• The Turnip

    Grimm's Fairy Tales
    It all started with a tiny, tiny seed.

    In a cozy little village, there lived two brothers. One brother was kind and happy, and he loved to work in his garden. The other brother was a bit grumpy and mostly thought about how to get more things for himself.

    One sunny morning, the kind brother planted his tiny seed. He watered it, sang to it, and took great care of it. And guess what? That seed began to grow! It grew, and grew, and GREW! Soon, it was the biggest, most enormous turnip anyone in the village had ever seen. It was so big, he needed a strong cart and his sturdiest horse just to pull it out of the ground!

    "Wow!" said the kind brother, wiping his brow. "What shall I do with such a magnificent turnip? I know! I'll give it to the King! He will surely appreciate such a wonder."

    So, he loaded the giant turnip onto his cart and trundled off to the King's castle. The King’s eyes popped open wide when he saw the enormous vegetable. "Goodness gracious!" exclaimed the King. "I have seen many things in my life, but never a turnip as grand as this! You are a good and generous man to bring me such a marvel."

    The King was so pleased that he gave the kind brother bags of gold, sparkling jewels, and a fine new horse with a shiny coat. The kind brother thanked the King and went home feeling very happy.

    Now, when the grumpy brother heard about all the riches his kind brother had received for a simple turnip, his face turned a bit green, not from eating vegetables, but from jealousy. "Hmph!" he grumbled. "If he got all that for a silly turnip, imagine what I could get if I give the King something truly valuable!"

    So, the grumpy brother gathered his fanciest gold coins and his best horses. He took them to the King and said, with a low bow, "Your Majesty, I bring you gifts far more splendid than a mere turnip!"

    The King looked at the gold and the horses, then he looked at the grumpy brother. He thought for a moment. "Hmm," said the King, stroking his beard. "You must really, really want that giant turnip if you are offering me all this. Very well, since you desire it so much, you can have it!"

    And so, the King ordered his servants to give the giant turnip to the grumpy brother.

    The grumpy brother was furious! He didn't want the turnip; he wanted riches! He had to drag the enormous, heavy turnip all the way home, huffing and puffing, while his kind brother smiled from his window.

    He was so angry at his kind brother that he plotted a nasty trick. He found some mischievous fellows and told them, "Go find my brother, tie him up in a sack, and hang him from a branch over the river!"

    But the kind brother was, well, kind! He had once helped a clever young student who was passing through the village. This student heard about the grumpy brother's wicked plan and rushed to warn the kind brother.

    "Quick, hide!" said the student.

    The kind brother thought fast. He found an old sack. Just as the mischievous fellows were approaching, he quickly jumped into the sack himself, but he left the top a little open and started to sing a cheerful song.

    A different student, who was walking by studying a big book, heard the singing. "Hello?" called the student. "Who is singing so merrily from inside that sack?"

    "Oh, it's just me!" called the kind brother from inside. "I'm in this wonderful Sack of Wisdom! By sitting in here, I am learning all the secrets of the world and becoming very clever!"

    The student's eyes grew wide with excitement. "Oh, how marvelous! Please, sir, could I try? I would love to become wiser!"

    "Well," said the kind brother, peeking out, "if you insist. Untie the sack, and you can have a turn. But you must be very quiet to learn the secrets."

    So, they swapped places! The eager student climbed into the sack, and the kind brother quickly tied it up. Then, the kind brother quietly tiptoed away, taking the student's heavy bag of books and a small pouch of coins the student had left behind.

    Soon, the mischievous fellows arrived. They saw the sack hanging where they expected it to be. "He's in there!" they whispered. They didn't look too closely. They picked up the sack (with the student inside, who was trying to be very quiet to learn secrets) and carried it to the river. With a heave-ho, they swung the sack and *SPLASH*! It landed in the water. The student got a very surprising, cold bath!

    A few days later, the grumpy brother was walking down the road when he saw his kind brother, looking happier than ever, leading a whole flock of fluffy white sheep.

    "You!" gasped the grumpy brother, his jaw dropping. "How did you escape? And where did you get all those sheep?"

    The kind brother smiled, and his eyes twinkled. "Oh, it was amazing!" he said. "When those fellows threw me into the river, I sank down, down, down to the bottom. And guess what? The riverbed was covered in the softest, fluffiest sheep you've ever seen! I just herded them out."

    The grumpy brother's eyes lit up with greed. "Sheep at the bottom of the river? Wonderful! I want some too! Quick, brother, you must help me! Tie me in a sack and throw me into the river so I can get some sheep!"

    So, the kind brother, with a little sigh, found a sack. The grumpy brother eagerly climbed in. The kind brother tied it up and, with a bit of help from his wife, they gently lowered the grumpy brother into the river.

    The grumpy brother splashed and spluttered, looking all around for the promised sheep. But all he found was cold water, slippery stones, and maybe a few surprised fish. He certainly didn't find any sheep, and he got very, very wet and very, very cross.

    And perhaps, just perhaps, after he finally scrambled out of the river, shivering and dripping, he started to think that being kind and happy might be better than being grumpy and greedy after all.

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