Nursery Songs for September

A Child's Garden of Verses

The Land of Counterpane

N a far-off country, once upon a time, there was a little girl who was called Goldilocks because of her beautiful golden curls.

Goldilocks loved to romp and play. She loved to run into the woods to gather wild flowers, or to chase butterflies through the open fields.

One day she ran here and she ran there, until at last she found herself in a strange and lonely wood. In the wood she saw a snug little house in which three bears lived. But Goldilocks did not know that three bears lived in this house. One was a Great Big Bear, and one was a Middle-sized bear, and one was a Wee Little Bear.

The door of the little house was open; so Goldilocks peeped in and saw that it was quite empty. She stepped inside to look about a bit; no one was home. The three bears had just gone out for a walk. They had left their three bowls of porridge on the table to cool.

The porridge smelled very good, and Goldilocks thought that she would like to taste it. So she tasted the porridge in the great big bowl, which belonged to the Great Big Bear, but she found it too hot.

Then she tasted the porridge in the middle-sized bowl, which belonged to the Middle-sized Bear, but she found it too cold.

Then she tasted the porridge in the wee little bowl, which belonged to the Wee Little Bear. This porridge was just right, and she ate it all.

Goldilocks then looked about the room and saw three chairs. She thought she would try the great big chair, which belonged to the Great Big Bear, but she found it too hard.

She then tried the middle-sized chair, which belonged to the Middle-sized Bear, but she found it too soft.

So she tried the wee little chair, which belonged to the Wee Little Bear, and she found it just right. But when she sat in the wee little chair, she broke it.

By this time Goldilocks was very tired, and she went into another room where she saw three beds. She tried the great big bed, which belonged to the Great Big Bear, but she found it too high at the head for her.

Then she tried the middle-sized bed, which belonged to the Middle-sized Bear, but she found it too high at the foot for her.

She then tried the wee little bed, which belonged to the Wee Little Bear, and she found it just right; so she lay down upon it and fell fast asleep.

While Goldilocks was lying fast asleep, the three bears came home from their walk, and they went quickly to the kitchen to get their porridge.

The Great Big Bear looked into his bowl and said in his great big voice, "Somebody has been tasting my porridge!"

Then the Middle-sized Bear looked into her bowl and said in her middle-sized voice, "Somebody has been tasting my porridge!"

And the Wee Little Bear looked into his bowl and cried in his wee little voice, "Somebody has been tasting my porridge, and has eaten it all up!"

Then they looked at their chairs and the Great Big Bear said, "Somebody has been sitting in my chair!"

And the Middle-sized Bear said, "Somebody has been sitting in my chair!"

And the Wee Little Bear cried, "Somebody has been sitting in my chair and has broken it all to pieces!"

The three bears then went into their bedroom, and the Great Big Bear said, "Somebody has been lying in my bed!"

And the Middle-sized Bear said, "Somebody has been lying in my bed!"

And the Wee Little Bear cried, "Somebody has been lying in my bed, and here she is!"

At that, Goldilocks woke in a fright and jumped out of the nearest window. She ran away as fast as her legs could carry her, and she never went again to the snug little house of the Three Bears.