Stone Soup

The Wisdom Of Sharing Stone Soup
There are many variations on the story of stone soup, but they all involve a traveler coming into a town. The inhabitants try to discourage the traveler from staying, fearing he wants them to give him food. They tell him in no uncertain terms that there's no food anywhere to be found. The traveler explains that he doesn't need any food and that, in fact, he was planning to make a soup to share with all of them. The villagers watch suspiciously as he builds a fire and fills a cauldron with water.

With great ceremony, he pulls a stone from a bag, dropping the stone into the pot of water. He sniffs the brew extravagantly and exclaims how delicious stone soup is. As the villagers begin to show interest, he mentions how good the soup would be with just a little cabbage in it. A villager brings out a cabbage to share. This episode repeats itself until the soup has cabbage, carrots, onions, and beets-indeed, a substantial soup that feeds everyone in the village.

This story addresses the human tendency to hoard in times of deprivation. When resources are scarce, we pull back and put all of our energy into self-preservation. We isolate ourselves and shut out others. As the story of stone soup reveals, in doing so, we often deprive ourselves and everyone else of a feast.

This metaphor plays out beyond the realm of food. We hoard ideas, love, and energy, thinking we will be richer if we keep to them to ourselves, when in truth we make the world, and ourselves, poorer whenever we greedily stockpile our reserves. The traveler was able to see that the villagers were holding back, and he had the genius to draw them out and inspire them to give, thus creating a spread that none of them could have created alone.

Are you like one of the villagers, holding back? If you come forward and share your gifts, you will inspire others to do the same. The reward is a banquet that can nourish many.

Stone Soup
Europe
A tramp knocked at the farmhouse door. "I can't let you in, for my husband is not at home," said the woman of the house. "And I haven't a thing to offer you," she added. Her voice showed unmasked scorn for the man she held to be a beggar.

"Then you could make use of my soup stone," he replied, pulling from his pocket what appeared to be an ordinary stone.

"Soup stone?" said she, suddenly showing interest in the tattered stranger.

"Oh yes," he said. "If I just had a potful of water and a fire, I'd show you how it works. This stone and boiling water make the best soup you've ever eaten. Your husband would thank you for the good supper, if you'd just let me in and put my stone to use over your fire."

The woman's suspicions yielded to her desire for an easy meal, and she opened the door. A pot of water was soon brought to a boil. The tramp dropped in his stone, then tasted the watery gruel. "It needs salt, and a bit of barley," he said. "And some butter, too, if you can spare it." The woman obliged him by adding the requested ingredients. He tasted it again. "Much better!" he said. "But a good soup needs vegetables and potatoes. Are there none in your cellar?"

"Oh yes," she said, her enthusiasm for the miracle soup growing, and she quickly found a generous portion of potatoes, turnips, carrots, and beans.

After the mixture had boiled awhile, the man tasted it again. "It's almost soup," he said. "The stone has not failed us. But some chicken broth and chunks of meat would do it well."

The woman, recognizing the truth of his claim, ran to the chicken yard, returning soon with a freshly slaughtered fowl. "Soup stone, do your thing!" she said, adding the chicken to the stew.

When their noses told them that the soup was done, the woman dished up a healthy portion for her guest and for herself. They ate their fill, and -- thanks to the magic stone -- there was still a modest bowlful left over for her husband's supper.

"My thanks for the use of your pot and your fire," said the tramp as evening approached, and he sensed that the husband soon would be arriving home. He fished his stone from the bottom of the pot, licked it clean, and put it back into his pocket.

"Do come again," said the thankful woman.

"I will indeed," said the tramp, and disappeared into the woods.

8 cups of water
6 red potatoes (cut any way you like, I do not peel mine)
3 carrots (sliced, I do not peel my carrots)
1 zucchini (sliced)
1 summer squash (sliced)
1 onion (diced)
3 cloves garlic (mashed through a press)
1 stalk celery (sliced)
1/2 lb okra (sliced)
1 cup green beans (fresh is best but canned/frozen works)
2 large tomatoes (chopped up, fresh is best but canned is okay:)
1/2 cup peas (again fresh is best but canned/frozen works)
1/2-1 cup corn (frozen works better than canned for some reason)
salt & pepper to taste

In a poor village, there were many hungry mouths and one large, empty iron kettle. A famine had settled on the land, but the villagers were wise, and each family had put away some food for winter. But with each family, it was all the same kind of food, and it was boring! For days and days, Emile's family ate nothing but carrots. For days and days, Karina's family ate salty beef. For days and days, Jacob's family ate nothing but potatoes. It was the same with every family.

