RIC-20935 Early years Fairytales - Billy goats

Teacher background information
‘The three billy goats Gruff’ is a traditional Norwegian fairytale based on the theme of ‘the grass on the other side of the fence is
always greener’. A short retelling of the traditional fairytale has been provided. It can be read to the children and compared to
other versions of the story.
Once upon a time there were three goats and their surname was Gruff. There was Little Billy Goat Gruff, Big Billy Goat Gruff and
Great Big Billy Goat Gruff. The three goats lived in the country, where there was lots of green grass and they were very happy.
But one day Little Billy Goat Gruff said, ‘Look at all that green grass on the hill over there! It is much greener than our grass. I
want to get fat so I’m going over there to eat some right now’.
His brother, Big Billy Goat Gruff, said, ‘No, you mustn’t do that. You’ll have to cross the bridge and there’s a wicked troll living
under there who will get you’.
‘I’m not afraid of the troll’, said Little Billy Goat Gruff and off he went—trip, trap, trip, trap—across the bridge.
‘Who’s that trip-trapping over my bridge?’ roared the wicked troll.
‘It is I, Little Billy Goat Gruff’, replied the frightened goat.
‘Well, I’m going to come up there right now and gobble you up’, roared the troll.
‘No, don’t take me, I’m too little’, replied Little Billy Goat Gruff. ‘Wait for Big Billy Goat Gruff.’
‘Okay, off you go’, said the troll. And Little Billy Goat Gruff went trip-trapping across the bridge.
When Big Billy Goat Gruff saw him eating the grass, he said, ‘Look at Little Billy Goat Gruff eating the green grass. I want to get
fat, so I’m going over there too’.
But Great Big Billy Goat Gruff said, ‘No, you mustn’t do that. The wicked troll will get you’.
‘I’m not afraid of the troll’, said Big Billy Goat Gruff, and off he went—trip, trap, trip, trap—across the bridge.
‘Who’s that trip-trapping over my bridge?’ roared the wicked troll.
‘It is I, Big Billy Goat Gruff’, replied the frightened goat.
‘Well, I’m going to come up there right now and gobble you up’, roared the troll.
‘No, don’t take me’, replied Big Billy Goat Gruff. ‘Wait for Great Big Billy Goat Gruff. He’s much fatter than I am.’
‘Okay’, said the troll. And Big Billy Goat Gruff went trip-trapping across the bridge.
When Great Big Billy Goat Gruff saw his brothers eating the grass he said, ‘I want to get fat, so I’m going over there too’. So
Great Big Billy Goat Gruff went—trip, trap, trip, trap—across the bridge.
‘Who’s that trip-trapping over my bridge?’ roared the wicked troll.
‘It is I, Great Big Billy Goat Gruff’, replied the goat.
‘Well, I’m going to come up there and gobble you up’, roared the troll.
‘Well, just you come up and try’, replied Great Big Billy Goat Gruff.
The troll climbed up onto the bridge and tried to grab Great Big Billy Goat Gruff. But Great Big Billy
Goat Gruff was too strong. He used his horns to push the wicked troll off the bridge and into the
water. That was the end of the wicked troll.
Now the goats are fatter and happier. They can cross the bridge to eat the grass whenever they want
to.
• ‘The three billy goats Gruff’ is a fairytale.
• Fairytales are not true stories.
• Many fairytale characters are imaginary and can do
things real people and animals can’t do.
• Sometimes magic happens in fairytales.
• There are good and bad characters in fairytales.
• The bad characters are mean to the good ones, but the
good ones almost always win in the end.
Concepts to be developed
• Fairytales happened in the past (‘Once upon a time …’) in
different and interesting places.
• Fairytales have been told and written by many different people
so not all versions are the same.
• The sequence of events in a fairytale is important.
• This fairytale uses language for comparatives and superlatives;
e.g. bigger, biggest, fatter, fattest.
8 Early years themes—Fairytales—The three billy goats Gruff www.ricpublications.com.au – R.I.C. Publications ®