The Turnip

In a fertile valley where the soil was rich and the harvests abundant, there lived two brothers who were as different in character as summer and winter. Although they had been raised by the same parents in the same household, their approaches to life and their treatment of others could not have been more contrasted.

The elder brother, named Wilhelm, had inherited the family farm when their parents passed away. Through hard work, shrewd business dealings, and careful management of his resources, Wilhelm had become quite wealthy. His farm was the largest in the region, his barns were filled with grain, and his coffers were heavy with gold coins. However, Wilhelm’s prosperity had made him miserly and cold-hearted. He counted every penny, begrudged every expense, and showed no generosity toward those less fortunate than himself.

The younger brother, Friedrich, had received only a small portion of the inheritance - a tiny plot of land that was barely large enough to grow vegetables for his own family. Friedrich worked as a simple soldier when he was not tending his small garden, earning just enough to feed his wife and children. Despite his poverty, Friedrich was known throughout the village for his generous heart and his willingness to share whatever little he had with those in need.

“Brother,” Wilhelm would often say to Friedrich when they met in the village, “if you had been more careful with money and less generous with your handouts to beggars and vagrants, you might have prospered as I have.”

Friedrich would smile gently and reply, “Wilhelm, I may not have much gold in my purse, but I have riches that cannot be counted in coins. The joy I find in helping others and the gratitude of those I’ve assisted are worth more to me than all the wealth in the kingdom.”

Wilhelm would shake his head at what he considered his brother’s foolishness, unable to understand how anyone could value generosity over prosperity.

One autumn, Friedrich planted turnip seeds in his small garden. He tended them carefully throughout the growing season, watering them during dry spells and protecting them from pests. To his amazement, one of the turnips grew to an extraordinary size - far larger than any vegetable he or anyone else in the region had ever seen.

When Friedrich finally harvested this remarkable turnip, it was as large as a small cart and weighed more than a full-grown sheep. The turnip was perfectly formed, with smooth, pale skin and a sweet, pleasant aroma.

“What an extraordinary sight!” Friedrich’s wife, Anna, exclaimed when she saw the enormous vegetable. “I’ve never seen anything like it in all my life.”

Friedrich stood looking at the giant turnip with wonder and delight. “This is truly a miracle of nature,” he said. “Such a remarkable thing should not remain hidden in our humble garden.”

As Friedrich contemplated what to do with his miraculous turnip, he thought of the king, who was known to be a lover of unusual and beautiful things. The king’s palace was filled with curiosities and wonders from all over the world, and Friedrich felt that this extraordinary turnip would be a worthy addition to the royal collection.

“Anna,” Friedrich said to his wife, “I believe I should present this turnip as a gift to our king. Such a marvel of nature deserves to be seen and appreciated by someone who can truly value its uniqueness.”

Anna looked at her husband with both admiration and concern. “Friedrich, that turnip could feed our family for weeks, or we could sell it for enough money to buy seed for next year’s planting. Are you certain you want to give it away?”

Friedrich nodded with conviction. “My dear wife, we have enough to eat, and we have always managed to survive with very little. This turnip is something special - a wonder that comes perhaps once in a lifetime. I cannot think of anyone more worthy to receive it than our king, who has always been just and fair to his people.”

So Friedrich carefully loaded the enormous turnip onto a cart and set off for the royal palace. When he arrived at the gates, the guards were amazed by the sight of the giant vegetable and immediately granted him an audience with the king.

King Maximilian was a wise and generous ruler who truly loved his people. When Friedrich was brought before him and explained that he had come to present the remarkable turnip as a gift, the king was deeply moved by the gesture.

“My good man,” the king said, examining the extraordinary turnip with wonder, “this is indeed a marvel beyond anything I have seen in my treasury. But tell me - what do you hope to gain by presenting me with such a valuable gift?”

Friedrich bowed respectfully and replied, “Your Majesty, I seek nothing for myself. I am a simple soldier and farmer who has been blessed with this miracle from my small garden. It brings me joy to share this wonder with someone who can appreciate its uniqueness. The happiness on your face is reward enough for me.”

The king was astonished by Friedrich’s sincerity and selflessness. In his experience, people who brought gifts to the palace always wanted something in return - land, money, titles, or favors. But here was a man who genuinely seemed to give from pure generosity of spirit.

“Friedrich,” the king said, deeply impressed, “your generosity and pure-hearted gift-giving deserve to be rewarded. I cannot accept such a magnificent present without offering something in return.”

Despite Friedrich’s protests that he wanted nothing, the king insisted on rewarding his generous spirit. From his treasury, the king gave Friedrich a chest filled with gold coins, fine clothes for his family, and a grant of land that would make him comfortable for the rest of his life.

“Your Majesty is too generous!” Friedrich exclaimed, overwhelmed by the king’s kindness.

“Nonsense,” the king replied. “Generosity should always be met with generosity. You gave freely from your heart, and I do the same.”

When Friedrich returned home with his unexpected wealth, the news of his good fortune quickly spread throughout the village. His brother Wilhelm was among the first to hear the story, and instead of being happy for Friedrich’s success, Wilhelm was consumed with envy and greed.

