There was a poor, good little girl, who lived alone with her mother, and they had nothing more to eat.
So the child went into the forest, and an Old Woman met her, who knew of her sorrow, and gave her a Little Pot, which, when she said:
“Boil, Little Pot, boil!”
would cook good sweet Porridge. And when she said:
“Stop, Little Pot, stop!”
it ceased to cook.
The little girl took the Pot home to her mother. And now they were freed from their poverty and hunger, and ate sweet Porridge as often as they liked.
Once on a time, when the little girl had gone out, the mother said:
“Boil, Little Pot, boil!”
And it began to cook, and she ate till she was satisfied. Then she wanted the Pot to stop cooking, but did not know the word.
So it went on cooking, and the Porridge rose over the edge. And still it cooked on till the kitchen, and the whole house was full, and then the next house, and then the whole street, just as if it wanted to satisfy the hunger of the whole world. And there was the greatest trouble, and no one knew how to stop it. At last, when only a single house was left, the child came home and just said:
“Stop, Little Pot, stop!”
and it stopped cooking.
And whosoever wished to return to the town, had to eat his way back.
