Do you know the billy goats?

[Masha du Toit]

One of my characters refers to the story "The Three Billy-goats Gruff". 

Would you recognize this as a children's story?  It doesn't really matter if people don't know the details, just that it is a well known story that gets told to children?

[winspearj]

Absolutely, the old Ladybird Books' edition frightened the life out of me as a kid; I remember it had a pretty horrible looking troll in it.
Jonathan

[Masha du Toit]

Absolutely, the old Ladybird Books' edition frightened the life out of me as a kid; I remember it had a pretty horrible looking troll in it.
Jonathan

Ha I bet we had the same one in my Kindergarten. 

[MichaelWallace]

At least in the States I think any child would recognize that story. My kids have a couple of copies, including one in Spanish.

[Harry Dewulf]

One of my core stories, I tell this one often. It's a really good starter for younger children in storytelling sessions as they often don't know it but all the features are familiar. If you want I can do a full literary deconstruction on it? No? Don't blame you.

[Masha du Toit]

One of my core stories, I tell this one often. It's a really good starter for younger children in storytelling sessions as they often don't know it but all the features are familiar. If you want I can do a full literary deconstruction on it? No? Don't blame you.

I'm game!  Bring it on 

[Harry Dewulf]

I'm game!  Bring it on 

Duly Blogged.

[T.L. Haddix]

Absolutely would recognize this.

[Kevis 'The Berserker' Hendrickson]

Trip, trap, trip, trap, trip, trap...

[ToniD]

Oh yes.

Which brings back memories of my daughter in a kindergarten play. She was a goat. One of her finest moments. 

[RuthMadison]

Loved this story as a kid.

[Masha du Toit]

Duly Blogged.

I tried to post a comment at your blog but could not get past the captcha.  So here's my comment:

Yay!  Thanks, I enjoyed that.

I loved this story and always felt that it was different from the others, somehow.  I never really thought about why though.  I think the lack of moral is an important reason, and the fact that the littlest gets the better of the bigger troll, but is also backed up by his bigger brother.

So you sort of get to have your cake and eat it.  As a child, you get to outfox the big guys who control your life, and you also get to have  a big guy look after you.

Now I'm thinking of all those other stories I loved.  Like the one about the wolf and the seven goats...also about a little goat who tricked a big monster, but gets help from mom in the end.