Goldilocks Read online

  Copyright

  Text and illustrations copyright © 2009 by Ruth Sanderson

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

  Hachette Book Group

  237 Park Avenue

  New York, NY 10017

  Visit our website at www.HachetteBookGroup.com

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  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

  The Little, Brown name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

  First eBook Edition: October 2009

  ISBN: 978-0-316-07229-8

  Contents

  Copyright

  Begin Reading

  Papa Bear’s Blueberry Muffins

  Praise for Mother Goose and Friends:

  Once upon a time, there were three bears that lived in a little stone cottage deep in the woods: a great big Papa Bear, a middle-sized Momma Bear, and a wee little Baby Bear. Every morning, the bears took a walk while their porridge was cooling off.

  One day, while the bears were still on their walk, a visitor arrived at their house. Her name was Goldilocks.

  Goldilocks loved to pick blueberries. That morning, she wandered from bush to bush to bush, and before she knew it, she was standing in front of a cottage she had never seen before.

  She wondered who lived there and knocked on the door. When no one answered, Goldilocks forgot her manners and walked right in!

  Goldilocks smelled the bears’ porridge and rushed over to the table.

  She was very hungry.

  First she tasted the porridge in the great big bowl, but it was too hot.

  Then she tasted the porridge in the middle-sized bowl, but it was too cold.

  Finally, she tasted the porridge in the wee little bowl, and it was just right. Goldilocks ate it all up, every bite.

  Across the room, Goldilocks saw three chairs in front of a cozy fireplace. First she tried to sit on the biggest chair, but it was too high.

  Then she tried the middle-sized chair, but it was too wide.

  Finally, she sat in the wee little chair and it was just right. But Goldilocks rocked so hard in the chair that it broke into pieces!

  Goldilocks began to feel tired after all of her adventures.

  She peered through a doorway and saw three beds.

  First she climbed into the biggest bed, but it was too hard.

  Then she climbed into the middle-sized bed, but it was too soft.

  Finally, she climbed into the wee little bed, and it was just right.

  Goldilocks pulled the quilt up to her chin and fell fast asleep.

  When the three bears returned home and found their front door wide open, they ran inside.

  “Someone’s been tasting my porridge!” said Papa Bear in his great big voice.

  “Someone’s been tasting my porridge!” said Momma Bear in her middle-sized voice.

  “Someone’s been tasting my porridge!” said Baby Bear in his wee little voice. “And it’s all tasted away!”

  The three bears discovered a mess across the room.

  “Someone’s been sitting in my chair!” said Papa Bear in his great big voice.

  “Someone’s been sitting in my chair!” said Momma Bear in her middle-sized voice.

  “Someone’s been sitting in my chair,” said Baby Bear in his wee little voice.

  “And it’s broken all to pieces!”

  The three bears peeked into the bedroom to see what else they’d find.

  “Someone’s been sleeping in my bed!” said Papa Bear with a great big growl.

  “Someone’s been sleeping in my bed!” said Momma Bear with a middle-sized growl.

  “Someone’s been sleeping in my bed!” said Baby Bear with a wee little growl.

  “And there she is!”

  At the sound of Baby Bear’s shrill voice, Goldilocks woke up with a start.

  She was so afraid she could not speak.

  “Can I keep her?” asked Baby Bear.

  “No, dear,” said Momma Bear, “but you can keep an eye on her while she makes up the beds.”

  Baby Bear played with his blocks while Goldilocks straightened up the quilts. Then she followed Baby Bear to the other room, where Momma Bear was weaving a new seat for his chair.

  “May I help?” asked Goldilocks.

  Momma Bear smiled at Goldilocks, handed her some canes, and showed her how to weave them in and out.

  Papa Bear made new legs for the chair and soon it was as good as new.

  But Baby Bear was not happy.

  “Momma,” said Baby Bear in his wee little voice, “I’m hungry.”

  “I’m hungry, too,” said Momma Bear in her middle-sized voice.

  “I’m very, very hungry,” said Papa Bear in his great big voice.

  Goldilocks backed away from the three bears. Were they going to eat her for breakfast? Then she saw her basket near the door, and Goldilocks had an idea.

  “Blueberries are very good for breakfast,” said Goldilocks.

  “Blueberries are tasty!” said Baby Bear in his wee little voice.

  “But I know something even tastier!” said Momma Bear in her middle-sized voice.

  “And we have all the ingredients!” said Papa Bear in his great big voice.

  He smiled a great big toothy bear smile. Momma Bear smiled at Goldilocks, too. And Baby Bear smiled a wee little bear smile.

  “Oh, boy…” said Baby Bear.

  “Blueberry muffins!” he cheered. Baby Bear brought a jar of honey to the table. Papa Bear poured the blueberries into a bowl. Momma Bear took out flour, baking soda, salt, milk, butter, and eggs.

  Papa Bear stirred the ingredients together, spooned the batter into a muffin tin, and popped it into the oven. Momma Bear put the kettle on. Goldilocks helped Baby Bear set the table.

  And they all had tea. And blueberry muffins, warm from the oven.

  Papa Bear’s Blueberry Muffins

  • 2 cups flour

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • 3 teaspoons baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1 cup milk

  • 4 tablespoons honey

  • 4 tablespoons sugar

  • ½ stick melted butter

  • 1 beaten egg

  • 1 cup blueberries

  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together flour with salt, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, combine milk, honey, butter, and egg. Add to dry ingredients and stir to moisten. Add blueberries. Fill greased muffin tin 2/3 full and bake 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Makes 12 muffins. Yum!

  “Momma,” said Baby Bear in his wee little voice, “I’m hungry.”

  “Blueberries are very good for breakfast,” said Goldilocks.

  “Blueberries are tasty!” said Baby Bear.

  “But I know something even tastier!” said Momma Bear.…

  With charm and cheer, beloved illustrator Ruth Sanderson offers a fresh, heartwarming twist to this classic tale of an irrepressibly curious child and her furry neighbors. Cozy artwork—topped off with a tried-and-true recipe for homemade blueberry muffins—makes this new edition of Goldilocks a story-time treasure that is just right.

  Morgan Robinson

  RUTH SANDERSON is the highly acclaimed author and illustrator of over seventy books for children, including celebrated adaptations of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, The Night Before Christmas, and Cinderella. She continues to exhibit her work around the country and lives with her f
amily in Easthampton, Massachusetts. The artist’s Web site is www.ruthsanderson.com.

  Praise for Mother Goose and Friends:

  “An invitation to an old-fashioned world of enchantment… Luminous and elegant.”

  —Publishers Weekly

  “Finely wrought and highly detailed… these are the sorts of pictures kids can pore over.”

  —School Library Journal

  “Pretty, sweet and gentle. Fun for reading aloud.”

  —Booklist

  A cozy tale about Goldilocks,

  three very hungry bears,

  and a delicious berry-filled surprise.

 

 

  Ruth Sanderson, Goldilocks

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