The Three Billy Goats Gruff
3 min readages 4–8talerie.com/en/tales/the-three-billy-goats-gruff
Three goats named Gruff must cross a bridge guarded by a hungry Troll on their way to the hillside pasture, and the two smaller goats each talk their way past by promising a bigger brother is coming. When the biggest Billy Goat Gruff arrives, he butts the Troll off the bridge for good, and all three goats climb to the hillside and eat themselves happily fat.
Once upon a time there were three Billy Goats who were going up to the hillside to grow fat, and the name of all three was Gruff.
On the way was a bridge over a stream, and under that bridge lived a great, ugly Troll, with eyes as big as saucers and a nose as long as a poker.
First came the smallest Billy Goat Gruff, trip-trapping over the bridge.
“Trip, trap; trip, trap!” went the bridge.
“WHO’S THAT tripping over my bridge?” roared the Troll.
“Oh, it is only I, the smallest Billy Goat Gruff, going up to the hillside to grow fat,” said the goat, in his smallest voice.
“Now I’m coming to gobble you up,” said the Troll.
“Oh, please don’t take me. I’m far too little. Wait a bit till the second Billy Goat Gruff comes along. He’s much bigger than I am.”
“Very well. Be off with you,” said the Troll.
A little while later came the second Billy Goat Gruff, trip-trapping over the bridge.
“Trip, trap; trip, trap!” went the bridge.
“WHO’S THAT tripping over my bridge?” roared the Troll.
“It is the second Billy Goat Gruff, going up to the hillside to grow fat,” said the goat, whose voice was not so small.
“Now I’m coming to gobble you up,” said the Troll.
“Oh, don’t take me. Wait just a little till the big Billy Goat Gruff comes along. He’s much bigger than I am.”
“Very well. Be off with you,” said the Troll.
But then came the big Billy Goat Gruff, and the bridge creaked and groaned beneath him.
“Trip, trap; trip, trap!” went the bridge.
“WHO’S THAT tripping over my bridge?” roared the Troll.
“IT IS I, THE BIG BILLY GOAT GRUFF,” said the goat, in a voice as rough and hoarse as a voice could be.
“Now I’m coming to gobble you up,” roared the Troll, and he climbed up onto the bridge.
But the big Billy Goat Gruff only lowered his horns, put down his head, and charged. He caught the Troll and butted him clean off the bridge and down into the rushing water below, and the Troll was never seen again.
Then the big Billy Goat Gruff went on up to join his brothers, and all three climbed to the hillside together. There the grass was so green and sweet that they ate and ate until they grew too fat to walk home easily, and if the fat has not fallen off them yet, why, they are fat still.
Retold by Talerie, Source: 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)