The Story of the Three Bears

The Story of the Three Bears is a familiar nursery tale about three bears who live together in a house in the wood. Their peaceful routine is interrupted when a little old Woman enters their home while they are away. Without permission, she tastes their porridge, tries their chairs and lies in their beds.

Although the woman finds something to complain about at almost every turn, she eventually discovers that the three bears have returned. Each bear notices that something in the house has been disturbed, and their discovery leads them upstairs to an unexpected visitor.

The story is particularly memorable for its repeated descriptions of things being too hot, too cold, too hard, too soft or just right. Its simple structure, repetition and gradual build-up of suspense make it an engaging tale for young readers. However, the original version collected in Joseph Jacobs’ English Fairy Tales features a little old Woman rather than the familiar golden-haired child found in later adaptations.

The Three Bears and Their Woodland Home

Once upon a time, three bears lived together in a house of their own in the middle of a wood. They were not all the same size. One was a Little, Small, Wee Bear, another was a Middle-sized Bear, and the third was a Great, Huge Bear.

Each bear had belongings suited to its size. They owned three pots for their porridge: a little pot for the Little, Small, Wee Bear, a middle-sized pot for the Middle Bear and a great pot for the Great, Huge Bear.

Their chairs were arranged in the same way. The Little, Small, Wee Bear had a little chair, the Middle Bear had a middle-sized chair, and the Great, Huge Bear had a great chair.

Their sleeping arrangements followed the same pattern. Each bear had a bed that matched its size, so there was a little bed, a middle-sized bed and a great bed.

The three bears appeared to have an orderly and comfortable life. Their belongings were arranged according to their individual needs, and each knew which pot, chair and bed belonged to them.

The Bears Leave Their Porridge to Cool

One morning, the three bears prepared their porridge and poured it into their respective pots. However, the food was still too hot to eat immediately.

They decided to take a walk in the wood while their breakfast cooled. This would allow them to return when the porridge was ready to eat without burning their mouths.

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The bears left their house and went into the wood, expecting to find everything as they had left it.

Unfortunately, their absence created an opportunity for an unexpected visitor.

The Little Old Woman Enters the House

While the bears were away, a little old Woman approached their home.

Instead of knocking politely or waiting for someone to answer, she first looked through the window. She then peeped through the keyhole to see whether anybody was inside.

When she discovered that the house appeared empty, she lifted the latch and entered.

The door had not been locked because the bears were good-natured creatures. They did not expect anyone to harm them or take advantage of their absence.

The little old Woman was pleased when she saw the three pots of porridge waiting on the table.

The narrator makes it clear that she was not behaving like a considerate visitor. If she had been a good and honest woman, she would have waited for the bears to return. They might even have invited her to share their breakfast.

Instead, she decided to help herself without asking permission.

The Porridge Tasting

The little old Woman approached the Great, Huge Bear’s pot first.

She tasted the porridge but immediately discovered that it was too hot for her. She complained about it and moved to the next pot.

She then tasted the Middle Bear’s porridge. This time, the food was too cold, and she complained again.

Finally, she tasted the porridge belonging to the Little, Small, Wee Bear.

It was neither too hot nor too cold. It was just right.

She liked it so much that she ate the entire portion.

However, even after finishing the porridge, she found something else to complain about. She was dissatisfied because the little pot had not contained enough food for her.

The three pots had offered her different experiences, but she had taken the entire breakfast belonging to the smallest bear without considering that it was his meal.

The Three Chairs

After finishing the porridge, the little old Woman decided to sit down.

She first tried the Great, Huge Bear’s chair. It was too hard for her, so she got up and moved to the next one.

The Middle Bear’s chair was too soft. She did not like that either.

She then tried the Little, Small, Wee Bear’s chair. It was neither too hard nor too soft. It suited her perfectly, and she settled into it comfortably.

However, the chair was not strong enough to withstand her weight. She remained seated until its bottom came out, sending her tumbling onto the ground.

Instead of recognising that she had damaged someone else’s property, the naughty old Woman complained about the chair.

The little chair had been made for the smallest bear, but the woman had used it without permission and broken it.

The Three Beds

Having finished examining the bears’ belongings downstairs, the little old Woman went upstairs to their bedroom.

She first lay down on the Great, Huge Bear’s bed. However, she found that it was too high at the head.

She moved to the Middle Bear’s bed, but that one was too high at the foot.

Finally, she tried the Little, Small, Wee Bear’s bed.

It was neither too high at the head nor too high at the foot. She found it comfortable and settled herself beneath the covers.

The little old Woman soon fell fast asleep.

By this time, she had eaten another person’s breakfast, damaged a chair and used the bears’ beds without their permission. She had also made herself comfortable in a home that did not belong to her.

The Three Bears Return

While the little old Woman slept upstairs, the three bears returned from their walk.

