Romanyschyn, Romana / Lessiw, Andrij

Das Rübchen – Ripka

A fairy tale from Ukraine

Bilingual German – Ukrainian
Translated from Ukrainian by Kati Brunner
© 2022 Baobab Books
approx. 32 pages, hardcover, 28,5 x 20.5 cm
CHF 25.00 / € [D] 20,00 / € [A] 20,60
ISBN 978-3-907277-14-0
Ages 4 and up

Grandpa Andrushka is a diligent gardener. In spring he rushes into the garden with his shovel and rake, and in no time the bed is ready. Gently he puts the seed of a turnip into the soil, carries the water every day and watches the sprout grow. And as it grows, the turnip, it gets bigger and bigger!
Then the time of harvest has come. But no matter how much Grandpa plucks and pulls at the turnip stalk, the turnip is stuck in the ground. Grandpa calls out to Grandma Marushka: «Come on, help me pull the turnip!» But even with their combined strength, nothing can be done. Then Grandma Marushka calls for grandchild Minka, and Minka whistles for dog Finka. They pull and pull and pull, but the turnip is stuck. The dog now calls for cat Varvarka, and they pull with hands and paws, but to no avail. Now Darka the mouse helps, and when they all pull together ... the turnip finally gives way and tumbles over them all.
The fairy tale of the little turnip that grows to such a size under the loving care of grandpa that everyone has to help to pull it out of the ground was written down in the 19th century by the Ukrainian writer Ivan Franko. The Ukrainian artist duo Romana Romanyschyn and Andrij Lessiw have reinterpreted the tradition and designed it as a children's book.

Original edition published under the titel «Ріпка» by Nawchalna Knyha Bohdan © 2012 Romana Romanyschyn and Andrij Lessiw.