The Story

Author Unknown

In a village a woman was surprised to find a stranger on her doorstep, dressed in Arabian clothes, who asked her for something to eat.

“I am sorry”, she answered, “I have nothing in my house at the moment.” 

“Don’t worry,” answered the stranger kindly. “In my knapsack I have a stone for soup; if you will allow me to put it in a pot full of boiling water I will make the most delicious soup in the world. I need a very big pot, please.”

The woman was curious. She put the pot on the fire and went to tell her neighbor about the secret of the soup stone. By the time water began to boil, all the neighborhood was there, they had all come to see the stranger and his stone. He put the stone in the water, then he tasted a tea spoon of it and exclaimed with a blissful face: “Ah, it’s so delicious. It just needs some potatoes.”

“I have some potatoes in my kitchen”, exclaimed a woman. A few minutes later she had came back with a large quantity of potatoes cut into little slices, which were poured into the big pot. 

Then the stranger tasted the soup again. “Excellent” He cried. But then he added with a gloomy tone: “If only we had a little meat, it would make it into the most delicious stew”.

Another housewife ran home to get some meat. The man accepted it graciously and put it into the pot. When he tasted it again he raised his eyes to the heavens and said: “All it needs is a few vegetables and it really would be perfect!”

One of the neighbors ran back home and returned with a basket full of carrots and onions.

Having added the new ingredients to the soup, the stranger tasted the mixture and declared solemnly: “salt and sauce”. 

“Here they are” said the lady of the house.

Then another order: “bowls for everyone!”.

Everybody ran home to fetch their bowls. Some came back with bread and fruit as well. Then they all sat around the table while the stranger served up large portions of his incredible soup. Everybody felt a strange happiness, they laughed, chatted and enjoyed their first real shared meal. In the midst of the festive atmosphere the stranger silently slipped away, leaving his miraculous stone behind, so they could use it every time they wanted to make the most tasty soup in the world.