They believed that their porridge would have cooled sufficiently for breakfast, so they went straight to the table.

However, something immediately caught their attention.

The Great, Huge Bear noticed that the spoon had been left standing in his porridge. He declared in his great, rough, gruff voice that somebody had been eating from his pot.

The Middle Bear examined his own breakfast and discovered that his spoon was standing in the porridge too. He also realised that somebody had disturbed his food.

Then the Little, Small, Wee Bear looked into his pot. His spoon was there, but all his porridge had disappeared.

He announced in his little, small, wee voice that somebody had eaten his entire breakfast.

The bears now understood that an intruder had entered their home.

They decided to investigate.

The Bears Discover Their Broken Chairs

The three bears began looking around the house.

The Great, Huge Bear noticed that the hard cushion of his chair had been moved out of its proper position. He concluded that somebody had been sitting in it.

The Middle Bear examined his chair and discovered that its soft cushion had been squashed down.

He also announced that somebody had sat in his chair.

Finally, the Little, Small, Wee Bear inspected his own chair.

He discovered that its bottom had been broken and was no longer in place.

The little bear was particularly upset because somebody had not only used his chair but had damaged it.

He declared in his little, small, wee voice that somebody had sat in his chair and broken its bottom.

The three bears had now discovered that their breakfast and chairs had been disturbed. However, they had not yet found the person responsible.

The Discovery in the Bedroom

The bears continued their search and went upstairs into their bedroom.

The Great, Huge Bear discovered that the pillow on his bed had been pulled out of its proper position. He announced that somebody had been lying in his bed.

The Middle Bear also found that his bolster had been moved.

He made the same observation about somebody having used his bed.

When the Little, Small, Wee Bear approached his own bed, he found everything in its proper position. His bolster and pillow were where they belonged.

However, something was lying on the pillow.

There, resting on his bed, was the little old Woman’s ugly, dirty head.

The smallest bear immediately announced that somebody had been lying in his bed and that the person was still there.

The mystery of the missing porridge and damaged furniture had finally been solved.

The Little Old Woman Wakes Up

The little old Woman had heard the Great, Huge Bear speaking in his deep, rough voice while she slept.

However, she was so deeply asleep that his words sounded to her like the noise of wind or distant thunder.

She also heard the Middle Bear speaking, but his voice seemed like someone talking in a dream.

The Little, Small, Wee Bear’s voice was different. It was so sharp and shrill that it finally awakened her.

She suddenly opened her eyes and saw the three bears standing on one side of the bed.

Terrified by their presence, she jumped out of the bed on the opposite side and ran towards the window.

The window was open because the bears, who were described as tidy creatures, always opened their bedroom window when they got up in the morning.

The little old Woman climbed through the window and jumped out.

What Happened to the Little Old Woman

The story does not provide one definite account of what happened after the woman escaped through the window.

Instead, the narrator offers three possible outcomes.

She might have broken her neck in the fall. Alternatively, she might have run into the wood and become lost. Another possibility is that she found her way out of the wood but was caught by the constable and sent to the House of Correction for behaving like a vagrant.

The narrator admits that the actual outcome is unknown.

What is certain is that the three bears never saw the little old Woman again.

Their home was left without its unexpected visitor, and the story ends without revealing which of the suggested endings occurred.

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Moral Lessons

The story teaches the importance of respecting other people’s property and personal space. The little old Woman enters the bears’ home without permission, eats their breakfast, damages their chair and uses their beds. Her behaviour shows why people should not assume they can take or use another person’s belongings simply because nobody is watching.

It also encourages consideration for others. The little old Woman repeatedly complains about things that do not suit her, yet she never considers the inconvenience she causes the bears. Her actions remind readers that good manners involve respecting other people’s needs, possessions and homes.

Knowledge Check

1. How many bears lived together in the woodland house?
Three bears lived together: a Little, Small, Wee Bear, a Middle-sized Bear and a Great, Huge Bear.

2. Why did the bears leave their house after preparing breakfast?
They went for a walk in the wood to allow their porridge to cool before eating it.

3. What did the little old Woman discover when she tasted the three portions of porridge?
The Great, Huge Bear’s porridge was too hot, the Middle Bear’s was too cold, and the Little, Small, Wee Bear’s was just right.

4. What happened when the little old Woman sat in the smallest bear’s chair?
She found it comfortable, but the bottom of the chair came out while she was sitting in it.

5. How did the bears discover that someone had entered their house?
They noticed that their porridge, chairs and beds had been disturbed. They eventually found the little old Woman asleep in the Little, Small, Wee Bear’s bed.

6. What happened to the little old Woman at the end of the story?
She escaped through the open bedroom window. The narrator gives three possible outcomes but does not confirm which one happened.

Source

This retelling is based on “The Story of the Three Bears”, included in Joseph Jacobs’ English Fairy Tales (1890).

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