Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Once upon a time, there was a little girl with bouncy golden curls named Goldilocks. She loved exploring and discovering new things. One sunny morning, Goldilocks spotted a butterfly with wings as blue as the sky. "Where are you going, butterfly?" she called out. When the butterfly fluttered over the meadow behind her house, Goldilocks decided to follow. "Be home for lunch," called her mother. "I will!" promised Goldilocks as she skipped after the butterfly. The butterfly led her down a winding path until it landed on a bright red flower in front of a charming cottage with the most wonderful garden Goldilocks had ever seen. The garden gate stood slightly open, and colorful flowers nodded in the breeze. "Hello?" called Goldilocks, her voice as curious as her eyes. But nobody answered. "I'll just take a tiny peek," Goldilocks whispered to herself, stepping through the gate. Inside, she discovered three special garden patches – one large, one medium, and one small. Near the garden beds sat three watering cans in a row. First, she picked up a big blue watering can. "Oh my!" giggled Goldilocks. "This watering can is too heavy!" The water sloshed and nearly spilled as she carefully set it down. Next, she tried a medium-sized green watering can. "This watering can is too splashy!" she exclaimed as water sprinkled her yellow shoes and made them sparkle with droplets. Then she picked up a small yellow watering can with painted daisies. "This watering can is just right!" she said happily. The water sprinkled out like gentle rain, and Goldilocks couldn't resist watering a patch of thirsty-looking flowers. After watering, her legs felt tired from exploring. Goldilocks noticed three gardening stools nearby. She climbed onto a tall wooden stool. "This stool is too high!" she said, feeling dizzy as her feet dangled far above the ground. Then she sat on a wide stone stool. "This stool is too hard!" she said with a little bounce, standing up and rubbing her bottom. Finally, she tried a small cushioned stool with forget-me-nots embroidered on top. "This stool is just right!" she said with a contented sigh. But as she settled in, wiggling to get comfortable – CRASH! The stool tipped over! "Oops!" Goldilocks giggled, picking herself up from the soft grass. By now, Goldilocks' tummy was rumbling. She spotted three bowls of freshly picked berries on a garden table, set out to wash in the morning sun. She tried a berry from the first bowl. "Whew! These berries are too sour!" she said, her face puckering into a funny wrinkle. She sampled a berry from the second bowl. "Mmm, but these berries are too sweet!" she said, licking the stickiness from her fingers. Then she tried a berry from the third bowl – the smallest bowl with painted bumblebees around the rim. "These berries are just right!" she declared. She was about to eat another when she heard voices coming near. "What a lovely morning walk," said a deep, rumbly voice. "Yes, and now we can check how our seeds are growing," said a warm, medium-sized voice. "I hope the birds liked the birdseed I left!" squeaked an excited small voice. Goldilocks' eyes widened – A family of bears was coming home! Papa Bear with his gardening hat, Mama Bear carrying fresh herbs, and Baby Bear clutching a small pinwheel rounded the corner toward the garden gate. Goldilocks froze, suddenly realizing she was in someone else's garden without asking. Her cheeks turned pink as raspberry jam. The bears stopped in surprise when they saw the little girl standing by their berry bowls. "Oh! Hello," said Goldilocks softly. "Your garden is very beautiful. I... I followed a butterfly and found it, and I didn't think to ask before coming in." Baby Bear looked at the watered flowers and then at Goldilocks. "Did you water my zinnias? They were very thirsty today!" Goldilocks nodded, twisting her fingers together nervously. "Thank you for helping my flowers," said Baby Bear with a smile, "but next time, it's better to ask first. Some plants need special water, and some don't like water on their leaves." "I'm sorry I came in without asking," said Goldilocks sincerely. "The gate was open, but that doesn't mean I should walk in. My mama has told me that before." "That's alright," said Mama Bear, setting down her basket of herbs. "We all make mistakes when we're learning." "Would you like to stay and learn about gardening?" asked Papa Bear kindly. "Baby Bear is quite the expert with flowers." Baby Bear beamed with pride. "I can show you how to plant sunflower seeds! They grow taller than Papa!" Goldilocks' face brightened. "Yes, please! And maybe someday you could visit my little garden at home? I'm growing carrots and daisies." And that's how Goldilocks made three new friends. Every Tuesday afternoon, they took turns visiting each other's gardens. Goldilocks learned which plants needed lots of water and which needed just a little – just right for each one. She always remembered to knock at the garden gate and wait, because good friends always respect each other's special places. The End.