three billy goats gruff

i've never really liked this fable much, because it seems like no one in it is actually behaving like they should. however, this is a popular fable to tell children and i've even seen school plays based on it. let's take a quick look at this fable shall we...like all children's fables they hold a lot of "moral guidance" but in this case, i don't think it's all that great.


here it is from the norwegian version (the one most of us were heard as children) words of the troll in red:

Once upon a time there were three billy goats, who wanted to go up to the hillside to make themselves fat, and the name of all three was "Gruff."
On the way up was a bridge over a cascading stream 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 hillside 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 hillside 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 then 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 cascade, and after that he went up to the hillside. There the billy goats got so fat they were scarcely able to walk home again.


ok, so here's the typical moral extruded from this story: if you are brave and stand up for yourself, you will defeat your enemies and treat others as you would like to be treated.

But really is that what you see when you read this story? here's what i see. first, two billy goats who are willing to sell out their friends for their own gain. they would rather let their friends die so that they can get fat on the hillside across the bridge. second, the troll is mean and ugly, but it's HIS bridge, HIS home -he dies protecting his home. third, a beefed up goat with an anger problem who gets away with murder. and lastly, three gluttonous little goats gruff who spend the rest of their lives getting fat on someone else's land.

here's the real morals portrayed: cheat, lie and do whatever it takes to save your own butt and get what you want and if you are physically able to hurt someone to get to your goal - go for it!