The Three Billy Goats Gruff

By Eirin Jensen

The Three Billy Goats Gruff is a Norwegian folk tale from the 19th century, which children hear and learn at a very young age in Norway. It was collected by Asbjørnsen and Moe and published in 1841 in Norske Folkeeventyr. The fairy tale is about three billy goats on their way to summer pastures. To get there they have to walk on a bridge over a river. Under the bridge lives an ugly troll that threatens to eat the goats. The troll lets the two first and smallest goats pass the bridge because he wants the biggest and fattest goat. The third goat butts the troll into the river. The fairy tale has the traditional beginning once upon a time, it contains animal, an event that occur three times, repeating dialogue, contrasting sizes, and an obstacle, - a troll (magic creature). The theme can be good versus evil, prudence, greed, and that you can overcome obstacles. 

The Three Billy Goats Gruff exists in many versions, but it has a main pattern and are often adapted to the culture one lives in (Gamble 2013:141). The version I have chosen is retold by Joan Stimson (1993) and is a part of a Ladybird Favourite Tales series. The text is supported by marvellous illustrations by Chris Russell. His illustrations have different perspectives and varies between chasm and closeness, which helps to drive the story forward (Gamble 2013:212).

 There are many transparent words in the text, e.g. day, grass, troll, hear, eat, will. These words are easy to understand, remember and reproduce, since they are so similar to the Norwegian words (Munden & Myhre, 2015:39).

In the competence aims after Year 4 fairy tales are mentioned under oral communication. The aim is that the pupil should be able to understand the main content of fairy tales and stories. By using a fairy tale the class has prior knowledge to can increase the level of comprehension. It will function as an including element so that every pupil can participate at some degree. By talking about the Norwegian version of the fairy tale before presenting the English one, can be helpful in understanding and learning new English words. The teacher can read the fairy tale aloud, which is a way of scaffolding (Gamble, 2013:31).  After reading the fairy tale, the pupils can practise to find similarities between words and expressions in English and his/her own native language, which is an aim that I find suitable when working with fairy tales. The action and phrases are repeated, which re-inforce the language learning. The repeating dialogue and the fact that the fairy tale is well known by the children, can make it easier to find similarities and to create a dramatized presentation or radio theatre. The aim is for the children to participate in presenting stories in English. Then they can practise pronunciation and use body language and sounds in the presentation, for instance when the goats are crossing the bridge (trip, trap, trip, trap). 

References:

Stimson, Joan (1993) Ladybird Favourite tales, The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Lady Birds Books LTD

Utdanningsdirektoratet (u.å). National Curriculum for Knowledge Promotion in Primary and Secondary Education and Training. Sourced 12.11.15 from http://www.udir.no/kl06/eng1-03/Hele/Kompetansemaal/kompetansemal-etter-4.-arstrinn/?lplang=eng

Gamble, N. (2013). Exploring Children’s Literature: Reading with Pleasure and Purpose (3^rd ed.ed.). London: Sage Publications Ltd.

Munden, J. & Myhre, A. (2015). Twinkle Twinkle. 3^rd edition. Oslo: Cappelen Damm Akademisk.

Asbjørnsen, P. C. og J. Moe (1841) Norske folkeeventyr