The Magic Porridge Pot
About the Story
'The Magic Porridge Pot' is an old GERMAN folk tale collected by the Brothers Grimm. It is a simple, charming story about a MAGIC POT and what happens when the magic words are FORGOTTEN!
The Story
A Poor Girl
Once upon a time, there was a kind little girl who lived with her MOTHER. They were VERY POOR. They had very little food to eat. Sometimes, they went to bed HUNGRY.
'Every day, the little girl wished she had enough food to feed her mother. She was a good and CARING daughter.'
An Old Woman's Gift
One day, the girl was walking in the forest. She met an OLD WOMAN who looked tired and hungry. The girl shared her LAST PIECE of bread with the old woman.
The old woman SMILED. 'You are a KIND child,' she said. 'I will give you a GIFT.'
She gave the girl a SMALL CLAY POT. 'This is a MAGIC Porridge Pot,' said the old woman.
The Magic Words
'When you say: "BOIL, LITTLE POT, BOIL" — the pot will fill with SWEET PORRIDGE!'
The girl's eyes grew WIDE. 'And when you want it to STOP?' she asked.
'Say: "STOP, LITTLE POT, STOP" — and it will STOP cooking.'
The First Time
The girl RAN home to her mother. She placed the pot on the table.
'Boil, little pot, BOIL!' she said.
Immediately — the pot began to FILL with warm, sweet, delicious porridge! It filled the pot to the BRIM — and then STOPPED.
'Stop, little pot, stop,' said the girl.
Mother and daughter ATE until they were FULL. For the FIRST TIME in a long time, they were NOT hungry.
The Mother's Mistake
Every day, the girl would make porridge in the magic pot. They were NEVER hungry again.
But one day, the girl went OUT to play. Her mother felt HUNGRY. 'I will make the porridge myself,' she thought.
'Boil, little pot, BOIL!' said the mother.
The pot began to fill with sweet porridge. YUM! The mother ate and ate.
But when she wanted the pot to STOP — she could NOT remember the words!
'Stop! Stop cooking!' she shouted. But the pot kept BOILING.
'Please stop!' she begged. The porridge kept coming.
Porridge Everywhere!
The porridge flowed OVER the pot. It flowed onto the TABLE. It flowed onto the FLOOR. It flowed OUT of the door!
'Oh no! Oh no!' cried the mother.
The porridge flowed into the STREET. It flowed past the houses. It flowed toward the MARKET!
'What is happening?' people shouted.
The whole VILLAGE was filling with PORRIDGE!
The Girl Returns
Just in time — the girl came HOME. She saw the river of porridge. She ran to the pot.
'STOP, LITTLE POT, STOP!' she shouted.
The pot STOPPED. The porridge was everywhere! The whole street was COVERED in porridge.
A Happy Ending
The villagers were not ANGRY. They were HAPPY! There was FREE porridge for EVERYONE! All the villagers came with bowls and spoons.
'Thank you for the porridge!' they said.
From that day on, the whole village shared the magic porridge pot. Nobody was EVER hungry again.
New Words
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Magic | Having special powers |
| Porridge | A hot food made by boiling grains (oats or rice) in milk or water |
| Pot | A round container for cooking |
| Boil | To heat a liquid until it bubbles |
| Village | A small settlement in the countryside |
Think and Discuss
- Why did the old woman give the pot to the girl?
- What was the mother's mistake?
- Why were the villagers NOT angry about the porridge?
- What lesson does this story teach us?
Fun Activity
Write a SHORT story about what YOU would do with a magic pot that could make ANY food!
Common Mistakes in Writing Stories
- 'Remember to use CAPITAL LETTERS for the beginning of sentences and for names (Girl, Mother, Old Woman).'
- 'Use QUOTATION MARKS for dialogue: "Boil, little pot, boil!" said the girl.'
Self-Test
Q1: Who gave the magic pot to the girl?
Q2: What happened when the girl said 'Boil, little pot, boil!'?
Q3: What went wrong when the mother tried to use the pot?
Q4: How did the girl stop the pot from overflowing?
Q5: How did the villagers feel about the porridge everywhere?
Q6: What is the LESSON of this story?
Answers:
A1: An old woman in the forest gave her the pot because she shared her last piece of bread. A2: The pot filled with sweet porridge. A3: The mother forgot the words to make the pot STOP ('Stop, little pot, stop!'). The pot kept boiling and flooded the village. A4: She said: 'Stop, little pot, stop!' A5: They were HAPPY. They got free porridge for everyone. A6: Kindness is rewarded. Also, it is important to REMEMBER important things (like the magic words!).
