Once upon a time there was an old man who came to his garden with his turnip seeds and his hoe. He dug and he planted some turnip seeds in the row. He cared for his seeds and watered them well, he weeded the soil to help them to grow.

At last the turnips began to grow. They got bigger, and bigger and bigger and the old man said: "So, we'll have turnips for breakfast, for lunch and for tea, and it's turnips for supper too - all thanks to me!" One of the turnips, the best of the lot, began to take over the whole of his plot.

It grew bigger and bigger every day. It was huge! It was vast! It was enormous! The other poor turnips got out of his way. The old man was baffled but he kept on hoeing, and the enormous turnip kept growing and growing. The old man thought it must be time at last to pull out the turnip, but turnip stock fast.

"Come and help heave!" called the man to his wife. The man pulled the turnip and the wife pulled the man, and they pulled, and pulled and pulled but the enormous turnip just would not budge!

"Come and help heave!" called the wife to a horse. And the man pulled the turnip and the wife pulled the man and the horse pulled the wife, but the enormous turnip just would not budge!

"Neigh! Come and help heave!" called the horse to a pig. And the man pulled the turnip and the wife pulled the man and the horse pulled the wife and the pig pulled the horse, and they pulled, and pulled and pulled but the enormous turnip just would not budge!

"Oink! Come and help heave!" called the pig to a dog. And the man pulled the turnip and the wife pulled the man and the horse pulled the wife and the pig pulled the horse and the dog pulled the pig, and they pulled, and pulled and pulled but the enormous turnip just would not budge!

"Woof! Come and help heave!" called the dog to a cat. And the man pulled the turnip and the wife pulled the man and the horse pulled the wife and the pig pulled the horse and the dog pulled the pig and the cat pulled the dog, and they pulled, and pulled and pulled but the enormous turnip just would not budge!

"Miaow! Come and help heave!" called the cat to a mouse. And the man pulled the turnip and the wife pulled the man and the horse pulled the wife and the pig pulled the horse and the dog pulled the pig and the cat pulled the dog and the mouse pulled the cat and they pulled, and pulled and pulled and…

The enormous turnip shot right out with a thud and a thwack and a thump and they all fell back with a bump, bump, bump! Squeak!

The old man was very pleased and he couldn't be happier. He quickly invited all helpers for a supper! The turnip is so good, that they can't get their full, and it's so enormous they're eating it still!

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Adapted by Urszula Sawicka Gamarra from Russian folktale 'The Enormous Turnip'