Once upon a time, in a little village, a well-dressed stranger knocked at the door of a woman’s house, asking for some food. 

"I’m sorry," she replied, "but at the moment I have nothing to eat even for myself!"

“Don’t worry,” answered the stranger kindly. “In my knapsack I have a magic soup stone; if you will allow me to put it in a pot full of boiling water I will make the most delicious soup in the world. I just need a very big pot.”

 The woman was curious. She put the pot on the fire and went to tell her neighbour about the secret of the soup stone. By the time water began to boil, all the neighbourhood was there, they had all come to see the stranger and his stone. He put the stone in the water, then he tasted a teaspoon of it and exclaimed with a blissful face: “Ah, it’s so delicious. It just needs some potatoes.” “I have some potatoes in my kitchen”, exclaimed a woman. A few minutes later she had came back with a large quantity of potatoes cut into little slices, which they poured into the big pot. 

 The stranger tasted the soup once again. “Excellent!” he cried. But then he added with a gloomy tone: “If only we had a little meat, that would make it into the most delicious stew”. Another housewife ran home to get some meat. The man accepted it graciously and put it into the pot. 

When he tasted it again he raised his eyes to the heavens and said: “All it needs is a few vegetables and it really would be perfect!” One of the neighbours ran back home and returned with a basket full of carrots and onions. Having added the new ingredients to the soup, the stranger tasted the mixture and requested solemnly: “salt and sauce”. “Here they are,” said the lady of the house. 

Then another order: “dishes for everyone!”. Everybody ran home to fetch their bowls. Some came back with bread and fruit as well. Then they all sat around the table while the stranger served up large portions of his incredible soup. Everybody felt a strange happiness, they laughed, chatted and enjoyed their first real shared meal. In the midst of the festive atmosphere the stranger silently slipped away, leaving his miraculous stone behind, so they could use it anytime they wanted to make the tastiest soup in the world.