In this episode the Storyteller Kathy Shimpock tells you a little known version of "The Three Bears." In this version, the character of Goldilocks is traded for that of an old woman. This 1837 literary tale was written by Robert Southey. The story reflects Victorian stereotypes and biases that viewed the old and the poor as criminals. We see similar beliefs expressed today. The crone in this story, however, gives us all a dire warning.
Story: Southey, Robert, "The Three Bears," in The Doctor (London, 1837).
Story: "The Story of Sarah Collins" written by Kathy Shimpock.
Cover illustration: Peter Newell in Favorite Fairy Tales: The Childhood Choice of Representative Man and Women. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1907.
Music: The Snow Queen Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Copyright 2020 Kathy Shimpock.
For more crone tales, visit the "Wise Crone Cottage in the Woods" (http://www.wisecronecottage.com).
