The Enormous Carrot
Author Vladimir Vagin
Picture & Story by Tonya Stalvey

the enormous carrot

        Early one spring morning, Daisy and Floyd Rabbit planted seeds in their garden.  The rabbits enjoyed gardening and always took great care to water and weed their garden every day.  The garden grew just as they had hoped with lots of beautiful flowers.  Everything was going just as they had planned when one morning.....

         Daisy and Floyd were very surprised to find an enormous carrot growing right in the middle of their beautiful garden!  The carrot was ready to pick so Floyd and Daisy tried to pull the carrot out of the ground, but the enormous carrot would not come out.  They struggled and pulled but the carrot wouldn't budge.  Luckily for them their friend Mable came by and agreed to help the rabbits pull the carrot out.  But try as they might, the carrot stayed in the ground.  Next, along came their friend Henry the goat who agreed to helpas well.  They all grunted and groaned but were not able to pull the carrot out.

       As the friends continued to try and pull the carrot out of the ground, more and more of their friends happened to come by.  They all agreed to stop and help when asked to pull the carrot out of the ground.  Before they new it there were seven of them trying to pick one enormous carrot out of the ground.  They heaved and ho'd, hollered and they hauled, but the carrot stayed put.  It wouldn't come out.

       Just then, their friend Lester the mouse came by.  Lester was quick to ask "May I help you pull that carrot out?".  Lester the mouse was the only friend to actually volunteer to help pull the carrot out of the ground.  Claire the chicken quickly told Lester that he was much to small for such a task!   But Lester was not discouraged, instead he said "Let me try".  So Daisy, Floyd, Mabel, Henry, Gloria, Buster, Claire, and Lester tried together to pull the enormous carrot out of the ground.  They teamed and they towed, they heaved and they ho'd, they grunted and they groaned until all at once...

       The enormous carrot came out!!!  Then Daisy, Floyd, Mabel, Henry, Goria, Buster, Claire, Lester, and all their friends ate every bit of that enormous carrot until it was all gone.

tulips with flying bee

Critical Thinking Questions 

1.   Why do you think the carrot grew so large?

2.   All of the other animals thought Henry the mouse was to small to pull the carrott out.  Why do
      you think he was able to pull the carrot out?  

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