Once upon a time, on the outskirts of a little town, there lived a very poor family. The mother was very weak and often grew sick, and so she could work very little. The father had suffered from two broken legs in his childhood, and the past injuries often pained him, and so he could not work for very long before becoming unable to walk. The daughter, whose name was Goldilocks, was very skinny but very fast. She would run small errands throughout the town for a pence a piece, but could not do much else.
The family had scraped by for the past few years, but this winter was approaching quickly, and the father feared that they would not survive it. Of course, he did not want to scare the mother or his little Goldilocks, so he said nothing about it and prayed that they would make it through.
Once the trees lost their leaves, it became apparent to the father that if they were to survive, they would need a bit of help. So the father went into town with his little Goldilocks and they asked and pleaded and begged, but no one was willing to spare a bit of food or a few pence. Most claimed they could not spare the change and apologized, while others did not even reply. They merely wrapped their coats tighter about their bodies and hurried on with their lives.
The father and his little Goldilocks returned home empty handed, but he was careful to keep his mood cheerful, so as not to scare her. But secretly, he despaired.
There was another family who lived on the opposite side of the little town. The father was very large and strong, and he could do the work of two men. The mother was graceful and delicate, who did not work because she didn’t need to. The son was a strapping young boy who still had a round face of youth but was quickly taking after his father in size and strength.
They lived on a large farm and had never wanted for food or warmth in their life. Yet they were protective of the livelihood they had worked so hard for, and only shared with those that could pay.
The father of the poor family knew that the wealthy family had food and clothing to spare, but he could not pay for any of it. So he prayed for a miracle and kept his faith, and pressed on through the cold days and nights.
However, prayers could not keep them alive for long. On one particularly cold evening, in which three thin bodies were shaking and shivering, the father went to his little Goldilocks and whispered that he had a very special job for her. She was to put on her worn boots and run as fast as she could across the town to the house of the wealthy family. There, she was to sneak in through the back door and bring back one of the dining chairs to use as firewood. The father told her that it was a game in which she needed to stay as quiet as possible, and that the wealthy family knew she was coming for the chair. Little Goldilocks, who loved to run and loved to play, was delighted.
So she laced up her worn boots and went running into the snow, and the father sat by the window, staring into the white darkness and twisting his shirt in his hands.
After a long while, Goldilocks came running up the path with a small chair on her back. Breathless, she told the father that one of the chairs was big and too heavy to carry, one of them was thin and fragile and would not have given them much warmth, but the third was just the right size. And so the father chopped up the little chair into enough pieces to keep them warm for quite a while.
However, warmth would not keep them from starving. On one particularly dull afternoon, in which three small stomachs were aching and growling, the father went to his little Goldilocks and whispered that he had another very special job for her. She was to put on her worn boots and run as fast as she could across the town to the house of the wealthy family. There, she was to sneak in through the back door and bring back a sack full of bread. The father told her that, just like last time, it was a game in which she needed to stay as quiet as possible, and that the wealthy family knew she was coming for the bread. Little Goldilocks was, again, delighted.
So she laced up her worn boots and went running into the snow, and the father sat by the window, staring into the dying light of the day and twisting his shirt in his hands.
After a long while, Goldilocks came running up the path with a small sack thrown over her back. Breathless, she told the father that some of the bread was too tough to bite into, some of it was light as a feather and would not have filled them up, but some was just right. And so the father cut up the bread and gave some to the mother and to his little Goldilocks, and stored the rest away to eat later.
However, by now they had run out of firewood. On one particularly cold morning, in which three thing bodies were shaking and shivering, the father went to his little Goldilocks and whispered that he had one more very special job for her. She was to put on her worn boots and run as fast as she could across the town to the house of the wealthy family. There, she was to sneak in through the back door and go up to the bedrooms and bring back a blanket so they could keep warm. It was a Sunday, and the father knew the wealthy family would be at church. He told her that this was another game, but this time she needed to be faster than ever before. Like always, Goldilocks was delighted.
So she laced up her worn boots and went running into the snow, and the father sat by the window, staring into the bright morning light and twisting his shirt in his hands.
After a long while, Goldilocks came running up the path but she had nothing on her back. Breathless, she told the father that one of the blankets was too big and thick for her to carry, one of them was made of lace and would not keep them warm, and one of them was just right. But when she went to grab the blanket, there was someone in the bed! It was the son of the wealthy family, who was sick and resting instead of at church. He had yelled and she had screamed and he chased her out of the house. She was far too fast for him to catch, though.
The father pulled his little Goldilocks close and stroked her hair and kissed her forehead, and vowed that he would never put her in danger again, no matter how much their stomachs growled or how hard they shivered during the night.
