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Oh, so many years past - such a long time ago,
In a land where the mountains were covered in snow,
    Three billy goats Gruff left the warmth of their barn
     And what happened next makes a wonderful yarn!

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By now all the snow had left these high slopes
And the three goats set off with very good hopes
     Of finding some tender and tasty green grass,
     But a bridge must be crossed and, oh dear, alas - - -

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They knew that down under the bridge lived a troll 
But, more than just that, he would gobble up whole
     Any poor creature who dared cross his bridge,
     From the size of an elephant to that of a midge.

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For breakfast the troll had some very good feasts:
He once ate a lion, the king of the beasts.
     When little goat Gruff soon arrived on his scene,
     The cruel troll looked up with a face that was mean.

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     'Who’s crossing my bridge with a clippety clop?
       Don’t hurry on past!  I want you to stop!'

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'Don’t eat me kind sir,' cried out poor Little Gruff.
'See my two larger brothers?' - and there sure enough
     The troll, seeing them said: 'Oh, get along past!' -
     And the littlest Gruff just clip-clopped on fast.

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The troll thought of breakfast and licked his big lips
'Ooooh I love goat for breakfast, especially with chips!'
    The second young billy arrived on the scene
    And the troll then looked up with a face that was mean: 

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     'Who’s crossing my bridge with a clippety clop?
       Oh don’t hurry past!  I want you to stop!'

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'Don’t eat me kind sir,” called the middle-sized Gruff.
'Look, my brother is larger,' - and there sure enough
    The troll saw the brother: - 'Oh get along past!'-
    And the middle sized Gruff quickly clip-clopped on fast.

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The greedy old troll once again licked his lips.
There’d be not only one but a few meals with chips!
     When the big billy goat arrived on the scene
     The troll jumped up fast with a face that was mean:

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     'Who’s crossing my bridge with a clippety clop?
      Don’t hurry on past!  I want you to stop!'

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Big billy goat Gruff, knowing just what he’d do,
Said: 'There’s a big shock that is coming to you!'
    Down went his head, and with horns that were mean,
    He tossed the cruel troll who has ne’er since been seen.

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NOTE:   'Three Billy Goats  Gruff' (Norwegian:  De tre bukkene Bruse) is Norwegian fairy tale.[1] The fairy tale was collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in their Norske Folkeeventyr, first published between 1841 and 1844.  It has an 'eat-me-when-I'm-fatter' plot as you'll have noticed, of course.

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