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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 a bridge

over a cascading stream they had to cross, and under the bridge lived a great ugly

troll with eyes as big as sauces and a nose as long as a poker.

So, 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 hillside 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, pray 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, be off with you,” said the troll.

A little while 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 hillside to make myself fat,” said the billy goat who hadn’t such a small voice,

“Now I’m coming to gobble you up,” said the troll,

“Oh, no, don’t take me; wait for a little till the big billy goat gruff comes;
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 crept 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, and 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,

and then 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 cascade and after that, he went up

to the hillside where the billy goats got so fat they were scarcely able to walk home

again, and if the fat hasn’t fallen off them, why they’re still fat, so snip snap snout

These tales are told.

The End