In a small German village dwelt a young man. When he was of age, he became a soldier and left to fight in many wars. After the fighting was over, he returned to his village to find that his brother had grown very rich. The brother would have nothing to do with him and shut the door in his face. Undaunted, the young man put down his rifle and became a farmer. He acquired a small piece of land and built himself a small house. When the season was right, he ploughed and dug his land and sowed it with turnip seed. The spring came with its warm days and the seed began to sprout from the earth. One day, whilst pulling out the weeds that grew between the rows, he noticed that one of the turnips was larger than all the others. It grew and grew. Indeed, he thought it would never stop. Never was such a turnip seen before. Finally, it stopped growing and when it was pulled from the ground, the turnip filled a cart which required four oxen to pull it. This is the largest turnip ever grown, said the young man. But what am I to do with it? It's too large to eat. For as everybody knows, only small turnips are sweet and succulent. I know. I'll take it to the king and make him a present of it. So the young man set up on his cart and set off with the turnip to the king's palace. When the king saw the young man's gift, he was extremely astonished. My goodness, said the king. That is the most marvellous thing I have ever seen. How did you grow it? What is your secret? Alas, there is no secret, replied the young man. I just planted turnip seeds in the normal way and one turnip grew to the size you see. Then you must be a man of extreme good fortune, said the king. The young man said that he was not and went on to tell the king how he had returned from the wars and how his rich brother had shut the door on him. Then I shall make you as rich as your brother, said the king, who was very moved by the young man's story. So he ordered a fortune in gold and jewels to be placed in the young man's cart. The news of the young man's good fortune spread rapidly and when his brother heard the story, he was filled with greed and envy and pondered how he could add to his wealth by pleasing the king. Finally, he decided, if my brother has given the king the best he has, surely if I do the same, the king will reward me handsomely. So the brother ordered his servants to load gold and jewels onto the backs of his six finest Arab stallions and rode with them to the palace. The king was overwhelmed by the splendour of the gifts and to show his appreciation of such generosity, he decided to give a present in return. Your gifts are truly magnificent, said the king, and in return I shall give you my most marvellous possession, this wonderful turnip. The rich brother had to accept the turnip, there was nothing else he could do. It was all he got in exchange for the gold and rich jewels he had given the king, but of course, that is all he really deserved.