Tim's Tales: The Enormous Turnip

THE Enormous Turnip is a well known story about the importance of working together.

I have written a rhyming version of this traditional tale, which has its origins in Russian folklore.

I have shared it with teachers and parents in East Lothian and beyond, and have also created a film, which you can find on my YouTube channel, in which I recite the story, with the written words displayed on the screen.

The idea is that hopefully children will create a drawing, painting of a scene or character from the story, and send it in.

A photo of a scene being acted out would work too.

It’s up to the children to use their creativity in any way they want.

I will then add these images onto a new version of the film, where I will tell the story using the children’s artwork.

After the summer I hope to turn all the artwork into a book, in which all the pictures made by the children will be included, along with the rhyming story.

My hope is that it can be creative fun, but also that both book and the film could be a positive legacy of the lockdown; with a well-known story bringing together children who use their imagination to create something together for posterity.

If you are a parent, grandparent, teacher or look after children please do get in touch about how to get involved in this project, and I can send materials and links.

Or alternatively, you could just read the story at bedtime if you fancy.

The Enormous Turnip; In Rhyme

Once there was a family who lived together in a wee house

An old man, an old woman, their grandchildren, a dog, a cat, and a timid mouse.

The house had a garden, so wonderful and green,

Where the old man grew vegetables, the best you’ve ever seen.

One day he decided, to plant a turnip seed.

So he went to his shed, to get the things he would need:

A rake and a hoe, and his gardening gloves.

Then he went to the garden, a place that he loves.

Carrots and radishes already grew there,

So he planted the turnip seed. Can you guess where?

In a patch of ground that was sunny and bright

And sheltered from the frost that comes during the night.

He watered the seed with his watering can,

Then waited for it to grow, that gardening old man.

And grow it did, that turnip seed,

Under the ground, at an incredible speed.

Soon bigger than an apple it grew,

Then the size of a football, then the size of two.

The turnip got bigger with each passing day,

How much would it grow? Nobody could say.

It grew from big into huge, and then enormous it became.

Never in history had there been a turnip quite the same.

At last it was ready to pull out and eat.

It will go into a soup, a delicious tasty treat.

The old man took hold of the turnip’s stem, as he knew he should,

And then he pulled as hard as he could.

The old man heaved and heaved, he really tried.

But the turnip wouldn’t budge; “It’s enormous,” he cried.

He had never seen such a giant turnip in his life!

He couldn’t pull it by himself, so he called to his wife.

“My dear, my dear, please help me

To pull out this turnip, so we can eat it for tea.”

“How can I help?” she asked the old man,

“When I pull the turnip, you pull me, as hard as you can.”

So she put her arms round him, and pulled as hard as she could,

While the old man pulled the turnip; but it was no good.

They heaved and heaved, they really tried.

But the turnip wouldn’t budge; “it’s enormous” they cried.

The old woman called to her granddaughter, “Please help me,

To pull out this turnip, so we can eat it for tea.”

“How can I help?” asked the girl to her Gran.

“When I pull your grandfather, you pull me, as hard as you can.”

So she put her arms around the old woman, and pulled as hard as she could.

While the old woman pulled the old man; and the old man pulled the turnip; but it was no good.

They heaved and heaved, they really tried.

But the turnip wouldn’t budge; “It’s enormous” they cried.

The girl called to her brother, “Please help me,

To pull out this turnip, so we can eat it for tea.”

“How can I help?” asked the boy as he ran,

“When I pull Gran, you pull me, as hard as you can.”

So he put his arms around the girl, and pulled as hard as he could.

While the girl pulled the old woman, and the old woman pulled the old man, and the old man pulled the turnip; but it was no good.

They heaved and heaved, they really tried.

But the turnip wouldn’t budge; “It’s enormous,” they cried.

The boy called to the dog, “Please help me

To pull out this turnip, so we can eat it for tea.”

“Woof how can I help” asked the dog, munching his scran.

“When I pull my sister, you pull me, as hard as you can.”

So the dog took hold of the boy’s shirt, and pulled as hard as he could

While the boy pulled the girl, and the girl pulled the old woman, and the old woman pulled the old man, and the old man pulled the turnip; but it was no good.

They heaved and heaved, they really tried.

But the turnip wouldn’t budge; “It’s enormous” they cried.

The dog called to the cat “Woof please help me”

To pull out this turnip, so we can eat it for tea.”

“Miaow, how can I help?” asked the cat, sipping milk from a pan.

“When I pull the boy, you pull me, as hard as you can.”

So the cat put her paws around the dog’s tail, and she pulled as hard as he could,

While the dog pulled the boy, and the boy pulled the girl, and the girl pulled the old woman, and old woman pulled the old man, and the old man pulled the turnip; but it was no good.

They heaved and heaved, they really tried.

But the turnip wouldn’t budge; “It’s enormous” they cried.

“Can I help?” said a voice near the house.

“Who was that?” they all asked. It was the wee mouse.

She had been watching from her hole in the wall

She was so tiny, and not strong at all.

“How can you help?” sneered the cat, looking at the rest.

“Well” said the mouse, “I will do my best”.

So the mouse put her feet around the cat’s tail, and pulled as hard as she could,

While the cat pulled the dog, and the dog pulled the boy, and the boy pulled the girl, and the girl pulled the old woman, and the old woman pulled the old man, and the old man pulled the turnip; and this time, it was good!

They heaved and heaved, they really tried

This time the turnip came out, “Hooray” they cried.

The old man fell back and knocked over the old woman.

The old woman fell back and knocked over the girl.

The girl fell back and knocked over the boy.

The boy fell back and knocked over the dog.

The dog fell back and knocked over the cat.

The cat fell back and knocked over the mouse.

But then they stood up and looked at the turnip they’d pulled out.

“Wow, it’s absolutely enormous!” they all said, with a shout.

And so that evening they ate it for tea,

In a vegetable soup as tasty as can be.

The turnip was enormous, it lasted for weeks,

So everything they ate, they ate it with neeps.

The dog and cat had their share too;

As did the mouse, who had done the best she could do.

She made a difference, despite being so small.

Perhaps without her, they couldn’t have pulled out, the turnip at all.