stone soup parable
this is not my parable, but i think it is a good time to share it. i heard this on a very old talk show called the Mike Douglas show. It has stayed in my heart since i was a little girl. I hope, in the telling, it may bring a smile to your heart... but I do not own this work, nor plan on making any profit off of it. Kudos to the owner, whomever he or she was. and now, my version of an old parable.
Way back when, before cable tv, before tv ever existed, before internet, before computers, before cell phones and private telephone lines, before the Gulf war, the Vietnam war, the Korean Conflict, and even WWII, our great country known as America, fell into a great Depression. The whole world also suffered, but this was a first for America. People who had paid their bills could not longer do that because they had lost their jobs. It was important to note... The GREAT DEPRESSION was only great because of the number of lives affected and were forever changed by it. It truly was accurately named. Houses were foreclosed on. Banks went bankrupt. The stock market crashed. Stock brokers and the rich now fell too, and found themselves homeless. People even jumped from windows due to the shame and hopelessness of it all. Hence our great country found itself in a great depression. As my mom once told me, people did not have a pot to p... in. But you were all in the same boat. That was what made the difference.
A hobo came to a small town one day with nothing to his name, save a large black pot and three stones. It was nothing to see homeless men on the streets wandering around offering themselves up to work for bread or food. So this particular hobo came upon a house of an old woman. He knocked asking her if she had any chores needing done. To which she replied no. The Hobo smiled and thanked her for her time, asking only if he could borrow some water to add to his stone soup because he was hungry.
The woman intrigued said, "Stone Soup?"
"Why yes. It is very delicious. When prepared properly, and with these three stones, I probably will have enough to feed this whole neighborhood."
"Really?" the old woman replied, now highly interested. Then added, "So are those magical stones?"
"Why, yes. They are. I would not ever lose these. They are precious to me." Showing her three smooth rounded granite looking stones, the woman said, "You may fill your pot from the pump out back."
At this time, most folks did not even have running water.
The big black pot was filled and the man returned to the front yard. The woman watched fascinated as the man now removed his three stones very reverently and placed them into the water. He ever appeared to be praying over them.
Her eyes widened, when he said, "You know, Stone Soup really tastes better when it is hot."
"Here. Use some firewood out back." The woman also offered him a match to light the fire.
Soon the pot was bubbling with water. The Neighbors seeing the fire came out to see what was going on.
The old woman now finding that her house was one to get attention, smiled and welcomed everyone to watch the miracle occur from the magical stones.
The man sat quietly, watching the water.
One woman came up and said, "Sir, when will it be done?"
He gently said, "I just don't know. It is up to the stones, but you know if you have some carrots or tomatoes or onions or potatoes, it will probably get done sooner than later."
Every neighbor ran to their perspective houses and pulled items from their gardens and root cellars, bring them to the man, who took a knife and quickly cut the vegetables and placed it into the pot.
"Is... is it done yet?" said one little boy.
"Almost. but you know a bit of meat would help the stones do their magic."
A piece of beef was found and given.
The man smiled. "Bring your bowls. It should be done in an hour."
Everyone was excited and came back in an hour and got a bowl. It was the most tastiest soup they had ever eaten.
The old woman sat her arthritic bones down by the Hobo. She had an odd smile on her face as she took another bite of soup.
"I don't believe it. You were true to your word. You fed the whole neighborhood. How?"
"I told you... they are magical stones."
