THE TURNIP

Once upon a time, there was an old man. He lived with his wife, a grandson, a little brown dog, a tiny yellow cat and  mouse in a grand old farmhouse.

One day, the man told his wife, “Dear wife, I am going to plant turnip seed. When it grows good and big, we will have delicious turnip soup!” He took the seed and planted it in a patch of healthy brown soil. Each and every day, he watered it.

When the lightning and thunder came, the raindrops danced over it. And when the sun shined, the sunbeams dazzled and kept it warm. “Grow big my little seed,” the old man would say every day. Then one day, two little shoots popped out and grew bigger and bigger with each passing day.

One fine day, the man knew it was the time. “Dear wife, tonight we shall eat turnip soup,” he said and he put a big pot of water on to boil.

He went into the garden and reaching down, took hold of the shoots and he began to pull. And he pulled, and he pulled, and he pulled but the turnip was stuck fast. He called to his wife. “Dear wife! Would you please come and help me pull the turnip?” he asked.

So the wife held onto husband and he held onto the shoots and together they pulled and they pulled and they pulled, but the turnip stuck fast

She called to their dearest grandson. “Dear grandson, would you come and help us pull the turnip?” So the grandson held onto grandma, who help onto grandpa, who held onto the shoots and they pulled and they pulled and they pulled, but still the turnip stuck fast.