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The Three Billy Goats Gruff: a book club kit
Where it comes from. People in Norway told this for a long time. Peter Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe wrote it down around 1841.
In short (for the leader; it gives the ending away). Three billy goats want to cross a bridge to the sweet green grass on the other side, but a mean old troll lives under it. The two smaller goats talk their way past him by sending him on to their bigger brother. The biggest goat is not afraid, and he bumps the troll off the bridge into the river, so the three goats can eat in peace.
The lesson, in one line. Working together with a plan beats a bully.
Reading plan. Read it together at the meeting: about 3 minutes aloud, or ahead of time at home.
Questions to talk about
- Where does Three Billy Goats Gruff come from?
The story's answer: It is a Norwegian folktale. Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe collected it in their Norske Folkeeventyr, whose first volume was published in 1841, and George Webbe Dasent translated it into English in 1859 in Popular Tales from the Norse. - Why are they called Gruff?
The story's answer: In Norwegian the goats are called Bruse, a word that means a tuft of hair. The earliest English translation turned that into “Gruff,” and the name has stayed. George Webbe Dasent's translation of 1859 gave the tale the title “Three Billy Goats Gruff.” - Does the troll die in Three Billy Goats Gruff?
The story's answer: In the Norwegian story the biggest goat overpowers the troll and the troll does not survive. In this telling the troll is bumped into the river, swims away coughing, and never comes back to the bridge. - Who in the story was kind, and who was not? How do you know?
Listen for: Ask for the moment in the story that shows it. - Which part would you change, and how would the story end then?
Listen for: There is no wrong ending; ask what else would have to change. - Is there a rule of three in this story (three tries, three wishes, three visitors)? Why do you think fairy tales like threes?
Listen for: Many do; a third time is where the change happens.
Did you know?
- A Norwegian folktale. Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe collected it in Norske Folkeeventyr, and the first volume came out in 1841.
- The Norwegian title is De tre bukkene Bruse. George Webbe Dasent's English translation, Popular Tales from the Norse, came out in 1859.
- “Bruse” was turned into “Gruff” in the earliest English translation. In Norwegian, the word means a tuft of hair.
Activity: Draw the story as a map
On one big sheet, draw every place the story happens and the path between them. Mark the spot where things go wrong and the spot where they come right.
More to talk about
More facts for the leader
- Dasent's telling ends with a short rhyme saying that the tale is told out.
Words to teach before you start
- troll: fairy-tale monster
- gobble: eat fast
- butted: pushed with horns
- trotted: walked quickly
- creaked: made a squeak
Questions leaders ask
How long does a The Three Billy Goats Gruff book club meeting take?
Reading it aloud takes about 3 minutes in all, so plan one meeting of 30 to 45 minutes, with time left for the questions. The reading plan on the sheet says where to stop.
What age is The Three Billy Goats Gruff for?
It is written at Peabody level 7, a grade 2 reading level, so most children at that level can read it alone. Younger children can listen to it read aloud.
Do the children need to read it before the meeting?
No. Each child can read it free on Peabody, before the meeting or together at it, and the questions work either way. The sheet's short version gives the ending away, so keep it for the leader.
How do I use the questions?
Start with the story's own questions, which have answers in the leader's notes, then move to the open ones and listen for reasons. There is no wrong answer to an open question. Stop when the group runs out of things to say.
Club kits for stories like this
- Little Red Riding Hood (level 7)
- The Princess and the Pea (level 7)
- Jack and the Beanstalk (level 8)
- Stone Soup (level 8)
- The Bremen Town Musicians (level 8)
- The Elves and the Shoemaker (level 8)
How this kit is made
The short version, the facts and the first questions with their answers are the story's own, written for its page in Peabody's library and checked against the sources named there. The open questions, the activity and the plan are Peabody's, written for this kind of story. No part of it is written by a computer model.
Running the meeting: the meeting plans (30, 45 and 60 minutes) and the sign-up sheet.