The Three Billy Goats Gruff
Three billy goats want to reach the hillside, where there is plenty of grass to eat. To get there, they must cross a bridge. But a hungry troll lives underneath, and he is ready to gobble up anyone who passes! First comes the smallest goat, then the next, then the biggest. With footsteps that grow louder each time, this Norwegian tale builds a lively meeting between hungry goats and an even hungrier troll.
Content warning: This tale contains threats of being eaten and the violent killing of a troll.
Peer Gynt, Op. 46 — Death of Åse
Once uponon a time there were three Billy-goats, who were going up the hillside to grow to go up to the hill-side to make themselves fat, and the name of all three was “Gruff”.
On the way up was a bridge they had to cross over a stream. And over a burn they had to cross; and under the bridge lived a great ugly Troll, with eyes as big as saucers, and a nose as long as a poker.
So the youngest billy-goat Gruff came first 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 I, the tiniest billy-goat Gruff; and I’m going up to the hill-side to make myself fat”, said the billy-goat, with such a small voice.
“Now, I’m coming to gobble you up”, said the Troll.
“Oh, no! pleasepray 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, he’s much bigger.”
“Well! be off with you”, said the Troll.
A little while later, the second billy-goat Gruff came after 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 hill-side to make myself fat”, said the billy-goat, whose voice was not so smallwho hadn’t such a small voice.
“Now, I’m coming to gobble you up”, said the Troll.
“Oh, no! don’t take me. Wait, wait a little till the big billy-goat Gruff comes. He’s, he’s much bigger.”
“Very well! 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 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 at your ears;
I’ve got besides two curling-stones,
And I’ll crush you to bits, body and bones.
That was what the big billy-goat said. Then he flew at the Troll, poked his eyes out with his horns and crushed him to bits, body and bones. He tossed him into the stream and went up the hillside; 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 burn, and after that he went up to the hill-side. There the billy-goats got so fat they could barely walk home again. And if the fat hasn’t fallen off them, why, they’re still fat! Andwere scarce 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.