Who is goldilocks
The Three Bears Before Goldilocks: The History of a Fairy Tale
The story of the Three Bears is a familiar one. A troublesome interloper breaks into the home of three bears. She samples food and breaks furniture before being sent on her way. But, did you know that the housebreaker was originally an old woman, not a little girl named Goldilocks? Or, that the first Three Bears were friends instead of Mama Bear, Papa Bear and Baby Bear?
The Three Bears started as an oral tale and was first written down almost 200 years ago. Over the decades, the story has changed and grown into the tale we know today. Our Osborne Collection of Early Children's Books has materials which reveal the history of The Three Bears story.
Eleanor Mure’s manuscript
Eleanor Mure wrote the first recorded version of The Three Bears story in 1831. Osborne Collection has Mure’s original manuscript, a handmade book created as a gift for her nephew Horace Broke. The story is set at Cecil Lodge, the Mure family estate in Hertfordshire, England.
Mure's The Story of Three Bears (1831) (see digitized book or records for our physical copies) is told in verse and illustrated with original watercolours.
The Three Bears discover their milk has been drunk in The Story of the Three Bears (1831).
Described as “the celebrated nursery tale,” the story was shared orally by Mure’s family long before she set it to paper. In Mure’s telling, the Bears are not a family. They are three friends who “fancy a home amongst the dwellings of men.”
The Old Woman is discovered by the Three Bears in The Story of the Three Bears (1831).
Instead of a little girl, the Bears’ house is invaded by an old woman. Mure’s old woman meets a bad end. As punishment for housebreaking, the Bears try to burn and drown the old woman. When nothing works, they “chuck her aloft on St. Paul’s church-yard steeple.”
The Three Bears celebrate after throwing the old woman atop St. Paul's Cathedral in The Story of the Three Bears (1831).
Robert Southey’s published story
In 1837, English poet Robert Southey released the first printed version of The Three Bears. The story appeared in Southey’s prose anthology The Doctor (1834-47). As with Mure's family, The Three Bears was a popular story among Southey’s family. Southey likely heard The Three Bears from his uncle, William Tyler. Tyler was illiterate, but had a great memory for folktales.
The bears' size difference is illustrated through font in Southey's The Three Bears (1837).
Southey’s story is the first version to discuss the Bears’ size. He introduces the Three Bears as Little, Small, Wee Bear; Middle Bear; and Great, Huge Bear. The story has no illustrations, but the Bears’ size is represented by typography. Great, Huge Bear speaks in large gothic letters. Little, Small, Wee Bear speaks in tiny italics.
Unlike Mure’s telling, the Southey’s bears do not punish the intruding old woman. Instead she makes an escape through an open window.
Southey speculates that she might be “sent to the House of Correction” for vagrancy, or perhaps “she broke her neck in the fall.”
The old woman samples the Bears' porridge. From George Nicol's verse adaptation of The Story of the Three Bears (1837) illustrated by Robert Hart.
Southey’s The Three Bears was an instant hit. Within months publisher George Nicol released his own version of The Story of the Three Bears (1837). Nicol’s story was in verse, but otherwise was a direct retelling of Southey’s version.
A little girl with metallic hair
In early tellings of The Three Bears, the protagonist was an old woman. But, in 1850 Joseph Cundall wrote the first retelling featuring a little girl. Cundall called his character Silver-Hair and justified the switch by saying “there are so many other stories of old women.” Published in A Treasury of Pleasure Books for Young Children (1850), Cundall’s retelling otherwise closely followed Southey’s version of The Three Bears.
The Three Bears watch Silver-Hair sleep in A Treasury of Pleasure Books for Young Children (1850).
Following Cundall’s publication, little girl protagonists named Silver-Hair became a common feature of The Three Bears retellings. The character was sometimes called Silver-Locks, Golden Hair and other variant names.
