The book about Beetroot

THREE SISTERS

In one basement where vegetables were stored, in three cozy compartments three sister beets have lodged: fodder, table and sugar. Once people took all sugar beet, put it in their baskets and carried it away. There was only one small beetroot, casually forgotten in a corner. He rolled out to his sisters and told them:

See, people already took away all of my type: a sugar beet is the most necessary for people, they make from me a sweet sugar.

Don't think, sugar beetroot, that only you important and necessary. Without me one won't be able to make a famous Russian beetroot soup, nor a vegetable beetroot salad, responded the table beet.

People need me as well, not less than you, said offended stock beet. Though I am not so sweet like sugar, and not so gentle as the table beet, but my weight is much more than yours. In winter time cows that do not eat me won't give enough milk.

The sisters started to quarrel, and at this very moment appeared the fairy of the Harvest. In the winter she sometimes goes to cellars and storehouses to admire the good results of hard work. The fairy heard the dispute of the three sisters and told them:

Dear sisters with the help of a magic wand I can transform you into girls. Let each of you by your work prove your importance to people and teach them about all your wonderful qualities.

 

The fairy of Harvest touched three sisters with her magic wand, and in the same minute they all have turned into girls. On the eldest, big and angular, were simple country clothes. On the middle sister - round and ruddy - a crimson sundress and green jacket. And the younger – white like snow and the gracious like a birch, was dressed up by the fairy in a cherry silk skirt and a white short coat.

 

Three sisters went outside, looking for work and soon they saw the big house. They asked if any vacancy job is available and were gladly accepted. The eldest sister was taken for a farmyard work, the middle sister – as a cook, and younger - to look after children.

The eldest sister began to feed the cows with a fodder beet. And since that day the cows eat with great appetite a pair of large fodder beetroot everyday and an armful of straw for a snack. No wonder that due to this the cows started to produce enormous amount of milk - it flew like river. Hens too did not refuse a beetroots ‘treat' - pushing each other, they were pecking its juicy pulp. In winter without fresh greens even the geese often suffered from indigestion, but since the new girl-worker began to add in their forage chopped beet, all the geese recovered.

The owner happily told to this new girl-worker:

- Dear girl, you've got really magic hands. In previous winters milk did not suffice us, but now there is a lot of everything: milk, and cream, and eggs.

- These miracles are done not by me, but thank to my assistant - a stock/ fodder beet, - answered the girl and showed to the owner a huge fodder beet.

The family also was very pleased with the new cook. Usually their menu was very simple: a fast Russian cabbage soup, porridge and a turnip. Now the new cook made often treated all family with a fragrant beetroot soup and tasty vegetable salads.

The cook not only prepared the food, but also began to treat illnesses with the help of a beet. The woman of the house, the middle age fat woman, was suffering from often headaches. Once, when she even wasn't able to move because of a pain, the new cook brought her a cup of beet juice with honey, and the pain little by little disappeared.

- What a wonderful medicine you gave me? I know my headaches are partly due to my fatness, is there is medicine for that? – asked the woman surprisingly.

- It was juice of a table beet. Doctors recommend eat as often as possible of boiled beet if one suffers from over-weight. It will improve your heart vessels, liver and intestines, - explained the girl.

 

- Maybe you can treat my sister with your beet? – asked the woman. – She has got breast tumour. She went already everywhere – do doctors, to healers but all in vain. The doctor told her that it should be amputated, but she is too scared to go for such operation. And even though my sister's character is not pleasant at all, don't know whom she inherit such anger and ill-tempered from, still I feel pity for her – she is my sister in spite of everything.

- I won't promise, but I shall try. You see, my beet contain protein BETAIN which is excellent treatment for tumours, - said the girl has and went to this woman's sister.

So the new cook started to treat the ill woman with beet juice. And to make the tumour softer she recommended to put a grated beet on the tumour. And to eat everyday boil beet with peel and with tail. Then cut out one third from the top and eat the rest while the beet is warm.

- When you will leave me alone? Why are you torturing me with your disgusting beet? – nagged the ill woman.

-  If you want to recover, then please don't complain, rather follow my recommendations. My beet-healer one should thank everyday. And, surely, not call by a bad names, - explained the new cook.

It was difficult for this ‘patient' to squeeze out from her lips the words of gratitude, yet she doesn't want to die and was prepared to do anything to get rid of this tumour. So, in a few months, when she began to feel much better and realized that this miraculous beet really works, this grumpy by nature woman surprised everybody – first times in many years she was smiling and looked quite cheerful! It seems that the beet can cure not only illnesses but even correct the people's character.

The news about wonderful table beet spread all over the village. The peasants gathered for an urgent meeting and on mutual agreement decided to plant table beet. The result amazed everybody – the beet doesn't afraid of time – by spring, when carrots and turnip became flabby and cabbage went off, the beet still looked and tasted as fresh.

The younger beet sister too tried to do her best. She looked after children so well that they became very fond of her. The woman of the house noticed that for obedience new nanny awards children with some white slices. So the woman asked:

- What are you giving to children?

- I am giving them sugar, - answered the girl. - You give them honey only on holidays or when they are ill, and children like sweet very much.

- Whence you are getting sugar? - The woman was amazed. - Sugar heads are very expensive, as they are made overseas from sugar cane. Though we are not poor, still we can't afford such luxury.

- Well, I don't have money. And I've never been overseas. Sugar I'm making myself from sugar beet. Try, it is as good as sugar from overseas, - with these words the girl a piece of sugar.

The woman liked the taste and decided to tell husband about this miracle. He supported wife's idea to plant this kind of beet, so he went to his neighbours and shared this news with them. After spoke with their eldest they even decided to allocate a couple of fields for this beet, then build a factory for producing a sugar. The people whom the peasants asked to finance/sponsor this project had some doubts in the beginning but after tasting tea with this new sugar they gladly gave their permission.

Thus, the beet sisters understand that they all are very more important, people like and need them, and all of these beets up to now serve people.

 

FRUITS VEGS

 

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