Free Read online The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson :Most Popular Bedtime Stories,Children Stories

The Gruffalo is a children's book by writer and playwright Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler, that tells the story of a mouse's walk in the woods. The book has sold over 10.5 million copies, has won several prizes for children's literature, and has been developed into plays on both the West End and Broadway.

The Gruffalo was initially published in 1999 in the United Kingdom by Macmillan Children's Books (ISBN 0-333-71093-2) as a 32-page hardback edition, was followed six months later by a paperback edition, and subsequently by a small-format board book edition. It was penned for readers aged three to seven, and is about 700 words long. It is written in rhyming couplets, featuring repetitive verse with minor variance.

                     Source: Wikipedia

On went the mouse through the deep dark wood.

An owl saw the mouse, and the mouse looked good.

"Where are you going to, little brown mouse?

Come and have tea in my treetop house."

"It's terribly kind of you, Owl, but no –

I'm going to have tea with a gruffalo."

He has knobbly knees, and turned-out toes,

And a poisonous wart at the end of his nose."

"Where are you meeting him?"

"Here, by this stream,

And his favorite food is owl ice cream."

On went the mouse through the deep dark wood.

A snake saw the mouse, and the mouse looked good.

"Where are you going to, little brown mouse?

Come for a feast in my logpile house."

"It's terribly kind of you, Snake, but no –

I'm having a feast with a gruffalo."

"A gruffalo?  What's a gruffalo?"

"A gruffalo!  Why, didn't you know?

His eyes are orange, his tongue is black,

He has purple prickles all over his back."

"Where are you meeting him?"

"Here, by this lake,

And his favorite food is scrambled snake."

"Scrambled snake!  It's time I hid!"

"Goodbye, little mouse," and away Snake slid.

"Silly old Owl!  Doesn't he know,

There's no such thing as a gruffal...?

Oh!”

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!"

"All right," said the Gruffalo, bursting with laughter.

"You go ahead and I'll follow after."

They walked and walked till the Gruffalo said,

"I hear a hiss in the leaves ahead."

You see?" said the mouse.  "I told you so."

Amazing!" said the Gruffalo.

They walked some more till the Gruffalo said,

"I hear a hoot in the trees ahead."

It's Owl," said the mouse.  "Why, Owl, hello!"

Owl took one look at the Gruffalo.

"Oh dear!" he said, "Goodbye, little mouse!"

And off he flew to his treetop house.

"You see?" said the mouse.  "I told you so."

Astounding!" said the Gruffalo.

They walked some more till the Gruffalo said,

"I can hear feet on the path ahead."

"It's Fox," said the mouse.  "Why, Fox, hello!"

Fox took one look at the Gruffalo.

"Oh help!" he said, "Goodbye, little mouse!"

And off he ran to his underground house.

All was quiet in the deep dark wood.

The mouse found a nut and the nut was good.