Goldilocks popularized
The name Goldilocks was first used for the Bears' nemesis in two 1904 fairy tale anthologies. Old Nursery Rhymes and Stories (1904) and Old Fairy Tales for Children (1904) both feature "Little Goldilocks" as The Three Bears' intruder. It is possible that the name Goldilocks was inspired by an entirely different fairy tale. French fairy tale writer Madame d'Aulnoy's story The Beauty with Golden Hair is sometimes translated as The Story of Pretty Goldilocks.
The Three Bears confront Goldilocks in English Fairy Tales (1918).
In the 20th century, Goldilocks became the character's standard name.
Popular fairy tale collections like Flora Annie Steel's English Fairy Tales (1918) used the Goldilocks name. Now the story is sometimes simply titled Goldilocks without any mention of The Three Bears.
Modern variations
The Three Bears continues to be reimagined by writers and illustrators. The Bears have been portrayed as dinosaurs, panda bears, polar bears, rhinos and everything in between.
Goldilocks and the Three Bears: A Tale Moderne (2000) by Steven Guarnaccia combines the classic fairy tale with modernist art and design. In this version, Goldilocks breaks a "pint-sized" mid-century modern chair.
The Ghanaian Goldilocks (2014) by Tamara Pizzoli features Kofi, a little boy nicknamed Goldilocks. Instead of intruding on bears, he sneaks into the house of family friends. Pizzoli's version focuses on the story's moral message about good manners, while also exploring Ghanaian culture and traditions.
#Goldilocks: A Hashtag Cautionary Tale (2019) by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross uses the story to teach internet safety.
Their Goldilocks is an online video star. Her quest for views and likes goes too far when she sneaks into the Bears' home for video content.
Further reading
- The Story of the Three Bears: The Evolution of an International Classic edited by Warren U. Ober (only available to read in-person at the Osborne Collection and Toronto Reference Library)
- The Classic Fairy Tales by Iona and Peter Opie
- The Annotated Classic Fairy Tales edited by Maria Tatar
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
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Picture by Bertie - a retake of the classic illustration by Walter Crane.
Duration 3:15.
Based on the Charming version by the Victorian writer Andrew Lang.
Read by Natasha.
Once upon a time there were three bears, who lived together in a house of their own in a wood. One of them was a little, small wee bear; one was a middle-sized bear, and the other was a great, huge bear.
One day, after they had made porridge for their breakfast, they walked out into the wood while the porridge was cooling. And while they were walking, a little girl came into the house. This little girl had golden curls that tumbled down her back to her waist, and everyone called her by Goldilocks.
Goldilocks went inside. First she tasted the porridge of the great, huge bear, and that was far too hot for her. And then she tasted the porridge of the middle bear, and that was too cold for her. And then she went to the porridge of the little, small wee bear, and tasted that. And that was neither too hot nor too cold, but just right; and she liked it so well, that she ate it all up.
Then Goldilocks went upstairs into the bed chamber and first she lay down upon the bed of the great, huge bear, and then she lay down upon the bed of the middle bear and finally she lay down upon the bed of the little, small wee bear, and that was just right. So she covered herself up comfortably, and lay there until she fell fast asleep.
By this time, the three bears thought their porridge would be cool enough, so they came home to breakfast.
“SOMEBODY HAS BEEN AT MY PORRIDGE!” said the great huge bear, in his great huge voice.
“Somebody has been at my porridge!” said the middle bear, in his middle voice.
Then the little, small wee bear looked at his, and there was the spoon 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.
Then the three bears went upstairs into their bedroom.
“SOMEBODY HAS BEEN LYING IN MY BED!” said the great, huge bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice.
“Somebody has been lying in my bed!” said the middle bear, in his middle voice.
And when the little, small, wee bear came to look at his bed, upon the pillow there was a pool of golden curls, and the angelic face of a little girl snoring away, fast asleep.
“Somebody has been lying in my bed, and here she is!” Said the little, small wee bear, in his little, small wee voice.
Goldilocks jumped off the bed and ran downstairs, out of the door and down the garden path. She ran and she ran until she reached the house of her grandmama. When she told her grandmama about the house of the three bears who lived in the wood, her granny said: “My my, what a wild imagination you have, child!”
