By this time, the villagers were full of curiosity. Several of them had gathered
around the pot. What are you making? they asked.
Stone soup, replied the man. It smells good, doesn't it? And he sniffed the
soup and smiled in anticipation. Of course, a little salt and pepper would really help
the flavor.
I think I could find some salt and pepper, said one of the women, and she ran
back to her house to fetch the salt and
pepper to add to the soup.
How tasty it would be with a tiny
piece of garlic, said the traveler.
I might have a tiny piece of
garlic, said another villager.
If only we had some potatoes, too,
then it would really be delicious, said the
stranger.
I'll get you a potato, said another
man and rushed home to fetch it.
Soon the rumor had spread around the whole village. Someone was making
a delicious soup with a special stone. People came from every house to smell the
bubbling soup, and each of them brought an extra ingredient to make the soup taste
even better. They were so hungry, and the soup smelled so good. It must be that
special stone, they said.
Finally, the man declared that the soup was ready and it was time to eat.
The villagers each brought a dish, and there was plenty of food for everyone. They
talked and laughed, and for a while they forgot the famine and the cold. Even long after
the famine had ended, people still remembered that night and the finest soup they had
ever tasted.