Chapter 1
The Gruffalo is a wordless picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Sheffler. It tells the story of a clever small mouse who outsmarts a series of predators by inventing an imaginary "Gruffalo" creature which she claims is a ferocious, dangerous creature she will call if any of them even go near her. In this first chapter, the mouse takes a walk through the forest, looking for food. As she does she encounters several animals, including a Fox, Owl, and Snake, who all try to catch her for a meal. However, the mouse outwits each predator by claiming that the Gruffalo is a creature that lives in the forest and would harm them all if they were to come near her. The animals are all terrified and flee, leaving the mouse unharmed.
For example, when the Fox askes the mouse what she is doing in the woods alone, she makes up a terrifying story about the Gruffalo, claiming “He has terrible tusks and terrible claws, and a terrible tail that whacks and a terrible roar that shakes the ground”. This scares the Fox so much that he runs away and the mouse continues along her journey unharmed.
Chapter 2
In the second chapter of The Gruffalo, the mouse continues her journey through the woods until she finds a big nut tree. She climbs the tree and collects a large quantity of nuts, when suddenly, she hears a strange sound. It turns out to be the Gruffalo, who has smelled her delicious nut dinner and has followed her to the tree!
The Gruffalo is a big creature with orange eyes, sharp teeth and claws, and a purple prickly mane. The mouse is scared and fears for her life, until she realizes that the Gruffalo was just trying to get some of her delicious nuts. She distracts the Gruffalo by pointing out various features of the forest and the Gruffalo, finally allowing the mouse to escape.
For example, the mouse tells the Gruffalo his eyes are “bright as fire” and his claws are “sharp as knives”. She also tells the Gruffalo his fur is “as yellow as mustard” and his tail is “as black as coal”, distracting him enough to give her time to flee.
Chapter 3
In the third chapter of The Gruffalo, the mouse continues to run from the Gruffalo and eventually comes across a clearing in the forest. In the clearing, she finds three other animals, the Fox, the Owl, and the Snake, all scared of the Gruffalo. The mouse uses her quick thinking to try to convince them that the Gruffalo does not exist and that he is nothing to be scared of.
For example, in a fear-filled voice, she tells them “He’s just a story, no more than a few words. If you truly believe it, the story will always end”. The animals are convinced by her story and no longer fear the Gruffalo, allowing the mouse to go on her way unharmed. She quickly departs, relieved that her plan worked and the Gruffalo wasn’t real after all.
Chapter 4
In the fourth chapter of The Gruffalo, the mouse continues on her journey through the woods until she comes across a deep, dark cave. The mouse, feeling brave, decides to go inside and finds a cozy den full of food and a comfortable bed.
The mouse is immediately suspicious of the setup and decides to investigate further. She hears a strange sound coming from a back corner of the cave and finds the Gruffalo sleeping soundly in the corner. The mouse is scared but quickly decides she is smarter and braver than the Gruffalo. She stands her ground and faces him, ultimately scaring him away with her bravado.
For example, the mouse stands up to the Gruffalo, declaring “You’re not really scary, you’re just a made-up story after all”. This catches the Gruffalo off guard and he quickly leaves, allowing the mouse to claim the den as her own.
Epilogue
In the epilogue of The Gruffalo, the mouse is now living happily in her cozy den, eating all the delicious food she found and staying safe from all predators. The other animals in the forest have come to respect her as a powerful creature and leave her alone. They now speak of the Gruffalo in hushed whispers, unsure if he is real or just a figment of the mouse’s imagination.
For example, the Fox says to the Owl “Is the Gruffalo real? Is he here or just a myth? I don’t know for sure, but I follow the mouse’s path”. This shows that the other animals in the forest now treat the mouse and her word as authority, believing that if she isn’t afraid, then neither should they.
