Goldilocks and The Locket

Once upon a time, there was a little girl named Goldilocks. She lived with her mother and her maternal grandfather in a big blue and white cottage named ‘The Locks Manor’. Goldilocks knew her father to have been a wealthy sailor who one day sailed out to sea and never came back. 2 weeks after the day he was due to return, on the 23rd of August, Goldilocks received a letter addressed to her that said simply “The other half is somewhere in the wind…” Inside the envelope was a half-heart locket that opened up to reveal an inscribed ‘G’ inside it. Since then, every year on the 23rd of August, Goldilocks would go searching the entire town to see if she would find the other half of the locket. Or maybe even, her father.

In a special year, on the opposite side of town, a day before Goldilocks was due to set off on her annual adventure, a family of 3 bears moved into a small brick house, with a small garden. A Father bear, a mother bear and a baby bear. They had moved inland from their old shack on the island just outside the town. Mother bear was 7 months pregnant, Father bear just got a new job as the town’s head-postman, and baby bear was going to be starting his first day at the human-school in 5 days. Father-bear’s first day of work would be the next day, on the 23rd of August. As they had moved all their things themselves, with Father-bear taking the lion share of the manual labour, they were so tired that night, that they spent the first night in the new house sprawled out across the living room floor. The next morning, Father did not hear his alarm ring and was so very tired, that he overslept. When he woke up and realised he was an hour and 15mins late for his first day at work, he panicked, got dressed and rushed out of the door. Mother-bear later awoke and saw that Father-bear had forgotten to take his lunch to work. She decided that she and baby-bear would take it to him after some needed unpacking.

At 6am on the 23rd of August, Goldilocks was already wide-awake lying in bed. This year would be the 3rd year that she would be going on her annual adventure-search. She clutched her half-locket in her right hand and sighed a long sigh. Just as she let out the air from within her lungs, she heard a knock at the door. Without surprise or hesitation, she said “Come in grandpa”. Her door opened and in strolled her elderly yet spry grandfather. He had come to stay with the family to help Goldilocks’s mother manage the family’s growing chocolate business as well as raise Goldilocks. He sat on the edge of the bed, and Goldilocks sat up and swung her feet to hang off her bed so that she would be sat beside him. He knew how special this day was and would always come in to check on her before she headed out. This morning was different however. This morning, as Goldilocks leaned her head on his right side, she heard silence. After some moments, she looked at grandpa and he had his eyes closed with his head looking up. After some moments of without opening his eyes or lowering his head he said, “I’m proud of you Goldilocks”. She responded surprised, “Me?? – but, I haven't done anything!”. He turned and looked at her, “Sure you have! You started something, and you have stuck with it. That's the hardest part, to keep going. Not the destination.” Goldilocks felt something inside her stomach – it was an unsettling yet warm feeling. A token of validation. She took a deep breath in, looked at grandpa and said, “I really want to find the other half of my locket. And my dad – and some friends too.” Grandpa smiled and said “You will find everything you need. Just keep going.” He reached over and kissed Goldilocks on her head, got up and made his way to the door. Goldilocks again clutched her half locket, looked outside her window at the new morning and let out another sigh. As she sauntered down the steps of their beautiful cottage into the big kitchen, her mother was packing sandwiches into a bag for her. When she saw her daughter, she hugged her, kissed her on the head and fitted her bag on her back. They walked together to the front door quietly. Just before Goldilocks closed the door behind her, her mother said “Goldi, be careful today. Make sure you come home before the sun goes down.” Goldilocks nodded and closed the door and set off for her adventure.

On the other side of town – mother-bear and baby-bear were just getting ready to leave the house. Mother-bear noticed that her son was unusually quiet. So she asked him what the matter was. He said “I am nervous about starting a school with the humans. Can't we go back to the island?” Mother bear smiled. “Starting a new adventure can be scary. Sometimes, we want to stay where we are because if feels familiar and easy but there is so much of life to explore. If you are afraid, you will miss out on much of it.” Baby-bear heard this and was quiet for some moments. Eventually he said, “So how do I stop being afraid?”. Mother-bear thought about the question for a few moments. Then she took baby bear’s hand and said “We stop being afraid, when we realise that everything that can happen will only make you stronger. So, instead of running away – think about how much stronger you will be at the end!”. Baby bear smiled. He liked the sound of that. As they hurried to leave the house, mother-bear went to the kitchen and opened the window. She had just baked 3 apricot pies and left them on the kitchen table to cool. She grabbed father-bear’s lunch and head out the door with baby bear behind her. As he closed the door he forgot to turn the handle on the front door to lock it. So the front door of the bears home was left open.

