Goldilocks and Granny's Best Friend

Goldilocks and Granny’s Best Friend

One day, after coming back from a happy visit to her old friends the Four Bears, Goldilocks decided to take a short cut through the woods. The path passed by the cottage of Red Riding Hood’s old grandma and she decided to pay the old lady a visit.

Humming a happy little song she dawdled along, looking at amazing rare butterflies and some newly flowering orchids, just enjoying the pleasant walk on a fine sunny day.

As she passed through the woods she didn’t notice she was being watched.

But the Big bad Wolf had heard her humming and crept up on her. As she bent down to look at a particularly interesting ground orchid, the wolf jumped on her, savaging her badly.

Goldilocks, however, was quite strong and although badly injured, managed to get away from the wolf, beating it off with a big stick.

She limped into grandma’s house, and fell to the floor in a swoon.

Grandma tended to her wounds and when she regained consciousness, gave her a special herb tonic tea to restore her.

“Why, dear Goldilocks, whatever happened to you !” asked grandma.

“It was the Big bad Wolf grandma. It jumped on me. I didn’t see it until too late. It’s made quite a mess hasn’t it,” she moaned ruefully as she winced, trying to move her injured body. Anything she did was so painful. Her legs were all torn with deep gashes.

“Oh no Goldilocks, you are wrong ! ” exclaimed grandma. “No! Not Old Big Bad. It couldn’t be. It’s a real friend. Probably my best friend. Big Bad Wolf is so supportive, always brings me fresh killed rabbits and hares and the odd chicken. Walks with me to the edge of the woods to keep me company. No, Goldilocks, I think you are mistaken.”

“No, grandma, I am not mistaken at all. “replied Goldilocks, rather taken aback.
”If I were you I’d think about that best friend of yours. It’s a dangerous creature and one day it could just eat you up. Did you ever think that maybe its’ presents of good food are just to fatten you up for its’ own meal one day?”

Goldilocks groaned as she sat up and pulled on her coat.

“Oh that’s just fanciful nonsense. You must be delirious”, cried grandma, scowling angrily at Goldilocks.

“My dear grandma, you are not seeing the creature for its’ true nature. Red Riding Hood once told me it came sniffing around her one day out in the woods, but she ran away fast.” replied Goldilocks, wondering if the old lady was delusional.

“Yes, yes” sniffed grandma, turning away,” Red Riding Hood has always come with bad stories about Big bad Wolf. But she doesn’t know what a good creature it really is. It always tells me how worried it gets about her walking in those woods alone. It is a very concerned wolf, always telling me how it cares for others. I only know it as a supportive good friend. No, my dear Goldilocks, you are quite mistaken. I think you must have brought this on yourself, maybe you fell over into a thorny gully and have to put the blame on someone else or look foolish. You are telling naughty fibs. Now go home. I’m expecting company.”

Goldilocks limped back home, staying away from the woods. On her way she passed Red Riding Hood, who was horrified at seeing her old friend in such a state.

“Whatever happened to you?” she cried.

Goldilocks explained.

“Oh I’ve warned grandma so many times about that wolf, but she just won’t listen’” said Red Riding Hood.

Goldilocks got home and went to bed. She slept and slept and woke up some days later, still sore, but much refreshed. She felt like eating something nice and made a sweet current tea bun. As she made it she wondered how her friends the Four Bears were. So she packed up the bun in a picnic basket and went to visit them.

“Have you heard the news” said Mama Bear as she laid out high tea and sliced up the current bun.

“No, do tell.” said Goldilocks as she poured the tea for them all.

“Well it seems your friend Red Riding Hood has gone missing and when Eva, the woodsman’s wife went to her grandma’s house, grandma was in bed, all wrapped up and in her nightcap. She said she had a bad cold, and her gruff voice certainly sounded like she had a very bad throat, so Eva made her some hot lemon and honey. But as grandma reached out to take it, the cap slipped off and it wasn’t grandma at all. It was the Big Bad Wolf. Eva got a terrible fright and jumped back, knocking over the bedside lamp. She ran away from the cottage before the wolf, all tangled in the bedclothes, could catch her. When Eva got home and told the woodsman what had happened, they went back to the cottage together, but it had burned to the ground. So nobody knows what happened to Red Riding Hood, her grandma, or even the Big Bad Wolf. But I suppose it’s easy to guess.

Goldilocks looked down at her injured legs, tears running down her cheeks.

“I tried to warn them...” she faltered, but she couldn’t speak for the tears.

“My dear,” said Father Bear, munching on his current bun and looking reflectively out the window,” you just can’t tell some folk. They only find out the hard way. So here,” he added handing over a large clean hanky,” wipe your eyes. Try not to feel it. You managed to escape, be thankful. Just know you can only do so much to warn others of the dangers in this world.”

Little Bear slid off his chair and trundled over to Goldilocks and gave her a great big healing bear hug.

“Don’t cry Goldilocks,” he murmured, "you still have us”.

Goldilocks felt much better and hugged Baby Bear back.
Then they sat back and enjoyed their tea party.
Four friends together.

............
Love 2 U all
Anu.