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When Goldilocks sneaks into the three bears' cottage, no one seems to be home. But the bears soon return from their walk... Will they catch that naughty little girl?My First Fairy Tales are a magical introduction to the
well-loved stories that are a key part of every childhood. With fresh and fun
illustrations, these simple re-tellings of classic fairy tales make a perfect
bedtime read for three to six year olds. 
Make sure you collect The Three Billy Goats Gruff and Jack
and the Beanstalk, too!

Goldilocks and the Three Bears Reviews | Toppsta

• ISBN: 9781848956834
• Pub Date: 3rd February 2014
• Publisher: Little Tiger Press Group
• Imprint: Little Tiger Press
• Format: Paperback
• Number of Pages: 32

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About Mara Alperin

When not writing, Mara enjoys reading, hiking, baking cupcakes and playing Ultimate Frisbee. She is based in Richmond, London. My First Fairy Tales are her first books for Little Tiger Press. Kate Pankhurst has an MA in Children's Book Illustration from the University of Central Lancashire and was the highest placed undergraduate in the Macmillan Prize for

More about Mara Alperin

Books by this author

• The Ugly Duckling
• The Three Billy Goats Gruff
• The Three Little Pigs

BOOKS BY Mara Alperin

About Kate Daubney

Kate Daubney lives by the sea in North Devon, England with her partner Roger and her scruffy sidekick, Taz the dog. After graduating with a degree in illustration, she has worked on numerous children's books, using both digital and traditional media to create her colourful and quirky illustrations. When she's not busy illustrating she loves nothing more than

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Books by this illustrator

• Hocus Pocus Diplodocus
• Hocus Pocus Diplodocus: (Turquoise Early Reader)
• I Explore Digging for Dinosaurs

BOOKS BY Kate Daubney

OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES

• Gingerbread Man
• The Ugly Duckling
• Rumpelstiltskin

My First Fairy Tales BOOKS

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Goldilocks and the Three Bears

by

Mara Alperin

,

Kate Daubney

• Pub Date: 3rd February 2014
• Format: Paperback
• ISBN: 9781848956834

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Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Teaching Children Philosophy

+

by Candice Ransom

FILTERS: ethics, grade-1-2, prek-k

Book Module Navigation

Summary »

Guidelines for Philosophical Discussion »

Questions for Philosophical Discussion »

Summary

Looking at this classic tale through a philosophical lens can prompt discussions about selfishness, ownership, and perfectionism.

Goldilocks goes for a walk in the forest and comes upon a house. She enters and helps herself to porridge, sits in the chairs, and sleeps in the beds. Meanwhile, the bears who own the house come home and much to their surprise they discover the outcome of what Goldilocks has done to their porridge, chairs and their beds. Goldilocks wakes with a fright when she sees and hears the bears; she jumps from the bed and runs away as fast as she can.

Read aloud video by Read to My Child

Guidelines for Philosophical Discussion

Goldilocks and the Three Bears by Robert Southey is one of many modern interpretations of one of the most popular fairy tales in the English language. Readers are often relieved to discover that Goldilocks makes a quick escape out of the window, running back into the forest, saving her from what could have otherwise been a devastating conclusion. The moral reasoning of the story is strung between self concern/preservation and transgressive social rule breaking.

Most of the students in the class have probably encountered the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears before. The facilitator of the philosophical discussion can thus ask if anyone has not heard of the story before. The teacher can also request that as Goldilocks and the Three Bears is being read, the students should be listening as if they are the bears themselves.

The theme in the story–how your actions might hurt others–is illustrated through the concept of trespassing (or possibly “breaking and entering”). When Goldilocks hears no answer after knocking on the cottage door, she enters and helps herself to the bears’ porridge, sits in their chairs, and finally falls asleep in the comfiest bed. Goldilocks has made herself right at home; apparently she does not consider whose house she is in and when they will be returning home. The first question set will guide the students in an explorative discussion on the definition of trespassing while asking them to refer to their own experiences.

The second philosophical discussion surrounds the issue of Goldilocks being motivated by selfishness. The common fable repetition of three involves Goldilocks trying three of everything until she finds something that is just right! Goldilocks feels a sense of entitlement to what does not belong to her. Modern terminology such as a “Goldilocks planet” or a “goldilocks economy,” named after the fairytale girl, suggest this driving towards perfect satisfaction. The second question set addresses how the students determine what is “just right”!

After the conclusion of the story and philosophical discussion, the teacher can follow up with optional activities. Such activities include the students pretending to be Goldilocks and writing an apology letter to the Three Bears, or another creative writing project that asks the student to be the author of the story, making it from the perspective of the Three Bears. The third question set offers possible resolutions to Goldilocks and the Three Bears which could serve as tools in the follow up activities.

Questions for Philosophical Discussion

In the story, Goldilocks goes into the house and uses the things in the house without permission.

1. Has anyone ever used something that belonged to you without your permission? How did you feel? Why did you feel this way?
2. Who can give examples of cases when it is okay to use something that belongs to someone without their permission? What makes these situations different?
3. Imagine that everything was owned by one person. Would you need that person’s permission to have a drink of water? Alternatively, what if everything was owned by others, but you didn’t own anything?
4. Why do we own things anyway? For any answer that is given, challenge students to find at least one example that questions that answer.