(Updated with shorter version September, 13, 2016).
Goldilocks - the heroine of a fairy tale
Goldilocks - the heroine of a fairy tale
Goldilocks. Beauty princess with golden hair.
Goldilocks (Czech fairy tale)
In one country - I forgot its name - there was an evil and grumpy old man who was king. Once a merchant came to his palace, brought fresh fish in a basket and said:
- Buy this fish from me, king, you won't regret it.
The king glanced at the fish:
– I have never seen such a fish in my kingdom. Poisonous, right?
– What are you! - the merchant was frightened.
- Order this fish to fry, eat it, and you will immediately begin to understand the conversation of all animals, fish and birds. Even the smallest bug will squeak something, and you will already know what he wants. You will become the smartest king on earth.
The king liked it. He bought fish from a merchant and, although he was stingy and greedy, he did not even bargain and paid what she asked for. Now, - thought the king and rubbed his bony hands, - I will be the smartest in the world and conquer the whole world. It's like drinking! Now my enemies will cry.
The king called his servant, young Irzhik, and ordered him to fry the fish for dinner.
- But only without cheating! - said the king to Irzhik. “If you eat even one piece of this fish, I will cut off your head.”
Irzhik brought the fish to the kitchen, looked at it and was even more surprised: he had never seen such a fish. Each fish scale glowed with multi-colored fire, like a rainbow. It was a pity to clean and fry such a fish.
But you will not go against the royal order.
Irzhik is frying fish and can't figure out if it's ready or not. The fish does not blush, does not become covered with a crust, but becomes transparent.
Who knows if she's fried or not, Irzhik thought. - Need to try .
Took a piece, chewed and swallowed - as if ready. Chews and hears thin squeaky voices:
- And we have a piece! And we have a piece! W-w-fried fish!
Irzhik looked back. Nobody here. Only flies fly over a dish of fish.
- Yeah! Irik said. Now I'm beginning to understand something about this fish.
He took a dish with fish and put it on the window, in the wind, so that the fish would cool down. And outside the window, geese go through the yard and quietly cackle. Irzhik listened and heard one goose ask:
– Where are we going? Where shall we go? And the other answers:
- To the miller in the barley field! To the miller in the barley field!
- Yeah! - Irzhik said again and grinned.
Now I understand what kind of fish it is. Perhaps one piece is not enough for me.
Irzhik ate the second piece of fish, then beautifully arranged the fish on a silver platter, sprinkled it with parsley and dill, and took the platter to the king.
Since then, Irzhik began to understand everything the animals were talking about. He learned that the life of animals is not as easy as people think - animals have both grief and worries. Since that time, Irzhik began to feel sorry for the animals and tried to help every smallest animal if it got into trouble.
After dinner, the king ordered two saddle horses to be brought in and went for a walk with Irzhik.
The king rode ahead, and Irzhik followed him. The hot horse Irzhik kept rushing forward. Irzhik restrained him with difficulty. The horse neighed, and Irzhik immediately understood his words.
- Yoke! - the horse neighed. “Come on, brother, let’s ride and fly over this mountain in one fell swoop.”
- It would be nice, - the king's horse answered him, - but this old fool sits on me.
He'll fall off and break his neck. It will not turn out well - after all, but still the king.
“Let him break his neck,” said Irzhik's horse. - Then you will carry the young king, and not this ruin.
Irzhik laughed softly. But the king also understood the conversation of the horses, looked back at Irzhik, poked his horse in the side with his boot and asked Irzhik:
– Why are you laughing, impudent?
- I remembered, your royal grace, how today in the kitchen two cooks dragged each other by whirlwinds.
– Look at me! the king said threateningly.
Of course, he didn't believe Irzhik, angrily turned his horse around and galloped off to his palace. In the palace, he ordered Irzhik to pour himself a glass of wine.
– But look, if you don’t fill it up or overfill it, I’ll order you to cut off your head!
Irzhik took the jug of wine and began to carefully pour the wine into a heavy glass. At that moment, two sparrows flew in through the open window.
