"And I have some good onions I can put in!" said another neighbor.
"I have some fresh carrots!" said another.
"I have some celery!" added another.
"And I have some home-grown tomatoes!!" said another.
"Clean 'em. Chop 'em and throw 'em in!" smiled the young soldier. This Stone Soup will be the BEST EVER!"
"And I will fetch some of MY fresh baked bread rolls." added a jolly-looking young woman. They always taste good with soup!"
"Wonderful!" exclaimed the young soldier. "This plain Stone Soup is turning into a hearty meal!"
"Someone go wake Old George!" someone shouted, "and tell him to bring his fiddle and rosin up his bow--it looks like we're gonna have a STONE SOUP PARTY!"
And every one smiled, laughed and begin to skip and hum their favorite songs!
...
"I have a lot of potatoes I have just dug!" said one of the neighbors.
"Could I peel and dice a few of them and add them to the soup?"
"Of course!" said the young soldier--I'm sure some fresh potatoes--right out of your field--would add some interest and nutrition to our Stone Soup!"
...
"I have some salt right here!" said the farmer's wife.
"May I put into into the soup myself?"
"Of course you may!" said the young soldier.
"Stone soup can only be improved by the good things people are inspired to add!"
"Then I would like to also put in a small handful of my very own seasoning mix--good kitchen herbs and spices which I have picked and dried myself!"
"I am sure your spices will improve this already tasty Stone Soup" replied the young soldier.
...
The neighbors soon filled the farm kitchen to overflowing.
Everyone was carrying a soup bowl and a spoon and they were all agog over the idea of their first taste of Stone Soup!
The stone had boiled a while so the young soldier reached in a ladle and carefully blew on the hot liquid until the contents were cool-- then he took a small sip.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" He said.
"Now THAT is what I call STONE SOUP!!!!"
VERY good!
BUT--with just a little SALT it would be even BETTER!!"
...
Very soon the neighbors started to arrive and when several had gathered around the kitchen fire and the big pot of boiling water the young soldier said:
"Now watch carefully!!
I am going to drop this fine soup stone, which I found not far from here, into the boiling water--and that is absolutely ALL I am going to put into the pot.
You will soon be amazed by taking a taste of delicious Stone Soup and I hope you have all brought your biggest soup bowls and soup spoons because I am sure there will be plenty for all!!!"
With this the young soldier gingerly dropped the stone into the pot!
...
"NOW--before your neighbors start to arrive," said the young soldier, "lets get started!"
"Make sure your kitchen fire is made up for some cooking and put on a BIG pot of fresh water"
"I will wash this nice STONE and make sure it is all ready--then--as soon as the water starts to boil, I will add the stone and we will all SOON eat some TASTY SOUP!"
"I can hardly believe it!" said the farmer and his wife agreed that she had never imagined such a thing.
...
"Wonderful idea!" exclaimed the householder.
"Timmy, my son--run to fetch as many neighbors as you can!
This stranger is going to treat us ALL to Stone Soup!
And you had better ask the neighbors to bring their own bowls and spoons since we may not have enough utensils for all---
But we will have PLENTY of good Stone Soup!"
...
"This is my good wife, Mary." said the householder to the young soldier.
"She does most of the cooking around here and she would also like to know about your Stone Soup."
"I will not only freely give you my own recipe for Stone Soup," said the young soldier, "but if you have but a large pot of fresh water and a good fire to heat it on--I will provide not only you but all your neighbors with some delicious Stone Soup-- if you would care to invite them over--and I am sure you will NEVER have eaten a better or tastier soup!"
...
"Come right in and welcome, Stranger!" said the big householder.
And as the young soldier walked through the door and into the cozy farm cottage the householder more cheerfully continued:
"Stone Soup, you say--Stone Soup?
I have lived in this same house-- boy and man-- for years and have never heard that the stones around here were good for anything but breaking plow shares!
Tell me more about this Stone Soup right now, if you please!"
...
A big housholder came to the door and asked gruffly: "Well! What do you want?"
"Friend, I am a stranger in your neighborhood and I wanted to tell you that I found, almost at your doorstep, a wonderful stone for making Stone Soup.
I thought you might want to know about your good fortune in having such stones readily available to you-- practically an endless supply of good Stone Soup!"
...
The young soldier stooped down and picked up the stone.
"You are going to get me my dinner!" He said to the stone and carefully put it into his pocket.
Then he walked into the little village and stopped and knocked at the door of the very first house he came to.
...
Once upon a time--not so VERY long ago--a young soldier finished his military duty and was walking back to his home village.
This story took place in a time before railroad trains or buses and the soldier was going to walk the entire distance home--a walk of many days.
He was happy to be out of the army and on his own again and he was quite healthy--but he was absolutely penniless!
This fact did not bother him because he had a lot of self confidence--and he had always had good luck!
And he looked forward to seeing his friends and his old parents who were waiting for him in his home village.
But he WAS hungry!
In fact he was VERY hungry!!
He was about to walk into a small village and he was sort of wondering HOW he was going to BUY something to eat with NO money--when he saw, right on the path in front of him --a small stone--exactly like the thousands of other stones he had passed that morning--but because he was SO HUNGRY and had NO MONEY----THIS stone gave him a GOOD IDEA!
...
STONE SOUP
Hello again!
Time for another STORY--and this is one of my favorites!
I know you will like it too!
It is the tale of a soldier making his way back to his home village by foot--tired, hungry and broke--and how he is able to cook up a wonderful bowl of delicious soup with nothing but his only possession--a small stone!
Sounds like a miracle, doesn't it?
It sort of IS!
Tomorrow we'll begin the story as it has always been told...
See you then!
Uncle Tom
...
