Enjoy a week of languishing in your comfort zone, here's my writing comfort like Grandma's old quilt in response to NWCU's challege to tell the old in new way
Three brother goats were all named Gruff
One was small and frail,
And bigger was the middle brother,
The oldest larger still.
Their farmer wanted fatter goats,
And sent them up yon hill
To where the grass grew lush and green,
So they could eat their fill.
Now, on their way they had to cross
A bridge o’er lively brook,
The home of one darn ugly troll
That left all terror-struck.
His eyes as wide as saucers glowed
Deep red with blood of those
Who’d tried to cross his bridge before
While he had want to doze.
His nose as long as fireside’s poker
Could smell a child’s cold fear;
He ate all those who crossed his bridge,
He ate them all right there.
So came the first--the youngest goat,
Who was but skin and bone.
“Trip trap trip trap,” the bridge sang out
With hoof and wood’s soft tone.
“Who’s that tripping o’er my bridge?”
The troll awoke and roared.
It’s voice struck fear in all who heard
The mean ring to its chord.
“Tis only I the smallest one,”
The billy goat replied.
“I’m going to eat where grass is green,
Get fat on yon hillside.”
“And now I’ll come to gobble you,”
The troll called out with glee.
”You woke me up and now I’m starved;
“You’ll make a meal for me!”
“Oh pray don’t take me!
I’m so small;
“If you’ll just wait a while,
“My brother comes along real soon;
“He’s bigger by a mile!”
The troll was hungry but he thought
More food if he’d but wait.
“Be gone,” he called and settled in
To listen for the gait.
T’was soon he heard those louder steps
Upon the bridge’s edge
Trip trap trip trap trip trap.
“Who trips upon my bridge?”
“It’s me, the second billy goat
“It's where the grass is at
“I Go.
Up to the
hill to eat
“And eat untill I’m fat.”
“I’m coming up to gobble you!”
The troll knew by the voice
And louder step the billy goat
Indeed was better choice.
“Oh no, not me for brother three
“Is so much bigger still!
“You’ll eat and eat and eat some more
“Until you get your fill!”
His tummy rumbled, made him a grouch
But more was always good
“Very well.
Be off
with you!”
He waited for his food.
Then came the heavy steps of one
Across the wooden pass.
Trip trap trip trap trip trap
This goat had some mass!
The ancient bridge
gave creak and groan
Under this big goat.
“Who’s that tramping o’er my bridge?”
”You're bigger by a lot!”
And in a voice as deep and mean
As the troll could do,
He called “I’m coming up to eat,
“And eat until I’m through!”
“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”
The troll came up and met the goat,
And on the battle raged.
Two warring beasts upon the bridge
Both bloodied and enraged.
But in the end, the goat would stand
The baddest billy goat,
The biggest of the three Goat Gruffs
Would wear a troll skin coat.
Well they ate and fat they got
On tender blades of green.
So fat they got, they couldn’t walk;
Upon yon hill they’re seen.
--Monty Wheeler
