[169]
The following is from Dasent's Popular Tales from the Norse and has long been a favorite with the younger children by reason of its remarkable compactness and its strong accumulative force. The Troll of northern stories is the Ogre of those farther south. The story has a closing formula which may often have been used for other stories as well. (For an opening verse formula see the note on "The Story of the Three Little Pigs," No. [151].)
THE THREE BILLY-GOATS GRUFF
Once on a time there were three Billy-goats who were to go up to the hillside to make themselves fat, and the name of all the 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.