The story abruptly concludes with Goldilocks running back into the forest.

1. Why did Goldilocks run away?
2. How do you think the bears felt that someone was in their house without their permission?
3. How do the bears feel that Goldilocks ran away with no explanation or apology?
4. What could be another way to end the story?
5. Was Goldilocks sorry or was she just afraid? Can these ever be the same thing?

Original questions and guidelines for philosophical discussion by Joseph LaCoste and Mikala Smith. Edited June 2020 by The Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics.

Find tips for leading a philosophical discussion on our Resources page.

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Module by Joseph LaCoste and Mikala Smith

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About the Prindle Institute

As one of the largest collegiate ethics institutes in the country, the Prindle Institute for Ethics’ uniquely robust national outreach mission serves DePauw students, faculty and staff; academics and scholars throughout the United States and in the international community; life-long learners; and the Greencastle community in a variety of ways. In 2019, the Prindle Institute partrnered with Thomas Wartenberg and became the digital home of his Teaching Children Philosophy discussion guides.

Further Resources

Some of the books on this site may contain characterizations or illustrations that are culturally insensitive or inaccurate. We encourage educators to visit the Association for Library Service to Children’s resource guide for talking to children about issues of race and culture in literature. They also have a guide for navigating tough conversations.  PBS Kids’ set of resources for talking to young children about race and racism might also be useful for educators.

Philosophy often deals with big questions like the existence of a higher power or death. Find tips for leading a philosophical discussion on our resources page.

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Once upon a time there was a daddy bear, a mommy bear and a baby bear cub. It is customary that bears live in dens, but this family settled in a beautiful tree house in the middle of the forest. It was small, but they lived in it very nicely.

As in any family, all the bears were different and used to live according to their own conveniences. Each of them had their own chair in the living room. Papa Bear sat in a wooden rocking chair by the fireplace. Mama bear is in an easy chair by the window. The baby bear had his own little chair next to the toy chest.

At night, all three bears slept in their own beds. Papa Bear had a big bed with a hard mattress. Mama bear loved to sleep in a medium sized bed with lots of soft pillows. The little teddy bear slept in a small crib, which was just right for him in length and breadth.

One morning papa bear cooked porridge for his family for breakfast, poured it into three different bowls, and the bears sat down at the table to have breakfast. Father, mother and son rarely agreed, but after tasting the porridge, they all agreed that it was too hot.

– Maybe we can take a walk while the porridge is getting cold? Dad suggested. We haven't been out with the whole family for a long time.

Mother bear and baby bear thought it was a wonderful idea, and together they went for a walk in the forest.

On the same day, a little girl from a nearby village was walking near their home. For her beautiful golden curls, she was nicknamed Goldilocks.

Surprisingly, Goldilocks did not meet the bears in the forest, although she reached their house shortly after they left. She had never seen such a home before. Goldilocks was a curious girl who loved to explore new places, so she knocked to ask to come in.

She knocked hard and was very surprised when the door swung open. The bears forgot to lock it behind them.

- Hey! Is there anyone at home? Goldilocks called, but only an echo came back.

Without waiting for an answer, Goldilocks decided to wander around the house. The smell of fresh porridge led her to the kitchen, and the girl saw three bowls on the table.

– Porridge! My lovely! - she exclaimed.

During the walk, Goldilocks got so hungry that she completely forgot about decorum. She grabbed a spoon, tasted Papa Bear's porridge without asking, and immediately burned herself.

“Too hot,” Goldilocks said.

She moved over and scooped up some mama bear porridge. Her bowl was much closer to the window, and the porridge had cooled so much that it didn’t even taste like porridge.

“Too cold,” said Goldilocks.

She moved further and tried the baby bear's porridge. And she smiled, deciding that porridge should taste like this.

- That's it! - she said.

Goldilocks ate the baby bear's porridge clean and began to look for a place to rest. She walked into the living room and sat in Papa Bear's rocking chair. It was so hard that it hurt her to sit in it.

“Too hard,” Goldilocks said.

She moved to the mama bear chair. It was so soft that the girl almost drowned in it.

“Too soft,” said Goldilocks.

She didn't manage to get out of the bear's chair right away. And when it did work out, Goldilocks sat down in the little bear's chair, and it fit her.

- That's it! - the girl said happily.

As soon as she leaned back in her chair, it suddenly collapsed right under her. Before Goldilocks looked back, she was on the floor. She had never broken her chair and was very frightened.

“I must have overeaten the porridge,” the girl said.

There were no more comfortable chairs left, and Goldilocks decided to rest on the bed, especially since after a long day of walking she was not averse to taking a nap. The girl went to the bedroom and lay down on the bed of Papa Bear.

“Too hard,” she said.

Goldilocks jumped out of bed and climbed into the mother bear's bed. Like the chair, her bed was so soft that Goldilocks sank into it and barely got out.

“Too soft,” she said.

The only thing left in the bedroom is the baby bear's bed. Goldilocks sat down on her to make sure the bed would support her. Then she climbed under the covers and lay down comfortably.

