"The sap of a tree," replied Father Goldilocks, "is its juice. The tree sends its roots deep into the ground after water to make its leaves grow. After the cold winter is over and the frost is out of the ground, the roots work hard pumping water up into the tree to help it quickly put on a new dress of fluttering green leaves. Sugar maples tell their roots to bring sugar out of the earth; they wish their sap sweetened."
"But how do we get maple sugar?" persisted Goldilocks.
"We tap the sugar-maple trees," began Father Goldilocks.
"What is tap?" inquired Goldilocks.
"To tap a tree," her father went on, "is to make a little hole in the trunk. Out of that the sap will drip. Sugar makers drive sticks in these holes in the trees, and hang buckets on them. The buckets are soon filled with sap. The sap is then boiled until all the water is gone and only sugar is left. That's how we get maple sugar."
The very next day Goldilocks and her father and her mother drove to the forest and cleaned up a deserted little cabin where Father Goldilocks had made maple sugar when Goldilocks was a baby. Such a merry time they had, getting the little cabin ready to live in!
Late that afternoon the three took a long walk in the woods. Father Goldilocks carried a big, big bucket. Mother Goldilocks carried a middle-sized bucket, and the wee, wee Goldilocks carried a wee, wee bucket.
At last they reached a beautiful, sunbright clearing where stood three maple trees in a row: a big maple tree, a middle-sized maple tree, and a little maple tree.
"Oh, let us tap these trees and hang our buckets here!" begged Goldilocks.