STORIES?.....
THAT'S TELLING!

STORIES?....THAT’S TELLING!

Here is a selection of tales suitable for small children.

Some of these stories can be made interactive by inviting individual children to participate. The first one for instance, “The Enormous Turnip!”

Get one of the boys to be the farmer, then choose a girl to be the farmer’s wife, then the son, and so on, each child hanging on to the child in front. If you can also give them hats or suitable masks to wear, it will make the presentation much more entertaining for those watching.

Use a large cushion for the turnip and tell the children to just pretend to pull each time until the turnip eventually comes out of the ground and everyone falls backwards.

THE ENORMOUS TURNIP! – A Russian folktale.

An old farmer sowed a turnip seed. The rain fell, the sun shone and the seed grew, and grew and grew! Into an enormous turnip!

The farmer told his wife to put a large pot of water on the stove because he was going to pull up the turnip and they would have it for supper.

He put on his big boots and went into the vegetable garden to pull up the turnip. He seized it by the leaves and he pulled and he pulledand hepulled! But he couldn’t pull up the turnip.

He called for his wife to help him and she came and pulled at her husband. He in turn, pulled at the turnip….and they pulled and they pulled and they pulled! But they couldn’t pull up the turnip.

The farmer’s wife called for her son and he pulled at his mother who pulled at her husband who pulled on the turnip…and they pulled and they pulled and they pulled! But they couldn’t pull up the turnip.

The son called for his sister and she pulled at her brother and he pulled at his mother who pulled at her husband who pulled on the turnip…and they pulled and they pulled and they pulled! But they couldn’t pull up the turnip.

The sister called for the dog and the dog pulled at the sister and she pulled at her brother and he pulled at his mother who pulled at her husband who pulled on the turnip…and they pulled and they pulled and they pulled! But they couldn’t pull up the turnip.

The dog called for the cat and the cat pulled at the dog and the dog pulled at the sister and the sister pulled at her brother and he pulled at his mother who pulled at her husband who pulled on the turnip…and they pulled and they pulled and they pulled! But they couldn’t pull up the turnip.

The cat called for the hen and the hen pulled at the cat and the cat pulled at the dog and the dog pulled at the sister and the sister pulled at her brother and he pulled at his mother who pulled at her husband who pulled on the turnip…and they pulled and they pulled and they pulled! But they couldn’t pull up the turnip.

The hen called for the mouse and the mouse pulled at the hen and the hen pulled at the cat and the cat pulled at the dog and the dog pulled at the sister and the sister pulled at her brother and he pulled at his mother who pulled at her husband who pulled on the turnip…and they pulled and they pulled and they pulled! But they couldn’t pull up the turnip.

The mouse called for the flea and the flea pulled at the mouse and the mouse pulled at the hen and the hen pulled at the cat and the cat pulled at the dog and the dog pulled at the sister and the sister pulled at her brother and he pulled at his mother who pulled at her husband who pulled on the turnip…and they pulled and they pulled and they pulled! and they pulled! and they pulled! And up came the turnip, and down they all fell – the farmer on top of his wife who fell on top of her son who fell on top of his sister who fell on top of the dog who fell on top of the cat who fell on top of the hen who fell on top of the mouse who fell on top of the flea!

They all got up laughing and took the enormous turnip into the house. It was so big that there was enough for everyone’s supper – including the storyteller!