Sweet Porridge
A poor little girl is given a magic pot that cooks sweet porridge when she says “Cook, little pot, cook” and stops when she says “Stop, little pot.” One day her mother starts it but forgets the word, and golden porridge fills the house and the whole street until the girl comes home.
Scene 1: Nothing to Eat
Sweet Porridge. Once upon a time, a poor but good little girl lived alone with her mother. One day, they had nothing left to eat at all. So the little girl went out into the forest.
Scene 2: The Little Pot
In the forest, an old woman met her. She already knew all about the girl’s sorrow. She gave the girl a little pot. It was a magic pot! When the girl said: “Cook, little pot, cook,” it cooked good, sweet porridge. And when she said: “Stop, little pot,” it stopped cooking.
Scene 3: The Forgotten Word
The girl took the pot home to her mother. Now they were never hungry. They ate sweet porridge as often as they liked. One day, when the girl had gone out, her mother said: “Cook, little pot, cook.” And it cooked, and she ate until she was full. Then she wanted the pot to stop. But she did not know the word!
Scene 4: Over the Edge
So the pot cooked on and on, and the porridge rose over the edge. It filled the kitchen, and the whole house, and then the house next door. Then it filled the whole street, just as if it wanted to feed the whole world! Everyone was worried, but no one knew how to stop it.
Scene 5: Stop, Little Pot
At last, when only one house was left, the little girl came home. She just said: “Stop, little pot.” And it stopped cooking. But anyone who wanted to come back into town had to eat their way back! Before you start something, learn how to stop it.
Moral: Before you start something, learn how to stop it.
Questions about Sweet Porridge
Why did the little girl go into the forest?
She and her mother had nothing left to eat.
Who gave the girl the little pot?
An old woman.
What did the pot cook when the girl said “Cook, little pot, cook”?
Good, sweet porridge.
Why could the mother not stop the pot?
She did not know the word.
How did people get back into town at the end?
They had to eat their way back.
More stories to read aloud
- Cinderella — Kind Cinderella works among the cinders for her proud stepmother and stepsisters, until her fairy godmother turns a pumpkin into a golden coach and sends her to the King’s son’s ball in glass slippers.
- Diamonds and Toads — A kind girl gives water to a poor old woman at the fountain, and the woman, who is really a fairy, makes roses, pearls and diamonds fall from her lips at every word.
- Goldilocks and the Three Bears — While the Three Bears take a walk until their porridge cools, a little girl called Goldilocks walks into their house and tries their porridge, chairs and beds.