In a tiny house, nestled beside a big, green forest, lived a girl and her mother. They were very good people, but oh, they were often very hungry. Sometimes, their tummies would rumble like distant thunder!

One day, the girl, feeling extra hungry, went into the forest hoping to find some berries. Deep in the woods, she met a kind old woman with twinkling eyes. The old woman saw how sad and hungry the girl looked. "Don't worry, dear," she said, and gave the girl a little black pot.

"This is a magic pot," the old woman explained. "When you say, 'Cook, little pot, cook!' it will make delicious, sweet porridge for you. And when you have enough, just say, 'Stop, little pot, stop!' and it will stop."

The girl thanked the old woman with a big smile and hurried home with her new treasure.

Back home, she showed her mother the pot. "Cook, little pot, cook!" she said. And guess what? The pot bubbled and gurgled, and soon it was full of warm, sweet porridge! They ate and ate until they were full and happy. "Stop, little pot, stop!" said the girl, and the pot stopped. Now, they never had to worry about being hungry again!

One day, the girl went out to visit a friend. While she was gone, her mother felt a bit peckish. "Hmm," she thought, "I'll make some porridge." She took the little pot and said, "Cook, little pot, cook!"

The pot started cooking, and soon it was full. Then it overflowed onto the table! Then onto the kitchen floor! The mother got a bit flustered. She wanted it to stop, but oh dear, she had forgotten the magic words to make it stop!

The porridge kept cooking. It filled the kitchen. It oozed out the door. It flowed down the street like a sweet, sticky river! It went into other people's houses. Soon, the whole town was filling up with porridge! People were shouting, "Help! Porridge everywhere!" It was a very sticky situation.

Just then, the girl came walking back. She saw the river of porridge and knew exactly what had happened. She waded through the porridge, which was now almost up to her knees. Quickly, she called out, "Stop, little pot, stop!"

And just like that, the pot stopped cooking.

Phew! But now, the whole town was covered in porridge. What could they do? Well, everyone who wanted to get back into their houses had to eat their way through! It took a while, and everyone was very full, but they managed it. And from that day on, the mother always remembered the magic words for the little pot.

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