Goldilocks

Goldilocks is a fictional character in the fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears. She is typically depicted as a young girl with golden hair who enters the house of three bears while they are away.

In the tale, Goldilocks samples the bears' porridge, chairs, and beds. The first bowl of porridge is too hot, the second too cold, and the third just right. She tries the chairs; one is too large, one too small, and the third fits until it breaks. She then finds a bed that is just right and falls asleep. When the bears return, they discover the intruder, and Goldilocks flees the scene.

Origins and variations: The earliest known published version is Robert Southey's 1837 The Story of the Three Bears. In Southey's edition, the girl is unnamed; the name Goldilocks arises in later retellings and translations. The tale exists in numerous cultures and has many variants in which the details differ, but the general motif of a curious intruder and consequences remains.

Themes and cultural impact: The story is often viewed as a cautionary tale about curiosity, respect for others' property, and consequences of crossing boundaries. The character of Goldilocks has entered broader use, and the phrase Goldilocks is employed in discussions of finding the just-right option, as in the Goldilocks principle and the Goldilocks zone in astronomy and planetary science, though those uses are separate from the original tale.