Each child finds a space and sits down. Each child or a group of children are assigned a specific word and a corresponding action. The narrator/teacher reads the story aloud, and when the children hear their word, they must jump up and do their actions. The words are in bold to assist the teacher.
Movement: Action.
Billy goats gruff: Move like a goat and say triplet trip.
Bridge: Two children face each other; they place their arms over their heads and link their fingers together.
Troll: Roar and make an ugly face.
Smallest: Make your body as small as you can.
Middle-sized: Stand up straight.
Bigger/Biggest: Stretch your hands up in the air as high as you can.
Meadow: Get down on your hands and knees and graze on the grass.
Hungry: Rub your tummy.
Brother: Two children link arms.
Brothers: Three children link arms.
Eat: Mime gobbling food.
Narrator: Once upon a time, there lived three billy goats gruff. They spent every winter in a barn that kept them nice and warm. But when the summer came, they liked to trippety trip over the bridge to the beautiful green meadow on the other side of the river. “I’m really hungry. I think I will cross the bridge to eat some lovely green grass in the meadow,” said the smallest billy goat gruff.
What the billy goats gruff didn’t know was that under the bridge, there lived an ugly troll. The troll was nasty and horrible.
Nobody crossed the bridge without the troll’s permission, and he never gave permission.
“I can’t wait to get to the meadow,” said the smallest billy goat gruff. “Who is that trippety tripping over my bridge?” roared the troll.
“Oh, it’s only me. Please let me pass. I only want to go to the meadow to eat some sweet grass,” pleaded the smallest billy goat gruff.
“Oh no, you are not. I’m going to eat you,” said the troll.
“Oh, no, please, Mr. Troll, I’m only the smallest billy goat gruff. I’m much too tiny for you to eat, and I wouldn’t taste very good. Why don’t you wait for my brother, the middle-sized billy goat gruff? He is much bigger than I am and would be much tastier,” said the smallest billy goat gruff.
“Well, I suppose I could wait,” the troll said with a sigh.
“I think I will join my brother on the meadow and eat some lovely lush grass,” mused the middle-sized billy goat gruff.
“Who is that trippety tripping over my bridge?” roared the troll.
“Oh, it’s only me. Please let me pass. I only want to go to the meadow to eat some sweet grass” said the middle sized billy goats gruff.
“Oh no, you are not. I’m going to eat you,” bellowed the troll.
“Oh, no, please, Mr. Troll, I’m only the middle-sized billy goat gruff. I’m much too tiny for you to eat, and I wouldn’t taste very good. Why don’t you wait for my brother, the biggest billy goat gruff?” He is much bigger than I am and would be much tastier,” pleased the middle-sized billy goat gruff.
“Well, I suppose I could wait,” the troll said with a sigh.
“I am alone and hungry. I will join my brothers in the meadow and get some nice and sweet grass to eat,” said the biggest billy goat gruff.
“Who is that trippety tripping over my bridge?” roared the troll.
“Oh, it is only me. Please let me pass. I only want to go to the meadow to eat some sweet grass,” said the biggest billy goat gruff.
“Oh no, you are not. I’m going to eat you,” bellowed the troll.
“That’s what you think!” shouted the biggest billy goat gruff angrily. He lowered his horns, galloped along the bridge and butted the ugly troll. Up, up, up went the troll into the air. Then down, down, down into the rushing river below. He disappeared below the swirling waters. “That taught him a lesson,” said the biggest billy goat gruff. He continued across the bridge and met with his brothers, and they ate grass and played for the rest of summer.
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