stone soup

Once there was a young woman who was traveling around the country, seeing what she could see.

She sometimes did odd jobs to help pay for her trip but there came a day when she ran out of money

and food. She came upon a small village. She thought that in this village she was sure to find someone

that would give her something to eat.

She knocked at the the door of a friendly looking house.

The woman at the house opened the door. The young woman asked if the woman had a bit of food to spare for her. Sadly, the woman answered that she did not have any food in the house at all.

The same thing happened at all the  other houses the young woman visited. Not a single person in the whole village had any food in their houses. The young woman did not give up. Instead she came up with a plan.

The young woman went up to what appeared to be a wealthy

house in the center of the village, and asked the old man who answered

the door if he had a large kettle of water he could spare.

The old man asked the young woman why she wanted the kettle of water. She told him that she was so sad about the lack of food in the village that she was going to make the entire village a big pot of soup from the special stone she had found on her travels.

Very curious, the old man got the kettle of water and a large stirring spoon and helped the young woman build a good fire along the side of his house. The young woman took a smooth stone out of her pocket and put it in the pot of water. As she stirred the water in the kettle, the young woman mentioned to the old man that the magic soup is always very good, but it would be even better with a little onion and cabbage to add some extra flavor. The old man thought he just might have a little  bit of onion an cabbage that could be added to the soup. He went inside his house and returned with a handful of onions and a large head of cabbage and added these to the water in the kettle.

A neighbor nearby stepped out of her house to put some laundry on her line. She smelled the onions and cabbage cooking and became curious about the good smell. She went next door to the old man’s house where she was told about the special soup made from stone.

The young woman stirred the pot some more, and mentioned to the neighbor that the magic soup is always very good, but it would be even better with some meat to add some extra flavor. The neighbor thought she just might have a bit of meat at home. She went to get it and added it to the soup.

A young man came down the road walking his dog. He smelled the onions and cabbage and meat cooking, and became curious about the good smell. He came to the old man’s house and was told about the special soup made from a stone.

The young woman stirred the pot  and mentioned to the young man that the magic soup is always very good, but it would be even better with a little bit of carrot and potato to add some flavor. The young man hurried home and returned with carrots and potatoes, and added them to the kettle of soup.

A little girl down the street came outside to play and smelled the onions, cabbage, meat, carrots and potatoes and became curious about the smell. She went over to the old man’s house and was told about the special soup made from a stone.

The young woman stirred the pot some more mentioned to the little girl that the magic soup is always very good, but it would be even better with a few beans and some salt and pepper, to add some flavor. The little girl hurried home and returned with her mother and a bowl of beans, and some salt and pepper, and added these to the soup.

The woman from the very first house, where the young woman had asked for some food, came outside with her basket to collect some herbs and mushrooms from her garden. She smelled the meat and vegetables cooking and became curious. She walked to the old man’s house and was told about the special soup made from a stone. The young woman stirred the soup and mentioned to the first woman that the magic soup is always very good but it would be even better with mushrooms and herbs that the woman had in her basket. The woman from the first house gladly added her mushrooms and herbs to the kettle of soup.

Shortly the soup was done, and everyone had a big bowl of soup. They all were amazed at how such a wonderful soup could be made from just a stone. The young woman served herself a second bowl, and smiled to herself.