One sparrow holds three golden hairs in its beak, and the other tries to take them away.
– Give it back! Give it back! They are mine! Thief!
- I won't give it to you! I picked them up when the beauty was combing her golden braids. No one else in the world has hair like this. I'm not giving it! Whom she marries will be the happiest.
– Give it back! Beat the thief!
Sparrows ruffled and, grabbing, flew out the window. But one golden hair fell out of its beak, fell on the stone floor and rang like a bell. Irzhik looked around and… spilled the wine.
- Yeah! the king shouted. - Now say goodbye to life, Irzhik!
The king was glad that Irzhik had spilled the wine and it would be possible to get rid of him. The king alone wanted to be the smartest in the world. Who knows, maybe this young and cheerful servant managed to taste fried fish. Then he will be a dangerous opponent for the king. But then the king came up with a good idea. He picked up a golden hair from the floor, handed it to Irzhik and said:0005
– So be it.
I'll have mercy on you, if you find the girl who lost this golden hair, and bring her to me as a wife, Take this hair and go. Search!
What was Irzhik to do? He took the hair, equipped himself for the journey, and rode out of the city. And where to go, he does not know. He let go of the reins, and the horse trudged along the most deserted road. It's all overgrown with grass. It looks like it hasn't been driven in a long time. The road reached a high dark forest. Irzhik sees: a fire is burning at the edge, a dry bush is burning. The shepherds threw the fire, did not fill it, did not trample, and the bush caught fire from the fire. And under the bush - an anthill. Ants run, fuss, drag their good ant eggs, dry bugs, caterpillars and various tasty grains from the anthill. Irzhik hears how the ants shout to him:
- Help, Irzhik! Save! We are burning! Irzhik jumped off his horse, cut down a bush and put out the flames. The ants surrounded him in a ring, moving their antennae, bowing and thanking; - Thank you, Irzhik.
We will never forget your kindness! And if you need help, rely on us. We will repay the good.
Irzhik rode into the dark forest. He hears: someone squeaks plaintively. He looked around and saw: two crows are lying under a tall spruce - they fell out of the nest - and they squeak:
- Help, Irzhik! Feed us! We are dying of hunger! Mother and father flew away, but we still don’t know how to fly.
The king purposely gave Irzhik an old, sick horse - a real horse. The horse is standing, the horse's legs are shaking, and it is clear that this trip for him is one torment. Irzhik jumped off the horse, thought, stabbed him to death and left the horse carcass for the crows - let them feed.
- Ksp-p, Ir-rzhik! Ka-r-r! - the crows shouted merrily. We will help you for this!
Irzhik went further on foot. For a long time I walked through a dense forest, then the forest began to make more and more noise, more and more loudly, the wind already bent the tops of the trees.
And then the splash of waves was added to the noise of the peaks, and Irzhik went out to the sea. Two fishermen were arguing on the sandy shore. One caught a golden fish in the net, and the other demanded this fish for himself.
“My net,” shouted one fisherman, “my and the fish!
– Whose boat is it? replied another fisherman. “Without my boat, you wouldn’t have cast your net!”
The fishermen shouted louder and louder, then they rolled up their sleeves, and the matter would have ended in a fight if Irzhik had not intervened.
Stop making noise! he told the fishermen. “Sell me this fish, and divide the money among yourselves. And deal with the end.
Irzhik gave the fishermen all the money he had received from the king for the journey, took the golden fish and threw it into the sea. The fish wagged its tail, stuck its head out of the water and said:
- Quid service. When you need my help, call me. I will sail.
Irzhik sat on the bank to rest.
The fishermen ask him:
– Where are you going, good man?
– Yes, I am looking for a bride for my old king. He ordered to get him a beautiful woman with golden hair as his wife. Where can you find her?
The fishermen looked at each other and sat down on the sand next to Irzhik.
- Well, - they say - you reconciled us, but we remember well. Let's help you. There is only one beauty with golden hair in the whole world. This is our king's daughter. You see an island in the sea, and on the island - a crystal palace? That's where she lives, in this palace. Every day at dawn she combs her hair. Then such a golden dawn breaks over the sea that we wake up from it in our hut and know that it's time for us to go fishing. We will take you to the island. Only to recognize the beauty is almost impossible.
