, but just right. So she seated herself in it, and
there she sate till the bottom of the chair came out, and down came she,
plump upon the ground. And the naughty old woman said a wicked word
about that too.

Then the little old woman went up stairs into the bed-chamber in which
the three bears slept. And first she lay down upon the bed of the Great,
Hugh Bear; but that was too high at the head for her. And next she lay
down upon the bed of the Middle Bear; and that was too high at the foot
for her. And then she lay down upon the bed of the Little, Small, Wee
Bear; and that was neither too high at the head, nor at the foot, but
just right. So she covered herself up comfortably, and lay there till
she fell fast asleep.

By this time the three bears thought their porridge would be cool
enough; so they came home to breakfast. Now the little old woman had
left the spoon of the Great, Huge Bear, standing in his porridge.

'SOMEBODY HAS BEEN AT MY PORRIDGE!'

said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great gruff voice. And when the Middle
Bear looked at his, he saw that the spoon was standing in it too. They
were wooden spoons; if they had been silver ones, the naughty old woman
would have put them in her pocket.

'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.

Upon this the three bears, seeing that some one had entered their house,
and eaten up the Little, Small Wee Bear's breakfast, began to look about
them. Now the little old woman had not put the hard cushion straight
when she rose from the chair of the Great, Huge Bear.

'SOMEBODY HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY CHAIR!'

said the Great, Huge Bear, in his great, rough, gruff voice.

And the little old woman had squatted down the soft cushion of the
Middle Bear.

'Somebody Has Been Sitting In My Chair!'

said the Middle Bear, in his middle voice.

And you know what the little old woman had done to the third chair.

'_Somebody has been sitting in my chair, and has sate the bottom
of it out!_'

said the Little, Small, Wee Bear, in his little, small, wee voice.

Then the three bears thought it necessary that they should make farther
search; so they went up stairs into their