short time.

When Silverlocks went into the house, she soon found by the smell that
something nice had been cooked. On going into the parlour, sure enough
she saw there three jars smoking away: the first, a very large one, for
Mr. Bruin; the next of middling size, for Mammy Muff; and the smallest
of all was Tiny's jar; and in each of them was a wooden spoon. The
little busy-body now went to work tasting the soup in each jar by
turns; but she found that in the smallest jar was the nicest to her
taste.

[Illustration: Silverlocks finds three jars of soup set for the Bears'
dinner.]

[Illustration: Silverlocks tastes the soup and chooses the jar set for
Tiny, the little Bear.]

Silver-Locks was now in high glee, and thought to enjoy herself, hungry
as she was, by eating up all the soup in the little jar. But she was too
weary to be standing all the time, so she looked about for a seat. There
were three chairs in the parlour, a very large one for Mr. Bruin,
another of middling size for Mrs. B., and a nice little chair for Tiny.
The little girl tried them all in turn; she found that the smallest
suited her best, and down she sat, and began to eat her soup with great
relish.

When Silver-Locks had nearly eaten up all poor Tiny's soup, she began
to rock herself to and fro in his little chair: she had often been
punished for this naughty trick, but without effect. While she was
indulging this silly whim, out came the rush-bottom of the chair, and
she and the soup jar rolled on the floor. But she did not mind this at
all, thinking it was fine fun. She now thought she would go up stairs,
and see all that was to be seen: and there we will leave her for the
present.

[Illustration: Silverlocks seats herself in Tiny's little chair and eats
his soup.]

[Illustration: Silverlocks goes upstairs to the Bears' bedroom.]

When the three Bears came back, they found that some one had been there.
"Who has been to my soup?" roared out Mr. Bruin. "And who has been to my
soup?" said Mrs. B., with a low growl. Then poor Tiny cried,
"Somebody has been to my soup, and has eaten it all up!" Then said the
big Bear, fiercely, "Who has moved my chair about?" Mrs. B., too, said,
"Who has moved my chair about?" Then Tiny cried pitifully, "Somebody has
sat in my chair, and broken it in pieces!"

In the room up stairs there were three beds: the largest was Mr. Bruin's
bed; the next was Mrs. B.'s; and the smallest of the three was Tiny's
bed.