– Why is that? – asks Irzhik.
– But because the king has twelve daughters, and the golden-haired one. And all twelve princesses are dressed the same.
And they all have the same veils on their heads. Hair under them is not visible. So your business, Irzhik, is difficult.
Irzhik fishermen transported to the island. Irzhik went straight to the crystal palace to the king, bowed to him and told him why he got to the island, - Okay! the king said. “I am not a stubborn person. I will give my daughter in marriage to your king. But in return, you must complete my tasks for three days. Is it coming?
- Coming! Irik agreed.
- Get some sleep off the road. Have a rest. My tasks are intricate. You can't solve them right off the bat.
Irzhik slept well! The sea wind blew through the windows all night, the surf roared, and occasionally small splashes even flew onto the bed.
Irzhik got up in the morning and came to the king. The king thought for a moment and said:
- Here's your first task. My golden-haired daughter wore a pearl necklace around her neck. The thread broke, and all the pearls scattered in the thick grass.
Collect them all to one.
Irzhik went to the lawn, where the princess was scattering pearls. The grass is waist-deep, and so thick that you can't see the ground beneath it.
– Eh, – Irzhik sighed, – if my friends were ants, they would help me!
Suddenly he hears a squeak in the grass, as if hundreds of some tiny people are fumbling around his feet.
– We are here! We are here! How can I help you, Irzhik? Collect pearls? Wait, we're in a moment!
Ants ran in, waved their antennae and began to drag pearl after pearl to Irzhik's feet. Irzhik barely had time to string them on a harsh thread. He collected all the necklace and carried it to the king. The king counted the pearls for a long time, lost his way, counted again.
- That's right! Okay, I'll give you a harder task tomorrow.
Irzhik comes to the king the next day. The king slyly looked at him and said:
- That's the trouble! My golden-haired daughter was bathing and dropped a golden ring into the sea.
I'm giving you a day to get it.
Irzhik went to the sea, sat on the shore and almost cried. The sea in front of him lies warm, clear and so deep that it’s even scary to think.
- Eh, - says Irzhik, - if there were a golden fish here, it would help me out!
Suddenly something flashed in the dark water and a golden fish emerged from the depths.
Don't be sad! she said to Irzhik. “I just saw a pike with a gold ring on its fin. "Don't worry, I'll get it."
Irzhik waited for a long time, until finally a golden fish with a golden ring on its fin emerged.
Irzhik carefully removed the ring from the fin so that the fish would not be hurt, thanked her and went to the palace.
“Well then,” said the king, “you seem to be a clever man. Come tomorrow for the last task.
And the last task was the most difficult: to bring living and dead water to the king. Where can I get it? Irzhik went aimlessly, reached the great forest, stopped and thought: If my crows were here, they would.
.. Irzhik told them his grief.
The crows flew away, they were not there for a long time, and then again they rustled their wings and dragged two eggplants with living and dead water to Irzhika in their beaks.
– Carr, carr, berry and be happy! Carr! Irzhik took the eggplants and went to the crystal palace. He went out to the edge and stopped: a black spider wove a web between two trees, caught a fly in it, killed it and sits sucking the fly's blood. Irzhik splashed dead water on the spider. The spider immediately died - folded its legs and fell to the ground. Then Irzhik sprinkled the fly with living water.
She came to life, beat her wings, buzzed, broke the web and flew away. And flying away, she said to Irzhik:
- For your happiness, you revived me. I'll help you get to know Goldilocks.
Irzhik came to the king with living and dead water. The king even gasped, did not believe for a long time, but he tried the dead water on an old mouse that ran through the palace room, and the living one on a withered flower in the garden and was delighted.
