The Magic Porridge Pot

Once upon a time, there lived a kind, sweet girl named Lily. Lily lived with her mother in a very small cottage at the edge of the woods. They were so poor that, quite often, they had absolutely nothing to eat in their cupboards.

One day, while Lily was picking wild berries in the forest, she met a mysterious old woman. The old woman knew right away that Lily had a good heart and was very hungry. She handed Lily a heavy, black iron pot.

“Take this pot, my dear,” the old woman smiled. “It is completely magical. When you want to eat, simply say, ‘Cook, little pot, cook!’ and it will instantly boil up the most delicious, sweet porridge you have ever tasted. When you are full, just say, ‘Stop, little pot, stop!’ and it will immediately stop cooking.”

Lily thanked the old woman joyfully and carried the pot all the way home to show her mother. As soon as she got to the kitchen, she set the pot on the table and declared, “Cook, little pot, cook!”

To their absolute amazement, the empty pot began to bubble and steam. Within seconds, it filled up with creamy, sweet porridge! They ate until their bellies were completely full and happy. Then Lily said, “Stop, little pot, stop!” and the pot stopped.

Finally, they never had to go to bed hungry again!

A few weeks later, Lily went into town to visit a friend, leaving her mother home alone. By lunchtime, her mother felt a bit hungry. She placed the pot on the table. “Cook, little pot, cook!” she said.

Instantly, the pot began to bubble. The mother scooped a big bowl of warm porridge and began to eat. It was so delicious! But when her bowl was full, the pot just kept cooking. The mother realized with a panic that she had forgotten the magic words to make it stop!

“Okay, pot, that is enough!” the mother cried. But the pot kept cooking. “Please stop now, little pot! Halt! Do not cook anymore!” But none of those were the right words.

The sweet porridge bubbled over the brim of the pot. It spilled onto the table, flooded the kitchen floor, and pushed open the front door. The porridge flowed out into the street, rolling like a slow, tasty river. It flooded the neighbors’ houses, filled the town square, and threatened to cover the bakery! The townspeople didn’t know what to do; they just grabbed spoons and stared in shock.

Just before the entire town was buried in breakfast food, Lily finally returned from her walk. She saw the enormous river of porridge and knew exactly what had happened. She waded knee-deep through the sweet mush all the way to her house.

“Stop, little pot, stop!” Lily cried out.

The brave little pot finally stopped bubbling. The town was safe! But for the rest of the week, if anyone wanted to walk to the other side of town, they had to eat their way through a river of sweet porridge to get there!

Moral of the Story: Magic is a wonderful thing, as long as you know exactly how to control it!