Fractured Folktales

The TROLL Bridge

Once upon a time on the side of a steep hill lived the Gruff family, small sister Nanny, middle brother Billy, and big sister Nanny. They lived with their father, Ram goat, and their mother, Ewe goat. The times were lean, and, the grass was thin and dry. The Gruff family was hungry.

Every afternoon the three young goats in the late afternoon walked to the steep side of the cliff that looked over the deep rushing river. They sat on rugged rocks and longed for the tall colorful flowers and rich, green grasses in the meadow on the other side of the deep rushing river.

The young goats hoped the river would dry up. Their parents said, "The River had never dried in their life."

Many times the big sister Nanny jumped off the rocks into the river in hopes of swimming to the other side; always the rushing stream took her far down the valley. Walking home was long, hot. She passed high parched cliffs with many Trolls demanding gifts. When big sister Nanny arrived home, she was exhausted and hungry.

Many times the young goats made rafts out of fallen trees tied with dried grasses to paddle across the river but again taken far down the valley. As always, they traveled through the cliffs of the Trolls, who demanded gifts. They arrived home hungry.