Once on a time there were three _Billy-goats_, who were to go up to
the hill-side to make themselves fat, and the name of all three was
"_Gruff_."
On the way up was a bridge over a burn 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 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 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! 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
hill-side 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 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 creaked 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;
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 so 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 burn, and after that he went up
to the hill-side. There the billy-goats got so fat they were scarce
able to walk home again; and if the fat hasn't fallen off them, why
they're still fat; and so:
Snip, snap, snout,
This tale's told out.