A mouse took a stroll through the deep, dark wood. A fox saw the mouse and the mouse looked good. "Where are you going to, little brown mouse? Come and have lunch in my underground house."

"Oh! That's terribly kind of you Fox, but no. I am going to have lunch with a gruffalo."

"A gruffalo? What's a gruffalo?"

"A gruffalo? Why, didn't you know? He has terrible tusks and terrible claws. And terrible teeth in his terrible jaws."

"And where are you meeting him?"

"Here, by these rocks. And his favorite food is roasted fox."

"Roasted fox! I'm off!" Fox said, "Goodbye little mouse!" And away he sped. "Haha. Silly old Fox, doesn't he know? There's no such thing as a gruffalo." 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."

"Oh! That's terribly kind of you Owl, but no. I'm going to have tea with a gruffalo."

"A gruffalo? What's a gruffalo?"

"A gruffalo? Why, didn't you know? He has knobly knees and turned out toes. And a poisonous wart at the end of his nose."

"And where are you meeting him?"

"Here, by this stream. And his favorite food is owl ice cream."

"Owl ice cream! Hoohoo! Goodbye little mouse!" and away Owl flew. "Haha! Silly old Owl, doesn't he know? There's no such thing as a gruffalo." On went the mouse, through the deep, dark wood. A snake saw the mouse, and the mouse looked good. "Where are you going, little brown moussse? Come for a feassst in my log pile houssse."

"Oh! That's terribly kind of you Snake, but no. I'm having a feast with a gruffalo."

"A gruffalo? What'sss 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."

"And where are you meeting him?"

"Here, by this lake. And his favorite food is scrambled snake."

"Ssscrambled sssnake! It's time I hid. Goodbye little moussse!" And away Snake slid. "Haha! Silly old Snake, doesn't he know? There's no such thing as a gruffa Oh!" But who this creature, with terrible claws and terrible teeth in his terrible jaws. He has knobly knees and turned out toes, and a poisonous wart at the end of his nose. His eyes are orange and his tongue is black. He has purple prickles all over his back. "Oh help! Oh no! It's a gruffalo!"

"My favorite food" the gruffalo said, "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."

"Haha! Alright" 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."

"It's Snake" said the mouse. "Why Snake! Hello!" Snake took one look at the gruffalo. He said "Goodbye little moussse!" And off he slid, to his log pile house. "You see!" said the mouse, "I told you so!"

"Amazing" said the gruffalo. They walked some more, until the gruffalo said, "I hear a hoot in the trees ahead."

"Oh! 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. "Well Gruffalo" said the mouse, "You see, everyone is afraid of me. But now my tummy is beginning to rumble. And my favorite food is gruffalo crumble."

"Gruffalo crumble!" 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.