Milan turnips have a long and colourful history, and have been the inspiration behind a number of fables, poems, games and numerous other creative outputs. Some of these are listed below. If you have a story or something interesting you would like to share on Turnips, then email us and we will consider posting it here!
THE TURNIP [Brothers Grimm Fable]
There were once two brothers who both served as soldiers, and one was
rich and the other was poor. The poor one, wishing to better himself,
discarded his uniform and worked like a peasant. He dug and hoed his
little field and sowed turnips. The seed came up, and one of the turnips
grew to such an enormous size that it seemed as though it would never
stop growing. It might have been called the Queen of turnips, for its like
had never been seen before nor ever will be again. At last it was so big
that it filled a cart and needed two oxen to draw it. The peasant could not
imagine what would come of it, whether it would bring good luck or bad.
At last he said to himself, "If I sell it what shall I gain? I might eat it, but the little turnips would do as well for that. The best thing will be to take it to the King and offer it to him."
So he loaded a cart, harnessed two oxen, and took it to the court topresent it to the King. "What is this extraordinary object?" asked the King. ''I have seen many marvels in my time, but never anything so remarkable as this. What seed did it spring from? Perhaps it belongs to you, especially if you are a child of good luck?"
"Oh no," said the peasant. "Lucky I certainly am not, for I am a poor soldier, who, since he could keep himself no longer, hung up his uniform on a nail and tills the earth. I have a brother who is rich and well known to you, my Lord King. But I, because I have nothing, am forgotten by all the world. "
Then the King pitied him and said, "Your poverty shall be at an end, and you shall receive such rich presents from me that your wealth will equal that of your brother." Thereupon he gave him plenty of gold, lands, fields, and flocks, and enriched him with precious stones so that the other brother's wealth could not be compared with his.
Now when the rich brother heard what his brother with the single turnip had acquired, he envied him and pondered how he might gain a like treasure for himself. But he wanted to show himself much cleverer, so he took gold and horses and presented them to the King, feeling certain that he would give him a far handsomer gift. For if his brother got so much for a turnip what would not he get for his beautiful things?
The King took the present, saying that he could give him in return nothing rarer or better than the huge turnip. So the rich brother had to put his brother's turnip into a cart and have it taken home.
THE GIANT TURNIP [ref]
An old man planted a turnip. The turnip grew to be enormous. The old man started to pull the turnip out of the ground. He pulled and pulled, but couldn't pull it out. So he called the old woman over.
"All right – said the grandmother – I’m coming".
The old woman took hold of the old man, the old man took hold of the turnip, they pulled and pulled, but couldn't pull it out. So the old woman called the granddaughter over.
"All right – said the granddaughter – I’m coming".
The granddaughter took hold of the old woman, the old woman took hold of the old man, the old man took hold of the turnip, they pulled and pulled, but couldn't pull it out. So the granddaughter called the dog over.
"All right – said the dog – I’m coming".
The dog took hold of the granddaughter, the granddaughter took hold of the old woman, the old woman took hold of the old man, the old man took hold of the turnip, they pulled and pulled, but couldn't pull it out. So the dog called the cat over.
"All right – said the cat – I’m coming".
The cat took hold of the dog, the dog took hold of the granddaughter, the granddaughter took hold of the old woman, the old woman took hold of the old man, the old man took hold of the turnip, they pulled and pulled, but couldn't pull it out. So the cat called the mouse over.
"All right – said the mouse– I’m coming".
The mouse took hold of the cat, the cat took hold of the dog, the dog took hold of the granddaughter, the granddaughter took hold of the old woman, the old woman took hold of the old man, the old man took hold of the turnip, they pulled and pulled--and finally pulled out the turnip!
- Persians believed turnips were beneficial in treating the common cold. [ref]
- The turnip is grown for both the enlarged root and top. [ref]
- Turnips can be produced within 60 days. [ref]
- Turnips grow best in cool area climates. [ref]
- The first jack-o-lanterns were carved out of turnips. Only when the Irish tradition reached America did turnip carving turn into pumpkin carving. [ref]
- Turnip Matching Game [Armor Games]
- Grounded! Save the World from a Turnip Invasion [Game Sheep]
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