The Gruffalo – United Kingdom (Original Version)

In a deep, dark wood, a clever little mouse was taking a stroll when he encountered a hungry fox. The fox, eager for a meal, invited the mouse to join him for lunch. But the mouse, thinking quickly, declined the offer.

“Thank you, Fox, but no,” said the mouse. “I’m going to have lunch with a Gruffalo.”

“A Gruffalo? What’s a Gruffalo?” asked the curious fox.

“A Gruffalo! Why, didn’t you know?” said the mouse. “He has terrible tusks, and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws.”

“Where are you meeting him?” asked the fox, nervously.

“Right here, by these rocks. And his favorite food is roasted fox.”

“Roasted fox!” the fox exclaimed. “Oh, my! Goodbye, little mouse,” and he ran away.

The mouse continued his stroll through the woods, feeling quite pleased with his clever trick. Soon, he met an owl.

“Where are you going to, little brown mouse? Come and have tea in my treetop house,” invited the owl.

“It’s terribly kind of you, Owl, but no—I’m going to have tea with a Gruffalo.”

“A Gruffalo? What’s a Gruffalo?” asked the owl.

“A Gruffalo! Why, didn’t you know?” said the mouse. “He has knobbly knees, and turned-out toes, and a poisonous wart at the end of his nose.”

“Where are you meeting him?” asked the owl, now a bit worried.

“Right here, by this stream. And his favorite food is owl ice cream.”

“Owl ice cream! Toowhit toowhoo! Goodbye, little mouse,” and the owl flew off in a hurry.

The mouse walked on through the deep, dark wood. A little later, he met a snake.

“Where are you going to, little brown mouse? Come for a feast in my logpile house,” hissed the snake.

“It’s wonderfully good of you, Snake, but no—I’m having a feast with a Gruffalo.”

“A Gruffalo? What’s a Gruffalo?” asked the snake.

“A Gruffalo! Why, didn’t you know?” said the mouse. “His eyes are orange, his tongue is black; he has purple prickles all over his back.”

“Where are you meeting him?” asked the snake, now very concerned.

“Right here, by this lake. And his favorite food is scrambled snake.”

“Scrambled snake! It’s time I hid!” And the snake slithered away into the grass.

“Silly old snake! Doesn’t he know, there’s no such thing as a Gruffalo?” thought the mouse, laughing to himself.

But as the mouse continued his walk, he suddenly found himself face to face with a real Gruffalo! The creature had terrible tusks, and terrible claws, and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws. His eyes were orange, his tongue was black, and he had purple prickles all over his back.

“Oh help! Oh no! It’s a Gruffalo!” the mouse gasped.

The Gruffalo said, “My favorite food! You’ll taste good on a slice of bread.”

“Good?” said the mouse. “Don’t call me good! I’m the scariest creature in this wood. Just walk behind me and soon you’ll see, everyone is afraid of me.”

The Gruffalo, curious but amused, followed the mouse. As they walked through the forest, the mouse’s trickery came to life. When they passed the snake, the owl, and the fox, each of them scurried away in fear at the sight of the Gruffalo, thinking the mouse must be truly fearsome to walk with such a beast.

Seeing this, the Gruffalo was convinced of the mouse’s fierce reputation. “Amazing!” said the Gruffalo. “You go ahead and I’ll follow behind.”

They walked and walked until the Gruffalo, feeling a bit foolish and wary of the mouse’s reputation, decided he was better off elsewhere. “Goodbye, little mouse,” he said and hurried off into the woods.

Alone once more, the clever little mouse sat down to enjoy a quiet nut. And he thought to himself, “Who needs a Gruffalo when you have brains?”

And with that, the mouse finished his stroll through the deep, dark wood, having outsmarted everyone he met.

The End.