“That’s the best…” she muttered, yawning, closed her eyes and immediately fell fast asleep.

Soon a family of bears returned from a walk. They rejoiced and rejoiced until they saw that the door of their house was wide open.

- It's strange, I remember, I closed the door, - said the mother bear.

- Looks like we have uninvited guests! growled Papa Bear.

The bears rushed into the house. They first searched the kitchen, but found nothing out of the ordinary except for an empty porridge bowl.

- Someone ate my breakfast! - said the baby bear.

The bears then searched the living room, but found only a broken armchair.

- Someone broke my chair! - the little bear cub sobbed.

Only the bedroom remains. Papa Bear released his claws and headed there, not knowing who he would find there.

- Someone is sleeping in my bed! exclaimed the baby bear. - Yes, it's a girl!

The bears were very surprised that a little girl could make such a mess. They gathered by the bed and looked at her. Goldilocks felt this, woke up and saw bears around her. She screamed so loudly that all three bears covered their ears.

Goldilocks jumped out of the bedroom, ran through the living room, rushed past the kitchen and quickly rushed out the door. The bears chased the girl through the forest for a long time, until they decided that now she certainly would not return to their home.

That's how Goldilocks learned that you can't eat someone else's porridge without asking, sit in someone else's armchairs, sleep in someone else's bed, and go into other people's houses. And she never did that again.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears. English fairy tale

Three bears lived in a beautiful stone house in the forest: Papa Bear - a big big one, Mama Bear - a little smaller, and a little bear cub, Mishutka. Each of them had their own bowl for stew: a small one for Mishutka, a medium one for Bear, and a large one for Papa Bear. At dinner, everyone sat in their own chair: Mishutka - on the smallest one, Mama Bear - on the middle one, and Papa Bear - on the largest one. Everyone had their own bed: Mishutka slept on the smallest one, Mama Bear on the middle one, and Papa Bear on the largest one.

One day Mama Bear cooked delicious stew for dinner and poured it into bowls. But the stew was very hot, you had to wait until it cools down. Therefore, the bears took a basket each and went for a walk in the forest, and at the same time to pick berries.

While the bears were walking, a little girl came out along the forest path to their house. Her name was Goldilocks because she had beautiful golden hair. First she looked through the window, then looked through the keyhole, and finally called:

– Hey, is anyone home?

But, of course, no one answered her. Then she just lifted the latch and pushed the door.

The door was not locked, the bears lived peacefully, did no harm to anyone and did not expect anything bad from anyone. Goldilocks entered the house and looked around. She was very happy to see a large table in the middle of the room, and on it were three bowls of stew.

If Goldilocks had been a well-mannered girl, she would have waited for the bears to return - surely they would have invited her to dine with them. After all, the bears were indeed kind, although, of course, they grumbled at times, like all bears. Nevertheless, they had an agreeable disposition, and they loved guests. But Goldilocks was very tired and hungry. She walked over to the table and tasted the chowder from the biggest bowl, Papa Bear.

– Oh, how hot! - she said. Then she scooped a spoon out of Mama Bear's bowl and grimaced, “Ugh, really cold. Then she saw the smallest bowl, Mishutkina, and tried his stew: - Mmm, but this one is just right.

She liked the stew so much that the girl ate everything to the last drop. After eating, Goldilocks decided to take some rest and climbed onto Papa Bear's chair.

– Oh, how tough! she exclaimed, and moved to Mama Bear's chair. “But it’s too soft here,” she said, and moved to the smallest chair, Mishutkin.

“Oh, this one is just right,” she happily jumped on it. Suddenly the chair collapsed under her, and Goldilocks fell straight to the floor.

However, she was no stranger to falling, she got up, dusted herself off and, looking around, saw a ladder. The girl climbed it and ended up in the bear's bedroom. There were three beds here. Goldilocks immediately climbed the biggest one - Papa Bear.

“Oh, how hard,” she said, jumping on it a little, and lay down on the middle bed - Mama Bear.

– Too soft here.

Finally, she moved onto the smallest bed, Mishutkina: – This one is just right!

Tired Goldilocks settled herself comfortably and fell asleep soundly. In the meantime, the bears walked around the forest and, deciding that their stew had already cooled down, returned home to have lunch and rest.

Papa Bear immediately saw the spoon that Goldilocks had left in his bowl.

– Who ate my stew? he roared in a terrible voice.

Mama Bear came up to the table and also saw a spoon in her bowl.

– Who ate my stew? she growled.

Then Mishutka came running and saw that a spoon had also been left in his bowl, but the stew was gone.

- Someone ate my stew and ate it all! he shouted in his thin voice.

The bears realized that someone had visited their house and left Mishutka without dinner. They began to look around and look around. Papa Bear immediately noticed that his chair had been moved from its usual place.

– Who was sitting in my chair? he roared again.

Mother Bear also saw that her chair was out of place.

– Who was sitting in my chair? she growled.

You already know what happened to the third chair that Goldilocks jumped on.

- Someone was sitting on my chair and broke it! shouted Mishutka in his thin voice.

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