The Gruffalo – English Lyrics

• By: Julia Donaldson, Axel Scheffler

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a delightful journey into the 'deep dark wood' with "The Gruffalo," a beloved children's book that will charm you with its clever wordplay and rhythmic storytelling. As you follow the quick-witted mouse, you'll encounter a rich tapestry of English vocabulary, especially descriptive language for creatures and their traits. The book's use of rhyming couplets and repetition makes it an excellent resource for developing phonological awareness and a natural feel for the English language's musicality. Dive into this modern classic and discover how even a small mouse can outsmart bigger foes with brains, not brawn, while enjoying the playful and imaginative illustrations that bring the story to life.

[English]

He has terrible tusks

And terrible claws

And terrible teeth in his terrible jaws

He's the Gruffalo, Gruffalo, Gruffalo

He's the Gruffalo

...

He has knobbly knees

And turned-out toes

And a poisonous wart at the end of his nose

He's the Gruffalo, Gruffalo, Gruffalo

He's the Gruffalo

...

His eyes are orange

His tongue is black

He has purple prickles all over his back

He's the Gruffalo, Gruffalo, Gruffalo

He's the Gruffalo, Gruffalo, Gruffalo

He's the Gruffalo

He's the Gruffalo!

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
terrible /ˈtɛrɪbəl/ B1	adjective - causing fear or dread
tusks /tʌskz/ B2	noun - long, pointed teeth of animals like elephants or boars
claws /klɔːz/ B1	noun - sharp curved nails on animals' paws
jaws /dʒɔːz/ B1	noun - the bones that surround the mouth and hold the teeth
knobbly /ˈnɒbli/ B2	adjective - having lumps or rounded bumps
poisonous /ˈpɔɪzənəs/ B2	adjective - containing poison that can cause illness or death
knobbly /ˈnɒbli/ B2	adjective - Having lumps or rounded bumps
orange /ˈɒrɪndʒ/ A2	noun - a citrus fruit with a tough skin and sweet juice
tongue /tʌŋ/ A2	noun - the muscular organ in the mouth used for tasting and speaking
back /bæk/ A1	noun - the posterior part of the body

Key Grammar Structures

• He has terrible tusks

  ➔ Present tense with 'has' to indicate possession

  ➔ 'Has' is used here to show possession of the tusks

• And terrible claws

  ➔ Vocabulary listing: using 'and' to connect descriptive adjectives

  ➔ 'And' links two adjectives to add more description

• He's the Gruffalo

  ➔ Use of the contraction 'He's' as a subject complement

  ➔ 'He's' is a contraction of 'He is', used here to state identity

• And a poisonous wart at the end of his nose

  ➔ Prepositional phrase indicating location ('$at the end of his nose')

  ➔ Prepositional phrase 'at the end of his nose' specifies the location of the wart

• His eyes are orange

  ➔ Simple present tense to describe a characteristic

  ➔ 'Are' indicates the present tense, describing a permanent characteristic

• His tongue is black

  ➔ Present tense with 'is' to describe a state or characteristic

  ➔ 'Is' links the subject 'his tongue' to the description 'black'