Stone Soup

Three soldiers trudged down a road in a strange country. they were on
their way home from the wars. Besides being tired, they were hungry.
In fact, they had eaten nothing for two days.

"How I would like a good dinner tonight," said the first. "And a bed
to sleep in," added the second. "But that is impossible," said the
third.

On they marched, until suddenly, ahead of them, they saw the lights
of a village. "Maybe we'll find a bite to eat and a bed to sleep in,"
they thought.

Now the peasants of the place feared strangers. When they heard that
three soldiers were coming down the road, they talked among
themselves. "Here come three soldiers," they said. "Soldiers are
always hungry. But we have so little for ourselves." And they hurried
to hide their food. They hid the barley in hay lofts, carrots under
quilts, and buckets of milk down the wells. They hid all they had to
eat. Then they waited.

The soldiers stopped at the first house. "Good evening to you," they
said. "Could you spare a bit of food for three hungry soldiers?" "We
have no food for ourselves," the residents lied. "It has been a poor
harvest."

The soldiers went to the next house. "Could you spare a bit of food?"
they asked. "And do you have a corner where we could sleep for the
night?" "Oh, no," the man said. "We gave all we could spare to the
soldiers who came before you." "And our beds are full," lied the
woman.

At each house, the response was the same -- no one had food or a
place for the soldiers to stay. The peasants had very good reasons,
like feeding the sick and children. The villagers stood in the street
and sighed. They looked as hungry as they could.

The soldiers talked together. The first soldier called out, "Good
people! We are three hungry soldiers in a strange land. We have asked
you for food and you have no food. Well, we will have to make stone
soup." The peasants stared.

The soldiers asked for a big iron pot, water to fill it, and a fire
to heat it. "And now, if you please, three round smooth stones." The
soldiers dropped the stones into the pot.

"Any soup needs salt and pepper," the first solders said, so children
ran to fetch salt and pepper.

"Stones make good soup, but carrots would make it so much better,"
the second soldier added. One woman said, "Why, I think I have a
carrot or two!" She ran to get the carrots.

"A good stone soup should have some cabbage, but no use asking for
what we don't have!" said the third soldier. Another woman said, "I
think I can probably find some cabbage," and off she scurried.

"If only we had a bit of beef and some potatoes, this soup would be
fit for a rich man's table." The peasants thought it over, then ran
to fetch what they had hidden in their cellars. A rich man's soup,
and all from a few stones! It seemed like magic!

The soldiers said, "If only we had a bit of barley and some milk,
this soup would be fit for a king!" And so the peasants managed to
retrieve some barley and milk.

"The soup is ready," said the cooks, "and all will taste it, but
first we need to set the tables." Tables and torches were set up in
the square, and all sat down to eat. Some of the peasants said, "Such
a great soup would be better with bread and cider," so they brought
forth the last two items and the banquet was enjoyed by all. Never
had there been such a feast. Never had the peasants tasted such
delicious soup, and all made from stones! They ate and drank and
danced well into the night.

The soldiers asked again if there was a loft where they might sleep
for the night. "Oh, no!" said the townfolk. "You wise men must have
the best beds in the village!" So the soldiers spent the night in the
mayor's house.

In the morning, the villagers gathered to say goodbye. "Many thanks
to you," the people said, "for we shall never go hungry now that you
have taught us how to make soup from stones!"