not at all a
well-brought-up little girl. Then 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 was she when she saw the porridge on the table. If she had been a
well-brought-up little girl 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
or so, as the manner of Bears is, but for all that very good-natured and hospitable. But she
was an impudent, rude little girl, and so she set about helping herself.
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.
"SOMEBODY HAS 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.
"SOMEBODY