The Turnip
There were once two Brothers who both served as soldiers, and one wasrich and the other was poor.
The poor one, wishing to better himself, discarded his uniform andworked like a Peasant. Then he dug and hoed his little field and sowedTurnips.
The seed came up, and one of the Turnips grew to such an enormoussize, that it seemed as though it would never have finished; and itmight have been called the Queen of Turnips, for its like had neverbeen seen before, nor ever will be again.
At last it was so big that it filled a cart, and needed two oxen todraw it; and 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 mighteat it, but the little Turnips would do as well for that. The bestthing 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 that extraordinary object?' said the King. 'I have seen manymarvels in my time, but never anything so remarkable as this. Whatseed did it spring from? Perhaps it belongs to you, especially if youare a child of good luck?'
'Oh no,' said the Peasant, 'lucky I certainly am not, for I am a poorSoldier, who, since he could keep himself no longer, has hung up hisuniform on a nail, and tills the earth. Further, I have a Brother whois rich, and well known to you, my Lord King; but I, because I havenothing, 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 willequal that of your Brother.'
Thereupon he gave him plenty of gold, lands, fields, and flocks, andenriched him with precious stones, so that the other Brother's wealthcould not be compared with his.
Now, when the rich Brother heard what his Brother with the singleTurnip had acquired, he envied him, and pondered how he might gain alike treasure for himself.
So the rich Brother had to put his Brother's Turnip into a cart, and have it taken home.]
But he wanted to show himself much cleverer, so he took gold andhorses and presented them to the King, feeling certain that he wouldgive him a far handsomer gift; for if his Brother got so much for aTurnip, what would not he get for his beautiful things.
The King took the present, saying that he could give him in returnnothing rarer or better than the huge Turnip.
So the rich Brother had to put his Brother's Turnip into a cart, andhave it taken home.
Then he did not know on whom to expend his wrath and bitterness, tillevil thoughts came to him, and he determined to kill his Brother.
He hired Murderers, who were to place themselves in ambush, and thenhe went to his Brother, and said: 'Dear Brother, I know of a secrettreasure which we will carry off and divide.'
The other agreed, and went without suspicion. But when they got out,the Murderers sprang upon him, bound him, and prepared to hang him ona tree.
While they were about it, they heard in the distance the clatter ofhoofs and the sound of singing, which frightened them so much thatthey stuck their Prisoner into a sack, head foremost, slung it up on abranch, and took to flight.
But the Man up in the sack worked a hole in it, and stuck his headthrough.
Now the traveller turned out to be nothing more than a Student, ayoung fellow who was riding through the wood, singing cheerily.
When the Man up in the sack saw some one down below, he called out:'Good-day. You come in the nick of time.'
The Student looked all round, but could not make out where the voicecame from.
At last he said: 'Who calls?'
A voice from above answered: 'Raise your eyes, I am sitting up here inthe Sack of Wisdom, and in a short time I have learnt so much that thewisdom of the schools is as air compared to mine. Soon I shall bequite perfect, and shall come down and be the wisest of all mankind. Iunderstand the stars and signs of the heavens, the blowing of thewinds, the sand of the sea, the healing of sickness, the power ofherbs, birds, and stones. If you were once inside, you would feel whatwonders flow from the Sack of Knowledge.'
When the Student heard this he was astonished, and said: 'Blessed bethe hour when I met you, if only I too might get into the sack for alittle.'
The other answered, as though unwillingly: 'I will let you in for alittle while for payment and kind words, but you must wait an hour, asthere is something rather difficult which I must learn first.'
But when the Student had waited a little, he grew impatient andentreated permission to get in, so great was his thirst for knowledge.Then the Man in the sack pretended to give in, and said: 'In orderthat I may get out of the sack you must let it down, then you can getin.'
So the Student let it down, undid the sack and released the Prisoner,and said: 'Now pull me up as fast as possible'; and he tried to getinto the sack and stand upright in it.
'Stop,' said the other. 'That won't do.' And he packed him in headfirst, tied it up, and slung up the Disciple of Wisdom, dangling himin the air, and said: 'How are you, my dear fellow? You will soon feelwisdom coming upon you, and will have a most interesting experience.Sit still till you are wiser.'
Thereupon he mounted the Student's horse, and rode off, but sent someone in an hour to let him down again.