GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES - online book

130 Fairy Stories Adapted & Arranged for young people

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THE ROYAL TURNIP.
447
never such a monster as this. From what kind of seed did you grow it? or has it come to you as a favourite of fortune?"
"Ah! no!" replied the farmer. "I am no child of fortune, only a poor soldier; and, as I have no pension, and nothing to live upon, I hung up my soldier's coat on a nail, and took to tilling the land. I have a brother who is rich ; but, my lord king, you yourself know that those who have nothing are forgotten by all the world."
Then the king felt so much sympathy for the poor man that he promised to present him with enough, not only to overcome his poverty; but to make him as rich as his brother. So the king gave him money, and fields, and meadows, and made him so very rich that his brother's possessions could not be compared with his.
When the brother heard of these riches, and that they had all been acquired through a large turnip, he was envious, and thought over every possible way in which he might be able to obtain such luck. He decided at last to present to the king fine horses, and gold, and thought that, of course, he would give him pure, really valuable presents in return. If the king had given so much to his brother for a turnip, what might he not expect for these beautiful things.
The king accepted the presents, and said he could think of nothing better or more uncommon to offer him in return than the large turnip. So the rich brother was obliged to hire a waggon and oxen, lay his brother's turnip on it, and drive the waggon home.
In his anger and rage at the king's treatment, he knew not what to do, till at last his wicked thoughts excited him to go and shoot his brother.
To effect this, he found it necessary to have recourse to stratagem; and so he went to him, and said, " Dear brother, I have discovered a hidden treasure, not far from here. Shall we go together to dig it up, and divide it?"
Without the least suspicion of wrong, the brother agreed to go with him, and they went out together, and walked on till they approached a stream of water. At the most lonely part, the wicked man suddenly overpowered his brother, bound him hand and foot, and was about to hang him on a tree. He had almost accomplished his wicked intention when there sounded in the distance a voice singing merrily, and the clatter of horse's hoofs.
In great terror the intended murderer unfastened the string from