An American Version of an Old Folktale pdf version
by Ross McGary
Not so long ago, during the American Revolutionary War, three patriot soldiers were walking to return to their home and came to a small village. Because food was scarce the people hid what food they had, including from their neighbors and friends. The soldiers were hungry and stopped at the first house in the village to ask for some food to eat.
“I have no food for you, and there is little in the whole village,” said the woman of the house. So on to the next house they went and again were told that there was no food in the whole village.
“Why this is time for us to make some stone soup!” shouted one of the soldiers to the other two. They readily agreed and marched to the center of the village announcing to all along the way that they would make some stone soup.
Soon nearly everyone had come to the village green to see the soldiers make stone soup, which they had never heard of before. The soldier asked for a kettle to be brought and a fire built to heat the soup. He asked that the kettle be filled with fresh spring water. Then, with great ceremony he pulled a small velvet bag from inside his coat and took out three round stones and dropped them into the kettle of boiling water.
The villagers watched with amazement and anticipation as the soldier took a sip of the broth. “Mmmm, it is very tasty stone soup,” said the soldier. “Of course, it would taste so much better if it just had a little cabbage.”
A little old woman left and soon returned with a couple of small heads of cabbage and quickly tossed them into the kettle of stone soup. “Marvelous!” cried the soldier. “Why this soup would be fit for a general if it had . . .carrots.” Soon some carrots appeared … and on it went, with potatoes, corn, mushrooms, onions, salt, and collard greens being brought by the villagers to add to the stone soup.
“Ahhh,” said the soldier as he tasted the soup again. “If it just had a little chunk of smoked beef, why it would be stone soup fit for General George Washington himself!” Quickly the village butcher managed to find a hunk of beef to add to the stone soup. The villagers, from young to old, could smell the soup and brought tables and chairs and bowls to have a great feast.
Everyone in the village had plenty to eat and they thanked the soldiers for making stone soup. The soldier reached down into the now empty kettle and took out the three round stones, put them back into the velvet bag and then into his great coat. The soldiers thanked the villagers and marched happily toward home, leaving the people wiser and making plans for their own stone soup.
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