Because they were so hungry for good things to eat, the villagers became grumpy with each other. They would not say hello when they passed in the streets. They shut their doors tightly instead of sitting on the stoops in the bright autumn sunshine. They would not let their children play together. Everyone was jealous of what the others had. "Oh," said Emile's mother. "If only I had some beef to feed my children, they would be strong."

"Oh!" said Jacob's father. "If we only had some carrots, our potatoes would taste so much sweeter."

"My!" said Karina's sister. "If we had potatoes, the salty beef would be much better."

Everyone was angry and dissatisfied.

One evening, just at sunset, a little old figure wrapped in a shawl and a headscarf came into the village. She was a babushka, a grandmother, and she dragged a handcart behind her. She went to the very center of the village where in better times the villagers had danced and sung and feasted together near their well. She saw the empty iron kettle and clucked her tongue happily.

"Ah, perfect!" she cried. "Just what I need to make delicious stone soup."

Emile, who had been getting his family's water at the well, drew closer.

"Babushka, what is stone soup? I would like to try some. I am so tired of carrots!"

"Ah, it is a most wonderful thing. First you take a stone."

She plopped a fist-sized rock into the iron kettle.

"May I have a bit of that water, young man?"

Emile obliged. Puzzled, he said, "Babushka, you don't want to eat rocks and water."

"No? But that is what I have..."

"Wait! I will get you something more."

Emile scurried off and came back with a fistful of carrots.

From her apron pocket, Babushka pulled out a handful of rosemary.

"Very nice."

"That's not so nice, Babushka," said Jacob. He had been sent out to get the morning's water also. "But I can help." He quickly ran back to her house and returned with a bucket full of potatoes.

"Very good, my dear," said Babushka as she patted Jacob on the cheek. She cut the potatoes and the carrots with her paring knife and added them to the pot, along with a pinch of thyme.

By this time the soup smelled like the beginning of something good. Curious Karina stopped sweeping her stoop and came over to see.

"Babushka, might I help?"

"Of course, my dear."

Karina flitted back to her house and came back with a plate full of pieces of salted beef.

"Ahh," Babushka smiled as she added the beef to the pot, with a handful of parsley. "A little more water, please, Emile."

The three friends sat with Babushka as the stone soup cooked itself into a savory meal. While they waited, she stirred the pot and told them fantastic stories about wise men, princesses, and fools.

By the time the soup was ready the grown ups had come out of their houses. They smelled the good soup. They gathered together and forgot their jealousies as they shared a wonderful meal with their children. One family shared their apples. Another family shared their flour. Yet another shared honey and cracked walnuts. All these were put together to create a fine dessert. Later that night there was dancing and singing just as before the days that hunger came. Babushka was invited to stay with the families for the winter, each one wanting a turn, so they could enjoy her wonderful stories and good stone soup.

You can make a stone soup at home any time with your parents' permission. Why not see what's in your cabinet and fridge that might taste good in a soup. Here are some ideas:

Start with:

Water (and a nice, clean stone if you like)

Add things to make the broth taste good, such as herbs, and/or a couple of fresh tomatoes (you may use canned tomatoes.)

Add things that take a long time to cook, such as scrubbed and cut carrots and potatoes, meat (if your soup is not vegetarian), celery, dried beans (that have been washed and soaked overnight), a cup of rinsed and sorted lentils and/or a cup of rice.

Bring the pot of good things to a boil. Then cut back the heat to low, cover it and let it cook for an hour and a half. Stir it every so often. If it gets too thick, add some more water.

If you haven't added potatoes or rice, you might want to stir in a cup or two of pasta about 10 minutes before you serve it -not sooner or it will get mushy. At the last add salt and pepper, a little at a time and tasting as you go, to finish your pot of Stone Soup.