The Three Billy Goats Gruff

 

Once upon a time, there were three billy goats called Gruff. One day, they set off up the hillside that they lived on. They were going to look for some tasty grass to eat. 

On the way up the hillside, they came to a river. On the other side, there was a beautiful meadow. In the meadow there was a lot of grass. It was the finest grass they had ever seen. There was a wooden bridge over the river, but under the bridge, there lived a very big and ugly troll. People were afraid to cross the bridge because the troll gobbled up any person who tried to cross it. 

The three billy goats Gruff were very, very scared at the thought of the troll, yet they longed to eat the sweet grass on the other side of the bridge.

After a while, the youngest goat told the others that he would try to cross the bridge first. Trip-trap-trip-trap went the hooves of the youngest billy goat Gruff. Out popped the ugly troll’s big head. It was so big and ugly that the first billy goa Gruff almost fell down with fright.

‘Who’s that trip-trapping over my bridge?’ bellowed the troll. The youngest goat replied in a tiny voice. ‘It’s only me, the smallest billy goat Gruff,’ he said. I’m going to the meadow to eat the sweet grass.’

‘Then I’m coming to eat you up!’ bellowed the troll.

‘Oh, no! Please don’t gobble me up!’ said the youngest billy goat Gruff. ‘I’m far too small and not at all tasty. Wait until the second billy goat Gruff crosses the bridge. He’s much bigger and tastier than I am!’

‘Very well,’ said the troll. ‘Be off with you!’ 

So, the youngest billy goat Gruff crossed the bridge.

Then the second goat told the third goat that he was going to try next. Trip-trap-trip-trap went the second billy goat Gruff on the bridge. Out popped the big and ugly head that belonged to the big and ugly troll. ‘Who’s that trip-trapping over my bridge?’ roared the troll. The second billy goat spoke in a soft voice. ‘It’s just me, the second billy goat Gruff.,’ he said. ‘I’m going to the meadow on the other side.’ ‘Then I’m going to eat you up!’ bellowed the troll. ‘Oh, no! Please don’t eat me up!’ he said. ‘I’m not very big and not very tasty. Wait until the third billy goat gruff crosses the bridge. He is very big and very tasty!’ he said. ‘Very well.’ said the troll. Be off with you!’ So the second billy goat Gruff crossed the bridge.

Then, the eldest billy goat Gruff decided to cross the bridge. He was almost fully grown, so he could be very loud when he wanted to. TRIP-TRAP-TRIP-TRAP-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG went the goat as he crossed the bridge. Out popped the troll. He was so very, very ugly that the goat almost fell down in fright. But he didn’t show it. He only stamped harder. TRIP-TRAP-TRIP-TRAP-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG. ‘Who’s that trip-trapping across my bridge?’ bellowed the troll. ‘It’s me, the third billy goat Gruff’ he bellowed, in a voice even louder than the troll’s voice. ‘Then I’m coming to eat you up!’ bellowed the troll. Oh, no, you are not!’ bellowed the third billy goat. ‘I am coming to eat you up!’ And he stamped his feet even harder. TRIP-TRAP-TRIP-TRAP-BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG  

And with that he butted the troll with his enormous horns. The ugly troll fell off the bridge into the deep water. There was a very, very loud splash and the troll disappeared, never to be seen again.