The Turnip

A grandfather, a grandmother, and their granddaughter lived in a village. In spring, the grandfather chose a sunny spot in the vegetable garden, loosened the…

A grandfather, a grandmother, and their granddaughter lived in a village. In spring, the grandfather chose a sunny spot in the vegetable garden, loosened the soil, and planted a small turnip seed. He covered it with soft earth and said, “Grow strong and sweet, little turnip.” The grandmother brought a watering can, and the granddaughter placed a small sign beside the garden bed so that no one would accidentally step on it.

Every day, the family cared for the plant. The grandfather loosened the soil, the grandmother watered it, and the granddaughter pulled the weeds. Their animal friends helped too: Zhuchka the dog watched over the garden bed, the cat kept mice away from the young leaves, and a little mouse gathered dry blades of grass nearby. The turnip grew and grew until it was so big that its green top rose above the fence.

Then it was time to harvest the crop. The grandfather took hold of the sturdy leaves, the grandmother held on to the grandfather, and the granddaughter held on to the grandmother. The three of them pulled: they pulled and pulled, but they could not pull the turnip out. They tried again and braced their feet firmly against the ground, but the turnip stayed firmly rooted. The grandfather did not get angry. He suggested calling their other animal friends: “The three of us can’t do it. Let’s ask for help!”

The grandmother held on to the grandfather, the granddaughter to the grandmother, Zhuchka to the granddaughter, the cat to Zhuchka, and the mouse to the cat. Everyone lined up, found firm footing, and agreed to pull on the count of three. “One, two, three!” they called together. The turnip shifted a little. The friends rested, held on to one another again, and prepared for one more try together.

They pulled together — and the turnip came out of the ground! No one fell: they had left clear space behind them and supported one another. The grandfather thanked everyone, especially the little mouse, whose help was exactly what they had needed. That evening, the grandmother cooked the sweet turnip, the granddaughter set the table, and the grandfather divided the food into equal shares. That was how they learned that a big job becomes manageable when everyone helps.