STONE SOUP
(as told by Ann McGovern)
A young man was
walking.
He walked and he walked. He walked all night. And
he walked all day. He was tired. And he was
hungry.
At last he came to a big house. "What
a fine house," he said. "there will be plenty of
food for me here."
He knocked on the
door.
A little old lady opened it. "Good
lady," said the young man, "I am very hungry. Can
you give me something to eat?"
"I have nothing
to give you," said the little old lady. "I have
nothing in the house. I have nothing in the garden."
And she began to close the door.
"Stop," said
the young man. "If you will not give me something to
eat, will you give me a stone?"
"A stone?"
said the little old lady. "What will you do with a
stone? You cannot eat a stone!"
"Ah," said
the young man. "I can make soup from a
stone."
Now the little old lady had never
heard of that. Make soup from a stone? Fancy
that.
"These are stones in the road," said the
little old lady.
The young man picked up a
round gray stone. "This will make a wonderful soup,"
he said, "Now get me a pot."
The little
old lady got a pot. "Fill the pot with water and put
it on the fire," the young man said.
The
little old lady did as she was told. And soon the
water was bubbling in the pot.
The young
man put the round gray stone into the pot. "Now we
will wait for the stone to cook into soup," he
said.
The pot bubbled and bubbled.
After a while, the little old lady said, "This soup
is cooking fast." "It is cooking fast now," said the
hungry young man. "But it would cook faster with
some onions."
So the little old lady went to
the garden to get some yellow onions.
Into
the pot went the yellow onions, with the round, gray
stone.
"Soup from a stone," said the little
old lady, "Fancy that."
The pot bubbled and
bubbled.
After a little while the little old
lady said, "This soup smells good."
"It
smells good now," said the hungry young man. "But it
would smell better with some carrots."
So the little old lady went out to the garden and
pulled up all the carrots she could carry.
Into the pot went the long, thin carrots,
with
the yellow onions,
and the round, gray
stone.
"Soup from a stone," said the little
old lady. "Fancy that."
The pot bubbled and
bubbled.
After a while the little old lady
said, "This soup tastes good."
"It tastes
good now," said the hungry young man. "But it would
taste better with beef bones."
So the
little old lady went to get some juicy beef
bones.
Into the pot went the juicy beef
bones,
with the long , thin carrots,
and the
yellow onions,
and the round, gray stone.
"Soup from a stone," said the little old lady.
"Fancy that."
The pot bubbled and
bubbled.
After a while, the little old lady
said, "This soup is fit for a prince."
"It
is fit for a prince now," said the hungry young man.
"But it would be fit for a king with a bit of pepper
and a handful of salt."
So the little
old lady got the pepper and the salt.
Into
the pot went the bit of pepper,
and the handful of
salt,
with the juicy beef bones,
and the
long, thin carrots,
and the yellow onions,
and the round, gray stone.
"soup from a
stone," said the little old lady. "Fancy
that."
The pot bubbled and bubbled.
After a while the little old lady said, "This soup
is too thin."
"It is too thin now," said
the hungry young man. "But it would be nice and
thick with some butter and barley."
So the
little old lady went to get butter and
barley.
Into the pot went the butter and
barley,
with the bit of pepper and the handful of
salt,
and the juicy beef bones,
and the long,
thin carrots,
and the yellow onions,
and the
round, gray stone.
"Soup from a stone," said
the little old lady. "Fancy that."
Th epot
bubbled and bubbled.
After a while the
little old lady tasted the soup again. "That is good
soup," she said.
"Yes," said the hungry
young man. "This soup is fit for a king. Now we
will eat it."
"STOP!" said the little old
lady. "This soup is indeed fit for a king. Now I
will set a table fit for a king." So she took out
her best tablecloth and her best dishes.
Then the little old lady and the hungry young man
ate all the soup-
the soup made with butter
and barley,
and the bit of pepper and the handful
of salt,
and the juicy beef bones,
long, thin
carrots,
and the yellow onions,
and the
round, gray stone.
"Soup from a stone,"
said the little old lady. "Fancy that."
"Now I must be on my way," said the young man. He
took the stone out of the pot and put it into his
pocket.
"Why are you taking the stone?" said
the little old lady.
"Well," said the young
man. "The stone is not cooked enough. I will have
to cook it some more tomorrow."
And the
young man said goodbye.
He walked on
down the road. He walked and he walked. "What a
fine supper I shall have tomorrow," he said to
himself.
"Soup from a stone.
Fancy that."
Email: spycee@webtv.net
