This story was originally written by Alexei Tolstoy, but I've stripped it down to a bare minimum, leaving only the plot intact so that even preschoolers can understand it.


The story of a large turnip growing in a field, where the entire family and even the livestock gather together to pull it out and hold a turnip feast.
It is one of the traditional Russian folk tales, and is full of the cheerful and generous sentiments of the old Russian people.
The same sentences are repeated on every page, helping to teach language to young children who are just beginning to learn to speak.

The mouse caught the cat, the cat bit the dog, the dog bit the granddaughter, the granddaughter caught the grandmother, the grandmother caught the grandfather, and the grandfather caught the turnip.
Three people and three animals pulled and pulled the turnip until it was finally uprooted.

--- p.27-28

Once upon a time, an old man planted a small turnip seed in the ground,
"Turnip, turnip, little turnip, grow sweetly.
"Turnip, turnip, little turnip, grow strong," he said.

So the turnips grew sweet and firm,
It grew big and tall.

One day, my grandfather came to pull out turnips.

Grandpa pulled and pulled the turnip.
The turnip won't come out.
Once upon a time, an old man planted a small turnip seed in the ground,
"Turnip, turnip, little turnip, grow sweetly.
"Turnip, turnip, little turnip, grow strong," he said.

So the turnips grew sweet and firm,
It grew big and tall.

One day, my grandfather came to pull out turnips.

Grandpa pulled and pulled the turnip.
The turnip won't come out.

--- From the text

The granddaughter held onto her grandmother, the grandmother held onto her grandfather, and the grandfather held onto the turnip.
The three of them pulled and pulled the turnip, but it wouldn't come out.
The granddaughter called the black dog.
The black dog bit the granddaughter, the granddaughter grabbed the grandmother, the grandmother grabbed the grandfather, and the grandfather grabbed the turnip.
Three people and an animal pulled and pulled the turnip, but the turnip wouldn't come out.

The black dog called the cat. The cat bit the dog.
The dog bit the granddaughter, the granddaughter grabbed the grandmother, the grandmother grabbed the grandfather, and the grandfather grabbed the turnip.
The three men and the two animals pulled and pulled at the turnip, but it still wouldn't come out. The cat called the mouse.
The mouse caught the cat, the cat bit the dog, the dog bit the granddaughter, the granddaughter caught the grandmother, the grandmother caught the grandfather, and the grandfather caught the turnip.
The granddaughter held onto her grandmother, the grandmother held onto her grandfather, and the grandfather held onto the turnip.
The three of them pulled and pulled the turnip, but it wouldn't come out.
The granddaughter called the black dog.
The black dog bit the granddaughter, the granddaughter grabbed the grandmother, the grandmother grabbed the grandfather, and the grandfather grabbed the turnip.
Three people and an animal pulled and pulled the turnip, but the turnip wouldn't come out.

The black dog called the cat. The cat bit the dog.
The dog bit the granddaughter, the granddaughter grabbed the grandmother, the grandmother grabbed the grandfather, and the grandfather grabbed the turnip.
The three men and the two animals pulled and pulled at the turnip, but it still wouldn't come out. The cat called the mouse.
The mouse caught the cat, the cat bit the dog, the dog bit the granddaughter, the granddaughter caught the grandmother, the grandmother caught the grandfather, and the grandfather caught the turnip.

--- pp.14-27