Stone Soup

Once two travellers came to a little village. The two were hungry and tired from a long day's journey, and decided to rest by the side of the road. One of the travelers made a small fire. On it he placed a stout pot. The other drew water from the town well, filled the pot with water, and placed a stone in it.

As the two men sat down by the fire and brought their "stone soup" to a boil, the local villagers became curious of what the two were doing, and some of them came to find it out and talk with the two men. In a little while the visitors were made to share their tales of people and places they had encountered on their travels.

In the end a young boy asked, "But why are you boiling a stone?"

One of the travellers said, "So we may have stone soup."

"It cannot taste much," says an old woman. "But I have a cabbage, which will add some flavour."

"And I have some carrots which will add colour!" said another.

"Some potatoes," offered another.

This went on till a hearty stew was made, and the whole village and the weary travellers dined on it together throughout the evening and into the night.

Next day the two men travelled on. The villagers did not forget them. Even during hard times the little village thrived because the townsfolk did not forgot how to make "stone soup"

[Retold]