Three Billy Goats Gruff

Three Billy Goats Gruff: The Story

We're excited about the Three Billy Goats Gruff adventure because we just had our own adventure up close and personal with two horned mountain sheep! When we saw them we were reminded of another one of the great classic short stories and we just had to let you jump in on the adventure with us!

The pictures on this page are ones we took of the sheep!
Click the arrow to listen to the Three Billy Goats Gruff.

Once upon a time there were three billy goats, who were going up the hill side to graze in the green pastures to make themselves fat, and their names were 'Gruff'.

On the way up was a bridge 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 fire poker.

First 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! Please don't eat me. I'm too little, said the billy goat; wait a bit until the second billy goat Gruff comes, he's much bigger."

"Well! Be off with you then", 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 only me, the second billy goat Gruff, and I'm going up to the hill-side to make myself fat", said the billy goat, who had a bigger voice.

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

"Oh, no! Don't eat me, wait a little while until the big billy goat Gruff comes, he's much bigger than I."

"Very well! Be off with you", said the Troll.

But just then up came the biggest 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 BIGGEST BILLY-GOAT GRUFF", said the billy goat, who had the biggest, toughest 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 your ears;

I've also got two curling-stones,

And I'll crush you to bits, body and bones."

Then he flew at the Troll and poked his eyes out with his horns, crushed him to bits, body and bones, and tossed him out over the bridge.

The three billy goats Gruff continued up to the hillside to graze all day and got so fat they were barely able to walk home again. And they never had to worry about the mean, selfish old troll again.

Three Billy Groats Gruff: What Is A Curling Stone?

Click the arrow to listen.

Did you notice that in Three Billy Goats Gruff the biggest billy goat had two curling stones? We wondered what a curling stone was and we thought you might be wondering too!

First you have to know that this classic short story originated around Scotland quite a long time ago.

In Scotland, around the 16th century, the people played a game called curling. The game is kind of like marbles but uses a much bigger stone called a curling stone. The men would use these very large, heavy stones and push them around on the ice trying to get points for the stones landing in a certain area. They would also get points for knocking their opponents stones out.

A curling stone is literally a stone, or rock that is made out of granite from quarries in Scotland or Wales and weigh 40 pounds!

The game, or sport, of curling is still around today and is even a winter Olympic Sport! So the next time you watch the winter Olympics, look for the curling competitions!

Who knew you could learn all of that from reading the Three Billy Goats Gruff?

If you love this story as much as we do, here's some cool crafts and puppets to act it out on your own!

Literature Pockets: Folktales and Fairytales, Grades K-1

Three Billy Goats Gruff Finger Puppets

If you enjoyed this classic short story you'll also enjoy Aesops Fables - click here!

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