The Story of the Gruffalo - The classic children's bed time story.

"The Gruffalo" is a beloved children's book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. First published in 1999, the story has captivated the hearts and imaginations of readers young and old. It's a tale of wit, bravery, and the power of storytelling.

Once upon a time, in a deep, dark wood, there lived a clever little mouse. This mouse was no ordinary mouse; he was small, but he was smart, and he knew how to outwit those who wanted to eat him. He would often take strolls through the forest, and whenever he met a potential predator, he would invent a story to avoid becoming their dinner.

One fine day, as the mouse ventured deeper into the woods, he encountered a fox. The fox's eyes gleamed with hunger as he looked at the mouse. "Where are you going, little mouse?" the fox inquired, licking his lips.

The mouse, quick on his feet, replied, "I'm going to have lunch with a Gruffalo."

"A Gruffalo?" the fox exclaimed, puzzled. "What's a Gruffalo?"

The mouse grinned mischievously and began to describe the Gruffalo. He painted a vivid picture of a creature with terrible tusks, sharp claws, and a poisonous wart at the end of his nose. The fox's eyes widened with fear as he imagined this monstrous creature. "Goodbye, Fox," the mouse said cheerfully. "I'm off to have lunch with the Gruffalo."

The mouse continued on his way, feeling quite pleased with himself for outsmarting the fox. But as he ventured deeper into the forest, he encountered an owl. The owl, too, looked hungry and asked the mouse where he was going.

"I'm going to have lunch with a Gruffalo," the mouse replied confidently.

"A Gruffalo?" the owl hooted, incredulous. "What's a Gruffalo?"

Once again, the mouse launched into a description of the Gruffalo, making him sound even scarier than before. He spoke of the Gruffalo's knobbly knees and turned-out toes, and how his eyes were orange and his tongue was black. The owl shivered at the thought of such a fearsome creature and warned the mouse to be careful. But the mouse assured the owl that he wasn't afraid and continued on his way.

As the mouse journeyed deeper into the forest, he encountered a snake. The snake, too, was eager for a meal and asked the mouse where he was going.

"To have lunch with a Gruffalo," the mouse replied confidently.

"A Gruffalo?" the snake hissed, sceptical. "What's a Gruffalo?"

The mouse, undeterred, launched into yet another description of the Gruffalo, making him seem even more terrifying. He spoke of the Gruffalo's poisonous spines and his knobbly knees, and how he could turn any creature into stone with just one look. The snake recoiled in fear and warned the mouse to stay away from such a creature. But the mouse, full of bravado, assured the snake that he knew what he was doing and continued on his way.

Finally, the mouse reached the heart of the deep, dark wood, and there, to his astonishment, he stumbled upon a creature that sent shivers down his spine. It was a Gruffalo, just as he had described—a creature with terrible tusks, sharp claws, and a poisonous wart at the end of his nose. The Gruffalo growled, "Who are you?"

The mouse, quick as ever, replied, "Oh, Gruffalo, you see, everyone is afraid of me. For I am the scariest creature in this wood, just take a look, and you'll see."

The Gruffalo, surprised, asked the mouse to prove it. So the mouse led the Gruffalo through the forest, encountering the fox, the owl, and the snake along the way. Each time, the other animals saw the Gruffalo and fled in terror, believing that the mouse was indeed friends with this monstrous creature.

Finally, the Gruffalo turned to the mouse and said, "You're the scariest creature in this wood, it's true. But even the scariest creatures get hungry. And my favourite food happens to be—you."

The mouse, not one to give up easily, replied, "Oh, Gruffalo, don't you know? There's no such thing as a Gruffalo." And with that, he told the Gruffalo how the other animals were terrified of him because he was the "scariest" creature, and he didn't want to be eaten.

The Gruffalo, believing the mouse's clever ruse, decided to let him go. "You may be small," the Gruffalo said, "but you're very smart. Go on, little mouse, before I change my mind."

And so, the mouse scampered away, leaving the Gruffalo behind in the deep, dark wood. As he made his way home, the mouse couldn't help but smile. He had outsmarted the cleverest creature in the forest, thanks to his quick wit and clever storytelling.

And from that day on, the mouse continued to take strolls through the deep, dark wood, knowing that he was the smartest creature around, and that sometimes, a little imagination and a good story could save the day.


"The Gruffalo" is a delightful story that teaches children the power of creativity, quick thinking, and the ability to overcome challenges with cleverness rather than physical strength. It's a timeless tale that continues to enchant readers of all ages, reminding us that sometimes, even the most fearsome creatures can be outwitted with a little imagination.

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