Welcome to one of Norway's most beloved folktales, a story that has crossed more bridges than its famous goat heroes ever did. "The Three Billy Goats Gruff" comes to us from the mountains and fjords of Norway, collected over 180 years ago by two remarkable friends who helped save their nation's stories from disappearing forever.

Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe met as teenagers in 1826 and became such close friends they called themselves "blood brothers." Peter, a glazier's son who became a marine biologist, collected folktales while traveling to every fjord in Norway. Jorgen, from a wealthy farming family, had been gathering stories since age twelve and later became a bishop. The remarkable thing? They didn't discover their shared passion for eight years! When they finally did in 1834, they combined their collections to create something extraordinary.

In the 1840s, Norway was finding its identity after centuries under Danish and Swedish rule. Even their written language was heavily Danish, while the old stories existed only in varied local dialects. Inspired by the Brothers Grimm, Asbjørnsen and Moe created a new literary Norwegian—not too fancy, not too rustic, but distinctly Norwegian. They didn't just save stories; they helped create the modern Norwegian written language.

Did you know, those goats aren't actually "Gruff" at all! In Norwegian, they're "De tre bukkene Bruse." "Bruse" refers to that tuft of bristly hair that sticks up between a goat's horns. When first translated to English in 1859, it became "Gruff" and stuck. So they're really "The Three Billy Goats Bristle"!

This tale, published between 1841 and 1844, is deeper than it appears. In Norwegian folklore, trolls represent nature's dangerous forces—avalanches, raging rivers, dark forests. The goats heading to mountain pastures represent civilization and survival. The bridge is that perilous crossing between the safe known world and the wild unknown.

Today, this simple tale has traveled far from Norway's mountains. It's been translated countless times, adapted into every medium imaginable, and even inspired a band that played at the 1994 Winter Olympics. Modern Norwegian versions have sold over 450,000 copies, remarkable for a country of just 5 million people.

As you listen, imagine a Norwegian farmhouse on a dark winter night, wind howling outside. Picture young Peter or Jorgen by the fire, carefully writing down every "trip, trap" across that bridge. When that troll growls "Who's that trip-trapping over my bridge?"—you're hearing an echo from Norway's mountains that has thundered across the world for nearly two centuries.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

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 as the fat hasn't fallen off them;  Snip, snap, snout, This tale's told out.

The End