“So,” Wilhelm said to himself, “my foolish brother gives away a turnip and receives a chest of gold in return. If such a simple gift can earn such a reward, imagine what the king would give in return for truly valuable presents!”

Wilhelm immediately began planning to surpass his brother’s gift and earn an even greater reward from the king. He gathered together the finest and most expensive items from his considerable wealth - golden goblets, silver plates, precious jewels, expensive fabrics, and rare spices. The value of Wilhelm’s gifts far exceeded anything that Friedrich could have afforded.

“The king will be so impressed by my magnificent presents,” Wilhelm thought smugly, “that he’ll surely reward me with titles, lands, and riches beyond imagination. I’ll show everyone the difference between my brother’s simple turnip and truly valuable gifts!”

Wilhelm loaded his expensive gifts onto several carts and traveled to the palace with great pomp and ceremony. When he was brought before the king, he presented his costly offerings with elaborate speeches about their value and rarity.

King Maximilian examined Wilhelm’s gifts politely, but something about the man’s manner troubled him. Unlike Friedrich, who had given his gift with pure joy and expected nothing in return, Wilhelm clearly expected to be rewarded proportionally to the value of his presents.

“These are indeed valuable gifts,” the king said carefully. “Tell me, what prompts such generosity from you?”

Wilhelm smiled confidently, not bothering to hide his expectations. “Your Majesty, I have heard that you reward generous subjects handsomely. As one of the wealthiest men in the region, I felt it was appropriate to present gifts worthy of a king. I’m sure Your Majesty will respond with appropriate… appreciation.”

The king’s expression grew cold as he realized that Wilhelm’s gifts came not from genuine generosity but from calculated greed. The man was essentially trying to purchase royal favor with expensive presents.

“I see,” the king said slowly. “You have indeed brought valuable gifts, and I will certainly provide you with something of equivalent worth in return.”

Wilhelm’s eyes lit up with anticipation, already imagining the wealth and honors he would receive.

But instead of gold or land, the king ordered his servants to bring forth Friedrich’s enormous turnip, which had been preserved in the royal cellars.

“Since you clearly understand the value of fine things,” the king said with a slight smile, “I present you with the most remarkable and unique item in my treasury - a turnip of unprecedented size and perfection. This vegetable is literally one of a kind, making it far more valuable than any gold or jewels, which can be found in many places throughout the kingdom.”

Wilhelm stared at the enormous turnip in shock and dismay. He had expected chests of gold, grants of land, or noble titles. Instead, he was receiving a vegetable - the very same turnip that his brother had given to the king!

“But… Your Majesty,” Wilhelm stammered, “surely there’s been some mistake…”

“No mistake at all,” the king replied firmly. “You brought gifts with the expectation of receiving something of great value in return. This turnip is truly unique and precious. Your brother gave it to me freely, from his heart, expecting nothing. You have brought expensive gifts expecting profit. Each of you receives exactly what your motives deserve.”

Wilhelm had no choice but to accept the turnip and return home, his expensive gifts gone and his greed rewarded with nothing but embarrassment and a large vegetable that mocked his mercenary intentions.

When the people of the village learned what had happened, they understood the king’s wisdom. Friedrich, who had given freely from a generous heart, had been rewarded abundantly. Wilhelm, who had given from greed and expectation of profit, had received exactly what his motives merited.

“Brother,” Friedrich said gently when he encountered Wilhelm struggling to transport the enormous turnip home, “I’m sorry that things didn’t work out as you had hoped.”

Wilhelm looked at his younger brother with new understanding. For the first time, he began to see that Friedrich’s generosity was not foolishness but wisdom, and that his own approach to life had been fundamentally flawed.

“Friedrich,” Wilhelm said humbly, “I think I’m beginning to understand what you’ve always known about giving and receiving. Your generosity came from love, while mine came from greed. The king saw the difference immediately.”

From that day forward, Wilhelm began to change his ways. He learned to give freely without expectation of return, to help those in need without calculating the cost, and to find joy in the happiness of others rather than in the accumulation of wealth.

The two brothers became closer than they had ever been, with Wilhelm learning from Friedrich’s example how to live with generosity and genuine kindness. They worked together to help those less fortunate in their community, and both found that their lives became far richer when they focused on giving rather than receiving.

Years later, when people told the story of the turnip and the two brothers, it became a beloved tale about the difference between true generosity and calculated giving. Parents would tell it to their children to teach them that the spirit in which we give is far more important than the value of what we offer.

“Remember,” they would say, “when you give from love and generosity, expecting nothing in return, the universe has a way of rewarding your pure heart. But when you give only to receive, expecting profit from your generosity, you may find that you receive exactly what your selfish motives deserve.”

And the enormous turnip? It was eventually planted in Wilhelm’s garden, where it grew into many smaller turnips that he shared freely with his neighbors, having finally learned the lesson that his brother had always known: that the greatest rewards in life come not from what we receive, but from what we give with open hearts and generous spirits.

Moral: True generosity comes from the heart and expects nothing in return, while giving motivated by greed and expectation of reward often receives exactly what such selfish intentions deserve.