The Three Billy Goats Gruff
Three billy goats named Gruff formerly made their home in a lush meadow by the banks of a raging river. The three billy goats were starving and wanted desperately to cross the river to eat the delicious grass that grew on the other side.
Yet there was a catch. There was no way to get across the river since it was too large and deep. One could only cross the river on a tiny footbridge.
The crumbling footbridge was watched over by a grumpy old troll who made his home underneath it. The troll was avaricious and self-centered; his favorite meal was always billy goat.
The first billy goat, Gruff, was a cowardly little fellow that shied away from the monster. So he sat on the bank and watched as the second billy goat Gruff crossed the plank walkway.
Gruff, the second billy goat, was more confident than the first, but he still feared the troll. He heard a rough voice shouting to him from below as he crossed the footbridge.
The troll bellowed, "Who's that trip-trapping over my bridge?"
"I'm simply the second billy goat, Gruff," declared the cowardly second goat. To put it another way, "I'm just going over the bridge."
'Well, you can't come across my bridge,' the troll exclaimed. To consume with great relish.
Another billy goat yelled, "Oh no, please don't!" before turning and bolting back across the bridge.
Gruff, the third billy goat, was the biggest and the most courageous. He was covered in long, shaggy fur and sported pointed horns. The sight of his brothers fleeing back over the bridge convinced him that he had to do something to stop the troll.
Thus, the third billy goat Gruff plodded across the planks of the bridge, causing them to groan and crack under his weight. The troll was waiting for him on the other side, snarling and gnashing his teeth.
The troll bellowed, "Who's that trip-trapping over my bridge?"
The third billy goat stamped his hooves on the ground and declared, "I'm the third billy goat Gruff, and I'm not afraid of you!" If you don't let me and my brothers through, I'm going to give you a good beating!
The third billy goat's bravado startled the troll, who promptly fled into the shadows under the bridge. After escaping their pursuers, the three billy goats Gruff lived happily ever after, munching on as much fresh grass as they could handle. The hero's tenacity and perseverance paid him in the end, and the lesson to be learned from this tale is that one should not fear even the most formidable adversaries.