I believed. He took Irzhik by the hand and led him into a white hall with a golden ceiling. In the middle of the hall stood a round crystal table, and behind it on crystal chairs sat twelve beauties, so similar to each other that Irzhik only waved his hand and lowered his eyes - how can you tell which one of them is Goldilocks! They all have the same long dresses, and the same white veils on their heads. Not a hair is visible from under them.
“Well, choose,” says the king. - Guess - your happiness! But no - you will leave here alone, as you came.
Irzhik raised his eyes and suddenly he hears someone buzzing right next to his ear:
– J-i-i-i, go around the table. I'll give you a hint.
Irzhik looked: a small fly was flying over him. Irzhik walked slowly around the table, while the princesses sat downcast. And everyone's cheeks flushed the same way. And the fly buzzes and buzzes:
- Not that one! Not the one! But this one - she, golden-haired!
Irzhik stopped, pretended to still have doubts, then said:
– Here is the golden-haired princess!
– Your happiness! the king shouted.
The princess quickly left the table, threw off her white veil, and her golden hair spilled over her shoulders. And immediately the whole hall sparkled with such a brilliance from this hair that it seemed that the sun gave all its light to the hair of the princess.
The queen looked straight at Irzhik and averted her eyes - she had never seen such a handsome and stately young man. The princess's heart was beating heavily, but her father's word is law. She will have to marry the old, evil king!
Irzhik took the bride to his master. He protected her all the way, making sure that her horse did not stumble, that a cold drop of rain did not fall on her shoulders. It was a sad return. Because Irzhik also fell in love with the golden-haired princess, but he could not tell her about it.
The grumpy old king giggled with joy when he saw the beauty, and ordered to quickly prepare the wedding. And Irzhik said:
- I wanted to hang you on a dry bough for disobedience, so that crows would peck at your corpse! But for the fact that you found me a bride, I declare you a royal favor.
I will not hang you, but I will order you to cut off your head and bury with honor.
In the morning they cut off Irzhik's head on the chopping block. The golden-haired beauty sobbed and asked the king to give her the headless body and head of Irzhik. The king frowned, but did not dare to refuse the bride.
Goldilocks put her head to her body, sprinkled living water - her head grew, not even a trace was left. She sprinkled Irzhik a second time - and he jumped up alive, young and even more handsome than he was before the execution, and asked Goldilocks:
- Why did I fall asleep so soundly?
“You would have fallen asleep forever,” Goldilocks answered him, “if I had not saved those darlings.
The King saw Irzhik and was stunned: it was he who came to life, and even became so handsome. The King was a cunning old man and immediately decided to take advantage of this opportunity. He called the executioner and ordered:
- Cut off my head! And then let Goldilocks sprinkle some wonderful water on me.
And I will come alive young and beautiful.
The executioner willingly cut off the head of the old king. But it was not possible to resurrect him, in vain they only poured all the living water on him. There must have been so much anger in the king that no living water could help. They buried the king without tears, to the beat of drums. And since the country needed a smart and kind ruler, he chose the people as the ruler of Irzhik - it was not for nothing that he was the wisest man in the world. And Goldilocks became the wife of Irzhik, and they lived a long and happy life.
And so ended this tale of how the animals repaid kindness for kindness and how the king lost his head.
Tales of the Moon Howard Pyle Six Hours Princess Goldilocks and the Black Raven
Meaning of Goldilocks - Word Meanings
The section is very easy to use. In the proposed field, just enter the desired word, and we will give you list of its values. I would like to note that our site provides data from various sources - encyclopedic, explanatory, derivational dictionaries. Also here you can meet with examples of the use of the word you entered.
goldilocks in the crossword dictionary
goldilocks
- What fairy-tale heroine is associated with the name of the habitable zone among astronomers?
- The Forest Princess from "The Lord of the Rings" by D. Tolkien
- The heroine who fell in love with Irzhik
- Fairy-tale beauty with precious hair
- Fairy-tale heroine who fell in love with the cook Irzhik
- Taiga flycatcher
Wikipedia
Goldilocks
"Goldilocks" is a television film for children, filmed in 1973 by the Prague edition of the Czechoslovak television based on the fairy tale by Karel Jaromir Erben.
