CHILDREN'S CORNER.

Evening Star, Issue 12883, 4 August 1906, Page 12

CHILDREN'S CORNER.

THE THREE BEARS;

[By Hans Andersen.]

Onco upon a time there were-three heart, who lived;in a wood together. The first was a great big- bear; the second, of mid; dling size; the third, a tiny, wee, little bear, with tiny, wee red eyes. . The three bears had a house in the wood, all to themselves. In the kitchen were a table and three chairs. The first was a great big chair; : the second, of. middling size;, the third, a tiny, wee little chair. Upstairs in the bedroom were three beds.. The first was a great big bed;. the second, of middling size: the third, a tiny, wee -little bed. "'-'. \ ;;'■;/■ ,

One morning .Mrs Bear boiled the milk and honey for hreakfast, and' poured it into their basins to cool. Tbc first-was.a great big basin; the of middling size; the third, a tiny, wee. little basin. Then they all? went out for a : .walk in. the wood while the .breakfast was getting cool. Now, while the three bears were out a little girl named Goldilocks came, by that way. She had come out into the wood very early in the morning, and had lost her way, and was very tired and hungry. Seeing the door open, she went into tho kitchen, and saw the three chairs, and the breakfast cooling on the table. ( "How nice!" said Goldilocks to herself. "Here's some breakfast, and ; nobody to eat it. It will do nicely for me." So she tasted the breakfast in all the basins, and sat down in the big bear's chair.' But it was too large and high. Then she tried the middlmg-sized chair, and that was too high. So at last she got into the little bear's chair, and that was just right, though it cracked under her; and she sat there, and soon ate up all tho little bear's breakfast.

When she had finished the breakfast she began to feel very sleepy. So she went upstairs, and tried all the beds. But the big bear's bed was too hard; so she tried the middling-sized bed, and that was too hard. So at last she got into the little bear's bed, and that was just right, and she went fast asleep. As soon as she was asleep the three bears came home. Directly they got into the kitchen the'great big bear "said, in a great big voice : ■ " Who's been sitting in my chair f Thju the middling-sized bear said, in a middling-sized voice: "Who's been sitting in my chair?" And the little bear cried out, in a tiny, wee little voice:

"Who's been sitting in my chair? And oh, look, it is broken !"

Then the great big bear said, in a great big voice :

"Who's been■ tasting my breakfast?" And the middling-sized bear said, in a middling-.'i/ed voice: "Who's been tasting my breakfast?" . And the little bear shrieked out, in his tiny, wee little voice: '" Who's been tasting my breakfast, and eaten it all up, all up, all up?" So all the three bears rushed upstairs. When they got into the bedroom the great big bear said, in a great big voice: been lying on my bed?" And the middling-sized bear said, in a middling-sized voice: "Who's been lying on my bed?" And the little bear shrieked out, in a tiny, wee little voice: ,r Who's been lying on my bed? And oh, here she is! here she is!" At the noise Goldilocks woke up in a fright, jumped clean out of the window, and ran away home through the wood, and was never heard of by the three bears any more. INWOODENLAND. Oh, you obstinate cattle, why won't ycra go straight? The sun it is setting—the hour it is late. We are cpyite half-a-yard from bur box/ I should say, And if darkness' comes on you'll be certain to stray. You, Stifflegs, you're worse than, the others, by far; You know that you oughtn't to be where you arc! By standing,,-stock still, you ridiculous dunce, ... You are hindering others, so move, on at fence. Ei, Speckles!—ho, Blackie! I wish you to know That when I say " Gee-up!" vour duty's to GO. Don't think for an hour ere the next step you take; You are surely asleep now—l want you awake. I am tired, I can tell you, of driving a herd Who will not obey when I give them the word. If I get you safe home—l have said so before— You shan't—till the next time —come out any more! —'lnfants' Magazine.'