This is one of Grandson??s favorite stories.
He reads the story but I am expected to do the troll??s parts.
It seems the three billy goats are brothers and they own two pastures on either side of a waterway connected by a bridge (presumably owned by the troll). No information is given on the nature of the stream, navigable or not. Perhaps the troll holds a lease from the sovereign over the stream?
At any rate the smallest billy goat starts across the bridge, is challenged by the troll and convinces the troll to wait for his bigger brother. The second billy goat does likewise then the third and largest simply butts the troll out of the way. After that the troll no longer attempts to defend his rights to the bridge.
Probably the first story I memorized, about age 4. In my little voice: And the bwidge kweaked and gwoaned.
So he who owns the most land wins? Might makes right? Easy to win when you fight three to one... seems a little skewed in favor of the goats to me. That's a good lesson for your grandkid to learn though, that's generally how things work.
Do we even know if the goats have rights to use the bridge?? This story smells like a rat.
@drew-r?ÿ The goats have a prescriptive right of use, having satisfied the statutory period?ÿ of continuous, open, notorious, and hostile use of the bridge.?ÿ The troll now unlawfully attempts to subvert these rights by restricting access, presumably to seek rents or further disrupt the repose enjoyed by the goats.?ÿ?ÿ
The largest goat, as the eldest in his family, does his duty (under the doctrine of the lesser magistrate) to resist the tyranny of the troll.
@frozennorth Do they have prescriptive rights? I don't know the story so I have no idea how long they've been using the bridge. Or what the statute of limitations is in that part of (Austria?? Does Austria have a statute of limitations?)?ÿ
The goats have prescriptive rights as the road was there first before the bridge but the troll maintains the bridge in good repair and is authorized by the state to do such and recover his expenses and make a profit so they have to pay i.e. chartered turnpike
I liked that story as a young'un, but I didn't know what gruff was and I still don't.
@mathteacher Go find some crotchety old guy and ask him to explain it.
In FL. the Troll would have tried to sell them Disney Tickets and if they refused then he would start a BBQ GOAT kisok at the entry to the bridge approach. ?????ÿ
Do a study of the old fairy tales that have been around for centuries.?ÿ You will discover that most were based on real world occurrences disguised as a story for little children. "Four and twenty blackbirds baked into a pie" may sound familiar.?ÿ Then read this.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sing_a_Song_of_Sixpence
@mathteacher The story is Norwegian. Gruff is the last name assigned to the goats in the first English translation.?ÿ
Interesting.?ÿ Had always assumed gruff was referring to their disposition towards the troll.
"(of a person's behavior) unfriendly or showing no patience: "Yeah, so what?" came the gruff reply. He's quite a sweet man beneath the gruff exterior