Chapter Four

That evening, Goldilocks hung out in her bedroom feeling sad. She was starting to think she would never be part of a group of friends.

“Just be yourself,” Miss Sweet had said. But how could she do that? Girls didn’t seem to like one side of her, and boys didn’t seem to like the other.

That was why she had never fit in at her old school, and why her afternoon in the woods had been so much fun.

She’d been adventurous in the woods and girly in the Bears’ cottage, all in the same day. Maybe she needed some friends who liked both sides of her.

Suddenly she thought of Little Red Riding Hood and Baby Bear. Little Red Riding Hood had talked about pretending to be a deadly ninja warrior.

Baby Bear had asked her to jump rope. They didn’t seem to mind what they played as long as they had fun! They would be the perfect group for Goldilocks.She would just have to take the risk of meeting Mrs. Bear again.

So the next day at recess, Goldilocks went straight up to Little Red Riding Hood and Baby Bear and asked if she could play with them.

“Although I’d understand if you didn’t want anything to do with me,” she said nervously. “I mean, I know I wasn’t very nice to you before.”

“Really?” said Little Red Riding Hood, puzzled. “I didn’t notice.” Then she smiled, and so did Baby Bear, and they all went off together.

Goldilocks really enjoyed spending time with her new friends. Little Red Riding Hood liked doing girly stuff, but she had an adventurous side as well. After all, she did do karate.

And Baby Bear was a real boy, but he didn’t mind playing house or holding one end of a jump rope.

And once she got to know Goldilocks better, Mrs. Bear turned out to be friendly. Although she always kept a careful eye on things.

The only problem Goldilocks had was trying to choose a name for the three of them. Then it came to her.

They weren’t too girly or too rough — they were The Just Right Club. So Goldilocks (and Mom and Dad, when they got her report card) lived happily ever after!