The Three Billy Goats Gruff, Norwegian Folktale

In a green valley with a rapid river, there were three goats. One was small, who was the youngest. One was middle-sized and middle-aged. The last one was big and the oldest. Three of them were called the Three Billy Goats Gruff. They ate the green grass along one side of the river, but the grass on the other side always seemed to be greener. The goats never dared to cross the bridge to get to the other side, because long ago they were warned about a troll living under the bridge.

However one day, the youngest goat not able to resist that lush grass on the other side, decided to cross the bridge. “No Little Billy” protested older brothers “You don’t want the troll to eat you, do you?” “I don’t believe in something I’ve never seen” answered Little Billy and started trotting across the bridge. All of a sudden a grumpy voice said “Who is daring to cross my bridge?” An ugly troll appeared “Oh ho ho” said the troll “I smell a delicious dinner.” The little goat as scared as he was, he wouldn’t back up. So he said “The kindest dearest troll I’m just a little skinny goat with hardly any meat on my bones, why don’t you wait for my brother who is much bigger than me.” The trolls were not only ugly, but not too smart neither. “Duh, I wasn’t going to eat you. I just wanted to scare you” said the troll. The little goat hopped and here he was on the other side of the river.

When the middle goat saw his little brother on the other side, he decided to cross the bridge, too. Trot-trot the Middle Billy was crossing the bridge. “Who is daring to cross my bridge?” said the mean troll and appeared from under the bridge “Oh ho ho, I smell a delicious dinner.” The middle goat as scared as he was, he wouldn’t back up knowing that his little brother crossed the bridge. So he said “You’re such a smart troll, do you think that you will fill your belly with a little meat on my bones, why don’t you wait for my oldest brother.” “Duh, I wasn’t going to eat you. I just wanted to scare you” said the troll.

The oldest brother seeing both goats on the other side felt as he didn’t have another choice, but to cross the bridge. Trot-trot the Big Billy was crossing the bridge. “Who is daring to cross my bridge?” said the grouchy troll and jumped on the bridge “Oh ho ho, I smell a delicious dinner.” “Oh ho ho, I smell a delicious dinner myself” said the Big Billy. He lowered his head and with his huge horns he butted the mean troll into the river. “And now I will eat the lush green grass for my dinner” said the oldest goat jumping on the other side. The troll was gone with the rushing river and was never seen again. The Three Billy Goats Gruff lived happily, eating grass from both sides of the river.