The story is based on a folk/fairy tale "Three Billy Goats Gruff" (Norwegian: De tre bukkene Bruse) from Norway, first published in 1843. It was collected by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe in their book "Norwegian Folktales" (Norwegian: Norske Folkeeventyr). The first English translation by George Webbe Dasent was published in a book "Popular Tales from the Norse" (Edmonston & Douglas, 1859), and the first Finnish translation in a book "Norjalaisia satuja ja tarinoita 1" (WSOY, 1881).