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in the porridge… pot； but the porridge was all gone。
〃SOMEBODY HAS BEEN AT MY PORRIDGE； AND HAS EATEN
IT ALL UP！〃 said the Little Small Wee Bear； in his little； small； wee voice。
Upon this； the Three Bears； seeing that someone had entered their
house； and eaten up the Little Small Wee Bear's breakfast； began to look
about them。 Now Goldilocks had not put the hard cushion straight when
she rose from the chair of the Great Huge Bear。
〃SOMEBODY HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR！〃 said the Great
Huge Bear； in his great； rough； gruff voice。
And Goldilocks had crushed down the soft cushion of the Middle…
sized Bear。
〃SOMEBODY HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR！〃 said the
Middle…sized Bear； in his middle…sized voice。
And you know what Goldilocks had done to the third chair。
〃SOMEBODY HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR AND HAS SAT
THE BOTTOM OUT OF IT！〃 said the Little Small Wee Bear； in his little；
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small； wee voice。
Then the Three Bears thought it necessary that they should make
further search； so they went upstairs into their bed…chamber。 Now
Goldilocks had pulled the pillow of the Great Huge Bear out of its place。
〃SOMEBODY HAS BEEN LYING IN MY BED！〃 said the Great
Huge Bear； in his great； rough； gruff voice。
And Goldilocks had pulled the bolster of the Middle…sized Bear out of
its place。
〃SOMEBODY HAS BEEN LYING IN MY BED！〃 said the Middle…
sized Bear； in his middle…sized voice。
And when the Little Small Wee Bear came to look at his bed； there
was the bolster in its place； and the pillow in its place upon the bolster；
and upon the pillow was the shining； yellow hair of little Goldilocks！
〃SOMEBODY HAS BEEN LYING IN MY BED； AND HERE SHE
IS！〃 said the Little Small Wee Bear； in his little； small； wee voice。
Goldilocks had heard in her sleep the great； rough； gruff voice of the
Great Huge Bear； but she was so fast asleep that it was no more to her than
the roaring of wind or the rumbling of thunder。 And she had heard the
middle…sized voice of the Middle…sized Bear； but it was only as if she had
heard someone speaking in a dream。 But when she heard the little； small；
wee voice of the Little Small Wee Bear； it was so sharp； and so shrill； that
it awakened her at once。 Up she started； and when she saw the Three Bears
on one side of the bed； she tumbled herself out at the other； and ran to the
window。 Now the window was open； because the Bears； like good； tidy
Bears as they were； always opened their bed…chamber window when they
got up in the morning。
Out little Goldilocks jumped； and ran away home to her mother； as fast
as ever she could。
THE OLD WOMAN AND HER PIG＇1＇
＇1＇ Adapted from Joseph Jacobs's English Fairy Tales （David Nutt； 57…
59 Long Acre； W。C。 6s。）。
It happened one day that as an old woman was sweeping her house
she found a little crooked sixpence。 〃What；〃 said she； 〃shall I do with this
little sixpence？ I will go to market； and buy a little pig。〃
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On the way home she came to a stile； but the piggy wouldn't go over
the stile。
So she left the piggy and went on a little further； till she met a dog。 She
said to him； 〃Dog； dog； bite pig； piggy won't go over the stile； and I sha'n't
get home to…night。〃 But the dog wouldn't bite piggy。
A little further on she met a stick。 So she said： 〃Stick！ stick！ beat dog！
dog won't bite pig； piggy won't go over the stile； and I sha'n't get home to…
night。〃 But the stick wouldn't beat the dog。
A little further on she met a fire。 So she said： 〃Fire！ fire！ burn stick！
stick won't beat dog； dog won't bite pig； piggy won't get over the stile； and
I sha'n't get home to…night。〃 But the fire wouldn't burn the stick。
A little further on she met some water。 So she said： 〃Water！ water！
quench fire； fire won't burn stick； stick won't beat dog； dog won't bite pig；
piggy won't get over the stile； and I sha'n't get home to…night。〃 But the
water wouldn't quench the fire。
A little further on she met an ox。 So she said： 〃Ox！ ox！ drink water；
water won't quench fire； fire won't burn stick； stick won't beat dog； dog
won't bite pig； piggy won't get over the stile； and I sha'n't get home to…
night。〃 But the ox wouldn't drink the water。
A little further on she met a butcher。 So she said： 〃Butcher！ butcher！
kill ox； ox won't drink water； water won't quench fire； fire won't burn stick；
stick won't beat dog； dog won't bite pig； piggy won't get over the stile； and
I sha'n't get home to…night。〃 But the butcher wouldn't kill the ox。
A little further on she met a rope。 So she said： 〃Rope！ rope！ hang
butcher； butcher won't kill ox； ox won't drink water； water won't quench
fire； fire won't burn stick； stick won't beat dog； dog won't bite pig； piggy
won't get over the stile； and I sha'n't get home to… night。〃 But the rope
wouldn't hang the butcher。
A little further on she met a rat。 So she said： 〃Rat！ rat！ gnaw rope； rope
won't hang butcher； butcher won't kill ox； ox won't drink water； water
won't quench fire； fire won't burn stick； stick won't beat dog； dog won't
bite pig； piggy won't get over the stile； and I sha'n't get home to… night。〃
But the rat wouldn't gnaw the rope。
A little further on she met a cat。 So she said： 〃Cat！ cat！ kill rat； rat
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won't gnaw rope； rope won't hang butcher； butcher won't kill ox； ox won't
drink water； water won't quench fire； fire won't burn stick； stick won't beat
dog； dog won't bite pig； piggy won't get over the stile； and I sha'n't get
home to…night。〃 But the cat said to her； 〃If you will go to yonder cow； and
fetch me a saucer of milk； I will kill the rat。〃 So away went the old woman
to the cow。
But the cow refused to give the milk unless the old woman first gave
her a handful of hay。 So away went the old woman to the haystack； and
she brought the hay to the cow。
When the cow had eaten the hay； she gave the old woman the milk；
and away she went with it in a saucer to the cat。
As soon as it had lapped up the milk； the cat began to kill the rat； the
rat began to gnaw the rope； the rope began to hang the butcher； the butcher
began to kill the ox； the ox began to drink the water； the water began to
quench the fire； the fire began to burn the stick； the stick began to beat the
dog； the dog began to bite the pig； the little pig in a fright jumped over the
stile； and so the old woman did get home that night。
The briefest examination of these three stories reveals the fact that
one attribute beyond dispute in each。 Something happens； all the time。
Every step in each story is an event。 There is no time spent in explanation；
description； or telling how people felt； the stories tell what people did； and
what they said。 And the events are the links of a sequence of the closest
kind； in point of time and of cause they follow as immediately as it is
possible for events to follow。 There are no gaps； and no complications of
plot requiring a return on the road。
A second common characteristic appears on briefest examination。 As
you run over the little stories you will see that each event presents a
distinct picture to the imagination； and that these pictures are made out of
very simple elements。 The elements are either familiar to the child or
analogous to familiar ones。 Each object and happening is very like
everyday； yet touched with a subtle difference； rich in mystery。 For
example； the details of the pictures in the Goldilocks story are parts of
everyday life；house； chairs； beds； and so on； but they are the house；
chairs； and beds of three bears； that is the touch of marvel which
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