<Tr> <Th> Publisher </Th> <Td> Longman, Rees, etc . </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Media type </Th> <Td> Print </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Publication date </Th> <Td> 1837 </Td> </Tr> <P> "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" and the older still "The Story of the Three Bears" are two variations of a 19th - century fairy tale . The original tale tells of an ugly, old woman who enters the forest home of three bachelor bears whilst they are away . She sits in their chairs, eats some of their porridge, and falls asleep in one of their beds . When the bears return and discover her, she starts up, jumps from the window, and is never seen again . The other major version brings Goldilocks to the tale (replacing the old woman), and an even later version retained Goldilocks, but has the three bachelor bears transformed into Papa, Mama, and Baby Bear . </P>

When was goldilocks and the three bears written