Once upon a time three billy goats lived together in a field on a hillside. They were the three Billy Goats Gruff. There was a Big Billy Goat Gruff, a Middle Billy Goat Gruff and a Little Billy Goat Gruff.
Beside the billy goats' field ran a river. One day they decided to cross it and eat the grass on the other side. But first they had to go over the bridge. Under the bridge lived a big ugly troll.
First Little Billy Goat Gruff stepped onto the bridge. TRIP TRAP went his hooves.
"Who's that tripping over my bridge?" roared the Troll.
"It is only I, Little Billy Goat Gruff, going across the river to make myself fat," said Little Billy Goat Gruff in such a small voice.
"Now I'm coming to gobble you up," said the Troll.
"Oh, please don't eat me, I'm so small," said Little Billy Goat Gruff. "Wait for the next billy goat. He's much bigger."
"Well, be off with you," said the Troll.
A little while later, Middle Billy Goat Gruff stepped on to the bridge. TRIP TRAP, TRIP TRAP went his hooves. "Who's that tripping over my bridge?" roared the Troll.
"It is only I, Middle Billy Goat Gruff, going across the river to make myself fat," said Middle Billy Goat Gruff, whose voice was not so small.
"Now I'm coming to gobble you up," said the Troll.
"Oh, no, don't eat me," said Middle Billy Goat Gruff. "Wait for the next billy goat. He's the biggest of all."
"Very well, be off with you," said the Troll.
It wasn't long before Big Billy Goat Gruff stepped onto the bridge. TRIP TRAP, TRIP TRAP, TRIP TRAP went his hooves, and the bridge groaned under his weight.
"Who's that tramping over my bridge?" roared the Troll.
"It is I, Big Billy Goat Gruff," said Big Billy Goat Gruff, who had a rough, roaring voice of his own.
"Now I'm coming to gobble you up," said the Troll, and at once he jumped onto the bridge, very mean and hungry.
But Big Billy Goat Gruff was very tough and strong. He put down his head and charged the Troll and butted him so hard he flew high into the air and then fell down and splashed into the middle of the river.
And the great ugly troll was never seen again.
Then Big Billy Goat Gruff joined Middle Billy Goat Gruff and Little Billy Goat Gruff in the field on the far side of the river. There they got so fat that they could hardly walk home again.
I was tempted to try to rewrite this "family" story in parabolic form, but have decided to let the story stand as is without comment. You are free to draw your own conclusions and make your own applications. ~ The Billy Goat ~
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February 2009: Addendum from a recently discovered manuscript fragment.
The goat stared coldly at the troll as it vaunted itself in its own pomposity astride the bridge. The cold stare reflected the steel resolve, determination and hatred the goat had towards the troll and all the troll stood for and all the evil the troll had done. The goat did not wait for the troll to advance. Head lowered, he launched into a deliberate and ferocious charge. The troll roared in anger. The goat paused not a whit, and in the force of the charge hit the troll square in the gut and with a quick up thrust of the head tossed the vile beast of a bully over the side of the bridge into the deep, swiftly flowing current below.
