The Enormous Turnip
Grandfather plants a turnip seed and it grows enormous, so big that he cannot pull it up. Grandmother, the Granddaughter, the Dog and the Cat join him one by one, but only when the little Mouse helps too does the turnip come up.
Scene 1: A Turnip Seed
The Enormous Turnip. Once upon a time, Grandfather planted a turnip seed in his garden. The turnip grew and grew. It grew big. It grew very, very big. It grew enormous!
Scene 2: Pull, Grandfather!
One day, Grandfather went to pull up the turnip. He pulled and pulled, but he could not pull it up! So Grandfather called Grandmother. Grandmother held on to Grandfather. Grandfather held on to the turnip. They pulled and pulled, but they could not pull it up!
Scene 3: The Granddaughter and the Dog
Grandmother called the Granddaughter. The Granddaughter held on to Grandmother, Grandmother held on to Grandfather, and Grandfather held on to the turnip. They pulled and pulled, but they could not pull it up! The Granddaughter called the Dog. The Dog held on to the Granddaughter, and they all held on, one behind the other. They pulled and pulled, but they could not pull it up!
Scene 4: The Cat
The Dog called the Cat. The Cat held on to the Dog. The Dog held on to the Granddaughter. The Granddaughter held on to Grandmother. Grandmother held on to Grandfather. Grandfather held on to the turnip. They pulled and pulled, but they could not pull it up!
Scene 5: The Little Mouse
Then the Cat called the little Mouse. The Mouse held on to the Cat. The Cat held on to the Dog. The Dog held on to the Granddaughter. The Granddaughter held on to Grandmother. Grandmother held on to Grandfather. Grandfather held on to the turnip. They pulled and pulled, and pulled and pulled… And up came the turnip! Even the smallest helper can make a big difference.
Moral: Even the smallest helper can make a big difference.
Questions about The Enormous Turnip
What did Grandfather plant in his garden?
A turnip seed.
Who did Grandfather call first to help him?
Grandmother.
Who did the Granddaughter call to help?
The Dog.
Who held on to the Cat?
The little Mouse.
What happened when the Mouse helped too?
Up came the turnip!.
More stories to read aloud
- Stone Soup — A hungry traveler asks a stingy old woman for supper, and she says there is no food in the house.
- The Gingerbread Man — A little old woman bakes a boy of gingerbread, and he jumps out of the oven and runs away from everyone he meets.
- The Little Red Hen — The little Red Hen finds a grain of wheat, but the Goose, the Cat and the Dog will not help her plant it, cut it, take it to the mill or bake the bread.