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The Three Billy—Goats Gruff (Norway)

Once upon a time there were three billy goats who were to go up to the hillside to make themselves fat, and the name of all three was "Gruff."

     On the way up the hill, there was a bridge over a brook that they had to cross. Under this bridge lived a great, ugly Troll, with eyes as big as saucers and a nose as long as a poker.

     The youngest billy goat Gruff was the first 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 I, the tiniest billy goat Gruff. I'm going up to the hillside to make myself fat," said the billy goat, with a very small voice.

     "Now, I'm coming to gobble you up," said the Troll.

     "Oh no, please don't take me. I'm too little, that I am," said the billy goat. "Wait a bit till the second billy goat Gruff comes, he's much bigger."

     "Well then, be off with you," said the Troll.

     A little while later the second billy goat Gruff came 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, who didn't have such a small voice.

     "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, he's much bigger."

     "Very well then, be off with you," said the Troll.

     But just then came the big billy goat Gruff.

     "TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP! TRIP, TRAP!" went the bridge, for the third billy goat was so heavy that the bridge creaked and groaned under him.

     "WHO'S THAT tramping over my bridge?" roared the Troll.

     "IT'S I! THE BIG BILLY GOAT GRUFF," said the billy goat, who had an ugly 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 poke your eyeballs out of yours ears;
I've also got two curling stones,
And I'll crush you to bits, body and bones."

     That was what the big billy goat said and so he flew at the Troll and poked his eyes out with his horns, and crushed him to bits, body and bones, and tossed him out into the brook. After that he went up to the hillside with the other two billy goats. There on the hillside the billy goats got so fat they were barely able to walk home again, and if the fat hasn't fallen off them, why, they're still fat. And so —

Snip, snap, snout,
This tale's told out.