Meanwhile, Goldilocks was already enjoying herself. She decided that she would walk farther than she has ever walked before. She walked past the town’s hair salon. She walked past the post office. She walked past the town park. She walked past the only human/animal mixed-school in the town. She walked past her classroom. She walked past the cars. She walked past the rivers. She walked past the boats. She walked past the mayor. She walked past the town hall. She even walked past mother-bear and baby-bear. She walked and walked and walked until she was tired and hungry. Goldilocks finally stopped to look around her. She had walked to the other side of town. She had never been to these parts before. She began to look for somewhere she could rest her tired legs and maybe even lay down. She looked and looked round but there was nowhere. Just as the sun was beginning to set she began to smell something. It was getting late but she could smell her favourite kind of pie. Apricot pie. The smell was coming from one of the house opposite where she was standing. She followed the smell and found the house of the bears. She looked through the kitchen and saw the 3 pies sitting on the dining table. Goldilocks thought to herself, ‘I know what I will do – I will trade my sandwiches for some of their pie and ask if I can rest my head for a few minutes’. As she came to the front door to knock, she noticed that it was open. She pushed the door back slightly and said “Hello! Is anybody home?”. There was no answer. She spoke up again, louder this time, as she entered the home of the bears, “Hello! Is anybody home?!” Again there was no response. She entered hesitantly then darted for the dining table.

As she tasted the biggest pie in front of the biggest chair at the table, it was too hot. Then then taste the second pie in front of the second chair at the table, but it was too cold. Goldilocks frowned. She then tasted the pie at the third and smallest chair at the table but this time it tasted just right. Goldilocks kept tasting and tasting until she had finished the pie. She felt bad immediately. Instinctively, she placed her sandwiches from her bag into the plate and left the table. She then skipped upstairs and found the sleeping room. She lay in the third and smallest bed and it was just right. So she fell into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile, on the way home now was Father-bear, mother-bear and baby-bear. They went to the park before going home. When they got to the house they realised that the door was open and that somebody had been in the house. Father-bear opened the door and entered slowly with his young family behind him. Suddenly, baby-bear began to cry. He noticed that his pie had been eaten. Mother bear began to console him and said “Don’t worry, you just go upstairs and lay down. I will make you another pie”. As baby bear entered into the sleeping room, he screamed. "Human!" Father-bear and mother-bear leaped up the stairs. They were surprised to see Goldilocks sleeping peacefully in the bed. At that moment Goldilocks woke up and saw the bears and screamed herself! As she quickly got up to jump out of the open window, mother bear said “Hey, it’s okay, don’t be afraid. Don’t jump out of the window, you are going to hurt yourself. What is your name?” Goldilocks, still afraid replied “My name is Goldilocks. Sorry I ate your food and slept in your bed. I was just very hungry and very tired.” Baby-bear responded hesitantly, “It’s okay. I get tired sometimes too.” As he spoke, a gust of wind came through the window and blew against his collar. It lifted and Goldilocks saw that he was wearing a half locket just like her own. She exclaimed! “Where did you get your locket from??” Baby-bear said, “My dad got it for me. We used to live on an island and one day my dad found a wrecked ship that washed up on the shore. As he was clearing the ship he found a briefcase and inside the briefcase was this locket, next to a letter. He posted the letter to the address written on it and brought home the locket and gave it to me.” Goldilocks sat down on the bed. Silent for a long moment. It dawned on her that her dad gone for good. She told them the story of her dad and the locket. Then she thanked father-bear for sending her that letter and for finding the other locket. Baby-bear saw her face and sat next to her and said, “Everything that can happen will only make you stronger.” He took off his locket and gave it to Goldilocks. From that day, she and baby-bear became best friends. It was true, 'The other half was indeed somewhere in the wind.'

The End.