Stone Soup
A hungry traveler asks a stingy old woman for supper, and she says there is no food in the house. So he cooks soup from a stone, and one little thing after another goes into the pot until the two of them share a feast.
Scene 1: A Hungry Traveler
Stone Soup. One cold evening, a hungry traveler walked through a forest. Then he saw a light between the trees. It was a little cottage. An old woman met him at the door, and he asked for a place to sleep. The old woman said: “My house is not an inn! And I haven’t got a bite of food in the house.” But the traveler asked so nicely that at last she let him sleep on the floor.
Scene 2: Soup from a Stone
He could see she was not as poor as she said. But she would not share a crumb. So the traveler said: “Never mind, Granny. Just lend me a pot, and I will make supper for us both.” He filled the pot with water and set it on the fire. Then he took a smooth stone from his bag, and dropped it in. Plop! The old woman stared, and asked: “What is that going to be?” The traveler said: “Stone soup.”
Scene 3: Just a Pinch
The old woman had never heard of soup made from a stone. She wanted to learn how. The traveler stirred and tasted, and said: “Very good! But a pinch of salt and a handful of oatmeal would make it just right. Still, what we have to go without, it’s no use thinking about.” Well, the old woman found a little salt, and a little oatmeal too, and brought them.
Scene 4: Fit for a King
The traveler stirred again, and said: “If we only had a few potatoes, an onion, and a bit of bacon, this soup would be fit for a king!” Off went the old woman to the cellar and the garden. Back she came with potatoes, onions, and a fine piece of bacon. Into the pot they all went. The soup bubbled, and the whole cottage smelled wonderful. The old woman clapped her hands, and cried: “Well, I never! And all from a stone!”
Scene 5: A Feast for Two
At last, the traveler lifted out the stone, and said: “Now it’s ready! But a king always has a cloth on the table, and bread and butter and cheese.” The old woman felt very grand. She spread a white cloth, and brought bread, butter, and cheese. Then they sat down together, and ate, and laughed. She had never tasted such soup in all her life. And that night, she gave the traveler a soft bed to sleep in.
Scene 6: Something Good to Add
In the morning, the old woman thanked him. He gave her the stone, and said: “It isn’t very hard, if you only have something good to add to it.” Then off he went down the road, whistling. When everyone adds a little, there is plenty for all.
Moral: When everyone adds a little, there is plenty for all.
Questions about Stone Soup
What did the old woman say when the traveler asked for a place to sleep?
“My house is not an inn!”.
What did the traveler drop into the pot of water?
A smooth stone.
What did the old woman bring first, for just a pinch?
Salt and oatmeal.
Where did she go to find potatoes, onions and bacon?
The cellar and the garden.
What did the traveler give the old woman in the morning?
The stone.
More stories to read aloud
- The Enormous Turnip — Grandfather plants a turnip seed and it grows enormous, so big that he cannot pull it up.
- The Gingerbread Man — A little old woman bakes a boy of gingerbread, and he jumps out of the oven and runs away from everyone he meets.
- The Little Red Hen — The little Red Hen finds a grain of wheat, but the Goose, the Cat and the Dog will not help her plant it, cut it, take it to the mill or bake the bread.