The Three Billy Goats Gruff
3 min readages 4 and uptalerie.com/en/tales/the-three-billy-goats-gruff
The billy goats Gruff go up to the hillside to eat their fill, and the two smaller ones talk the troll out of eating them by promising a bigger goat behind them. The big billy goat Gruff lowers his horns and butts the troll into the water, and the goats eat the sweet grass until they are almost too fat to walk home.
Once upon a time there were three billy goats who were going up to the hillside to eat their fill and grow fat, and the name of all three was Gruff.
On the way up there was a bridge over a rushing stream, and they had to cross it. Under that bridge lived a great ugly troll, with eyes as big as saucers and a nose as long as a poker.
So first of all came the youngest billy goat Gruff to cross the bridge.
“Trip, trap; trip, trap!” went the bridge.
“WHO’S THAT tripping over my bridge?” roared the troll.
“Oh, it is only me, the tiniest billy goat Gruff, and I’m going up to the hillside to make myself fat,” said the billy goat in his small, small voice.
“Now I’m coming to gobble you up,” said the troll.
“Oh no, please don’t take me. I’m far too little, that I am,” said the billy goat. “Wait a bit, till the second billy goat Gruff comes along. He’s much bigger.”
“Well then, be off with you,” said the troll.
A little while later came the second billy goat Gruff to cross the bridge.
“TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP!” went the bridge.
“WHO’S THAT tripping over my bridge?” roared the troll.
“Oh, it’s the second billy goat Gruff, and I’m going up to the hillside to make myself fat,” said the billy goat, whose voice was not so small.
“Now I’m coming to gobble you up,” said the troll.
“Oh no, don’t take me. Wait a little, till the big billy goat Gruff comes along. He’s much bigger.”
“Very well then, be off with you,” said the troll.
But just then up came the big billy goat Gruff.
“TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP!” went the bridge, for the big billy goat was so heavy that every board of it creaked and groaned under him.
“WHO’S THAT tramping over my bridge?” roared the troll.
“IT’S ME! THE BIG BILLY GOAT GRUFF!” said the billy goat, who had a rough, hoarse voice of his own.
“Now I’m coming to gobble you up,” roared the troll.
Well, come along! I’ve got two spears,and I’ll pitch you out by the ears.I’ve got besides two heavy stones,and I’ll bowl you over, body and bones.
That was what the big billy goat Gruff said. Then he lowered his great horns and came on at a run, and he butted the troll clean over the side of the bridge and into the water, and the stream carried him away, and he was never seen there again.
After that the big billy goat walked on up to the hillside.
And there the three billy goats Gruff ate the sweet grass until they grew so fat they could hardly walk home again. If the fat has not fallen off them, they are fat still.
Snip, snap, snout,this tale’s told out.
Retold by Talerie from Popular Tales from the Norse (opens in a new window)License: Public domainCopy this text, adapt it, use it however you like. A link back to Talerie is appreciated but never required.CC0 1.0 (opens in a new window)