In 'The Gruffalo' by Julia Donaldson, a clever mouse encounters various predators in the woods and fabricates a story about a mythical creature called the Gruffalo to escape being eaten. As the mouse describes the Gruffalo's terrifying features, the fox, owl, and snake all flee in fear, believing the mouse's lie. Eventually, the mouse meets the real Gruffalo but cleverly convinces him that he is the scariest creature in the woods, securing his own safety.

1. THE GRUFFALO
By Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Chapter 1
Narrator: A mouse took a stroll through the deep dark wood. A fox saw the mouse and
the mouse looked good.
Fox: Where are you going to, little brown mouse? Come and have lunch in my
underground house.
Mouse: It’s terribly kind of you, Fox, but no – I’m going to have lunch with a gruffalo.
Fox: A gruffalo? What’s a gruffalo?
Mouse: A gruffalo! Why, didn’t you know? He has terrible tusks, and terrible claws,
and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws.
Fox: Where are you meeting him?
Mouse: Here, by these rocks, and his favourite food is roasted fox.
Fox: Roasted fox!! I’m off!!
Narrator: Fox said
Fox: Goodbye, little mouse
Narrator: and away he sped.
Mouse: Silly old Fox! Doesn’t he know there’s no such thing as a gruffalo?
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2. Chapter 2
Narrator: On went the mouse through the deep dark wood. An owl saw the mouse and
the mouse looked good.
Owl: Where are you going to, little brown mouse? Come and have tea in my treetop
house.
Mouse: It’s frightfully nice of you, Owl, but no – I’m going to have tea with a gruffalo.
Owl: A gruffalo? What’s a gruffalo?
Mouse: A gruffalo! Why, didn’t you know? He has knobbly knees, and turned-out toes,
and a poisonous wart at the end of his nose.
Owl: Where are you meeting him?
Mouse: Here, by this stream and his favourite food is owl ice cream.
Owl: Owl ice cream!! Toowhit toowhoo!! Goodbye, little mouse!
Narrator: and away Owl flew.
Mouse: Silly old Owl! Doesn’t he know there’s no such thing as a gruffalo?
Chapter 3
Narrator: On went the mouse through the deep dark wood. A snake saw the mouse and
the mouse looked good.
Snake: Where are you going to, little brown mouse? Come for a feast in my logpile
house.
Mouse: It’s wonderfully good of you, Snake, but no – I’m having a feast with a
gruffalo.
Snake: A gruffalo? What’s a gruffalo?
Mouse: A gruffalo! Why, didn’t you know? His eyes are orange, his tongue is black, he
has purple prickles all over his back.
Snake: Where are you meeting him?
Mouse: Here, by this lake and his favourite food is scrambled snake.
Snake: Scrambled snake!! It’s time I hid!! Goodbye, little mouse.
Narrator: and away Snake slid.
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3. Mouse: Silly old Snake! Doesn’t he know there’s no such thing as a
gruffal…ooooooh!!!!!!!!!!
But who is this creature with terrible claws and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws? He has
knobbly knees and turned-out toes and a poisonous wart at the end of his nose. His eyes
are orange, his tongue is black; he has purple prickles all over his back. Oh, help!! Oh,
no!!! It’s a gruffalo!
Gruffalo: My favourite food!
Narrator: the Gruffalo said.
Gruffalo: You’ll taste good on a slice of bread!
Mouse: Good?
Narrator: said the mouse
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.
Gruffalo: All right
Narrator: said the Gruffalo, bursting with laughter
Gruffalo: You go ahead and I’ll follow after.
Chapter 4
Narrator: They walked and walked till the Gruffalo said
Gruffalo: I hear a hiss in the leaves ahead.
Mouse: It’s Snake
Narrator: said the mouse
Mouse: Why, Snake, hello!
Narrator: Snake took one look at the Gruffalo.
Snake: Oh crumbs!
Narrator: he said
Snake: Goodbye, little mouse
Narrator: and off he slid to his logpile house.
Mouse: You see?
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4. Narrator: said the mouse
Mouse: I told you so.
Gruffalo: Amazing!
Narrator: said the Gruffalo.
Chapter 5
Narrator: They walked some more till the Gruffalo said
Gruffalo: I hear a hoot in the trees ahead.
Mouse: It’s Owl
Narrator: said the mouse
Mouse: Why, Owl, hello!
Narrator: Owl took one look at the Gruffalo.
Owl: Oh dear!
Narrator: he said
Owl: Goodbye, little mouse
Narrator: and off he flew to his treetop house.
Mouse: You see?
Narrator: said the mouse
Mouse: I told you so.
Gruffalo: Astounding!
Narrator: said the Gruffalo.
Chapter 6
Narrator: They walked some more till the Gruffalo said
Gruffalo: I hear feet on the path ahead.
Mouse: It’s Fox
Narrator: said the mouse
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5. Mouse: Why, Fox, hello!
Narrator: Fox took one look at the Gruffalo.
Fox: Oh help!
Narrator: he said
Fox: Goodbye, little mouse
Narrator: and off he ran to his underground house.
Mouse: Well, Gruffalo
Narrator: said the mouse
Mouse: You see? Everyone is afraid of me!! But now my tummy’s beginning to
rumble. My favourite food is – gruffalo crumble!
Gruffalo: Gruffalo crumble!
Narrator: the Gruffalo said, and quick as the wind he turned and fled.
All was quiet in the deep dark wood; the mouse found a nut and the nut was good.
THE END
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