Foreword:
This fable represents people sharing a small amount of their food in order to make a meal. It originates from a European folk story, and often wrongly attributed to Aesop, although there is no ancient source to substantiate such claim. Hence, it is not catalogued in the Perry Index. However, it remains a very popular fable and has been in circulation for a long time. The Stone Soup
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Once, a traveller was stranded, without food or shelter.
 
The Stone Soup
It was a stormy day, and with no hope of proceeding anywhere, he knocked at the door of a castle to seek help.
 
When his knocks were answered, after some time, he said, "I cannot find anyplace else, due to this storm. And, I am terribly hungry. Could you spare me some food?"
 
The lady supervisor, who answered the door, shouted at him, "No! We don't have anything to spare! We cannot give food to every beggar who comes to this door."
 
"But, I am terribly wet, too!", requested the traveller, "Could you please provide me some shelter, till this storm subsides?"
 
"No! No! No! We cannot provide shelter to strangers" shouted the lady, "No Food. No Shelter. Be off with you! Leave now!"
 
The Stone Soup
"Well! If you won't give me food to eat, or shelter to protect myself from the storm, it is alright!", begged the traveller, "Will you at least let me dry my clothes by the fire?"
 
The lady supervisor thought to herself, "What harm could it do? How can I refuse him of heat from the kitchen fire, which is anyway burning?", and reluctantly agreed.
 
"All right, you may sit by the kitchen fire", she said, "But not one scrap of food, you will get!"
 
Thanking the good lord, for he already had the shelter he needed in the guise of drying his clothes, the traveller followed her to the kitchen.
 
Once inside, and after exchanging pleasantries with the servants, he proceeded to make himself comfortable in front of the kitchen fire.
 
The Stone Soup
Then, he started to warm himself, and dry his clothes, as the servants watched suspiciously.
 
After some time, he turned to ask, "Do you happen to have an empty pot, that you are not using?"
 
"Why?", asked the lady supervisor.
 
"If you would lend me an empty pot, I will collect some stones from outside, and make myself some soup out of stones", he replied mysteriously, "The Magical Stone Soup!"
 
This got everybody curious. She exclaimed, "Stone Soup? I have never heard of something like this!"
 
"Ah?! Then, you have missed a rare treat", replied the traveller, "This, you must taste! I shall be happy to prepare some for all of us, if you lend me an empty pot."
 
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The Stone Soup
"And this, I must see how it is prepared!", and she arranged for a pot, "What now?"
 
"Oh! Just some water from the well outside", the traveller walked out, followed by all the others, wanting to know what he was doing.
 
After he half-filled the pot with water, he started collecting some stones, and proceeded to wash them clean, "One must select the stones very carefully. They should not be muddy or dirty!"
 
The others nodded in understanding, and helped him carry the pot back inside, with the clean stones dropped into some clear water.
 
Together, they put the pot on fire, and waited for the water to heat up.
 
The Stone Soup
"Could you lend me a spoon?", he enquired.
 
"Of course!", she answered, while handing him a spoon, "It cannot hurt to lend a spoon."
 
And, with the spoon, the traveller scooped some hot water to taste. He made a masterful gesture to say, "It is cooking fine. But, it won't be as good as I usually make, because I usually put some salt and pepper."
 
"Oh!", said the lady supervisor, "I don't mind giving you some salt and pepper."
 
Eagerly awaiting the results, she wilfully handed over the salt and pepper to him, which he added to the hot water, and stirred it well.
 
The Stone Soup
After a few minutes, he scooped another spoonful to taste, and again, with a masterful gesture, "Now, this is much better!"
 
He then turned to the servants, to remark loudly, "It is a pity I don't have some beans, or potatoes!"
 
"This is not much to ask. I can give you some of both!", jumped the lady supervisor, to bring a trayful of both.
 
And so, the traveller washed and added the beans and potatoes into the salty and peppery hot water, and waited for everything to boil.
 
As everybody waited, he asked again, "Would you have a carrot, or an old bone, to throw in?"
 
The Stone Soup
"Of course!", and some carrots were added.
 
"And some celery?"
 
"Perhaps, some soup bones?"
 
"Some pieces of meat, maybe?"
 
The lady supervisor kept supplying whatever he asked for, and kept a note of the recipe, as she waited for the 'Stone Soup' to be prepared!
 
After waiting for the entire thing to boil for some more time, and a spoonful of taste, the traveller announced, "We are done!"
 
This is the moment, everybody were waiting for.
 
The Stone Soup
And so, together they sat on the kitchen table for some 'Stone Soup', and it was delicious, they all agreed.
 
"We never had something like this!", said the lady supervisor, "And to think, this is prepared just out of stones!"
 
Completely unaware, they were, that the soup had nothing to do with the stones, but with all the ingredients that were added into it.
 
The wise traveller had feasted on the small things that would normally be thrown away, and prepared something that everybody could relish.
 
After some time, when the storm subsided, the traveller left for his way, thanking them for their lovely company, for the warmth of fire to dry himself, for the delicious food to quench his hunger, and for the shelter to protect him from the storm.
 
 
Moral:
More can be accomplished, when people work together.
Or,
In times of scarcity, sharing and cooperation are key for ensuring everyone's wellbeing.
 
 
Summary:
As it was raining heavily, a man sought shelter in a nearby house. When the maid refused, he requested something to eat and help him light some fire to keep himself warm. The maid reluctantly allowed him near the kitchen fire, but clarified that there was nothing to eat. The man then asked to make some soup himself, explaining all he needed was water, salt, and stones. The maid, curious to know of a soup cooked of stones, arranged the needs. As the man prepared it, he kept asking for leftover meat and vegetables, which the maid willingly provided to be added in the 'stone soup'. When he finished cooking, they tasted the soup, and it was delicious. The maid was amazed how delicious a soup can be prepared out of stones, ignorant of the fact that the leftover meat and vegetables made it so.
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