The+Toll+Bridge+Troll

Patricia Rae Wolff Today was the first day of school, and Trigg didn't want to be late. He gobbled his breakfast, grabbed his books, and gave his mother a good-bye kiss.
 * The Toll Bridge Troll**

 Have a good day, she said,  and be careful of the troll.

 Yes, mother, said Trigg Trigg walked across the field, up the big hill, and down the long road. When he came to the little bridge, he stopped and looked around. Just as Trigg stepped onto the rickety wooden bridge, a terrible, ugly troll jumped up from beneath it. This is MY bridge! the troll snarled.

"But I have to cross the bridge to go to school," Trigg said. Why? the troll asked.

"SO I can get smart."

"That's not a good reason," the troll said.

"I have to go to school because my mother said so," Trigg said

"Oh," said the troll. "THAT'S a good reason. Trigg started across the bridge.

"Wait!" the troll said, jumping in front of Trigg. This is MY toll bridge. You have to pay a penny to go across. Trigg thought for a minute. He couldn't pay a penny every day to go to school. He would just have to trick the troll.

"I have an idea," Trigg said. "We'll ask a riddle, I get to cross for free today."

"Oh goody! the troll said, jumping up and down. " I like riddles."

"Here's a riddle," Trigg said. " Why doe's a giraffe have such a long neck? The troll-bridge troll hunched down into a thinking crouch. He crunched his face into a thinking frown. Think. Think. Think. Think, After a long time, the troll asked. "What's a giraffe?"

"A giraffe is an animal with a long neck," Trigg said.

"Oh." The troll hunched back down into a his thinking crouch. Think. Think. Think.

'I give up," the troll said finally. "Why does a giraffe have such a long neck?

"Because his head is so far away from his body," Trigg said.

"I win! I get to cross free today,"