One Gruff's Enough

Spring had been generous. Sweet baby grasses pushed tender arms high, breaking through soft brown soil, sprouting across the land on both sides of the river. Nearly everyone stirred with renewed happiness.

But Baby Sister Gruff wasn't having it. Spring be damned. BSG'd been left behind, forced to fend for herself ever since her big brothers trotted over the Troll Bridge, together, without her. They never even looked back.

After a hot summer, a miserable fall, and a cruel winter, BSG hated them all: Little Billy Goat, Middle Billy Goat, and Great Big Billy Goat Gruff.

"One Gruff's enough!" she screamed, but the wind swallowed her lament. Skulking, her sadness slipped into a pout.

Most of all, BSG hated Mr. Troll. Her brothers were young and dumb. But Mr. Troll had been paid five bucks a season to prevent anyone from crossing the bridge. That's a lot of doe--doh--dough. Oh, you know.

"You had one job!"

BSG was starving, alone, and miserable, but she had had time to plan her revenge.

By the time winter released river into spring's grasp, BSG had gathered seeds from all the plants on the brothers' side, creating stockpiles for years to come. She left behind a smattering of new blades to give the brothers false hope.

And then she conspired with the beavers.

"The bridge'll be unprotected tonight. Come quickly, quietly." When they arrived at the bridge, the beavers found Mr. Troll knocked out. Mushroom stew thick in his beard.

"Have yourselves one damn-dam--oh hell, just have yourselves a time!" And they did.

BSG laughed as the bridge fell into the water, leaving her brothers to fend for themselves.

"Damn, girl." Mr. Troll awoke, shaking his head.

"I know right?!" BSG smiled, pleased as punch. She trotted over to the apple tree for a nibble, but Applesworth declined. He saw BSG had turn rotten.

"Fine, then," she said, trotting to the water to drink. But River bent away from her, saying, "Not on my watch, Sister."

So BSG hitched a ride outta Dodge with old Farmer Jack. She didn't understand his words, but she smiled, sheepishly, when he gave her away for what amounted to a hill of beans.

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Copyright © 04/02/2024 by Christy Munson. All rights reserved.

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This microfiction was created for L.C. Schäfer's Fucked Up Fairytales - An Unofficial Challenge.

To enjoy the original fairytale, Three Billy Goats Gruff, check out Giggle Box's interpretation.

To enjoy the original fairytale, Jack and The Beanstalk, to which I allude at the end of the fractured fairytale, check out Giggle Box's interpretation.

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