The Story of Rock Soup

Rock Soup belongs to everybody and every country... The variations are limitless,.... as are the recipes for soup. This has always been one of my favorite fables, there is so much truth and meaning and comfort in it....

This is just one of many tellings that I am collecting... enjoy


The Story of Rock Soup

The war had been long and hard, scarring the countryside, the villages, and the people --both soldiers and citizens. Finally, it was over..... though some claimed victory, no one really won except the winter which now held them all prisoner. A lone soldier, trying to return to his far-away home, had wandered through the cold and snow for days. He was tired, but more than that, he was literally starving. At last he came upon a village. He picked a house and knocked on the door. When someone came to answer, the soldier explained his plight and asked for a little something to eat. The little man behind the door shook his head saying that he had a family to feed and they were hungry themselves and they could give him nothing. The soldier pleaded that he would eat any scraps, but the villager again said he had nothing to spare --there were no scraps. This scene was repeated house to house but always the answer was the same. It had been a hard winter and the soldier found that the villagers were all hungry too.The soldier had a thought, and then it somehow formed a plan. He looked about, and spotting something nearby, his eyes brightened. He quickly went off to the nearby woods. Soon, he returned with all the sticks and pieces of wood he could find and built a campfire in the village square. Then he went over to the large, black iron pot resting against the wall of the empty blacksmith shop. Dragging the pot over the fire, he filled it with snow. At this point he had drawn a large crowd of onlookers who stared at him with curiosity. They talked among themselves and wondered what he was going to do with the pot of now-boiling water. Then the soldier ferreted about the ground below the eaves of the villagers' cottages until he had gathered a dozen or more smooth, dark stones. He inspected each closely, smelled them individually, sometimes comparing one stone's fragrance(fragrance???) to that of another. When all was done, he had kept only a few. He polished them with snow, wiped them clean, and then placed them gingerly, one by one, into the pot. Now the onlookers were really getting curious --more than that, they were sure the soldier was mad with hunger. The soldier then took a big wooden spoon from his knapsack and began stirring the water in the pot and occasionally taking a taste. ''Mmmmmm,'' he finally said, ''this is the best Rock Soup I have tasted in a long time.'' The villagers couldn't believe their ears. Rock Soup? Surely he was mad! The soldier took one more taste and then said, ''This is good soup but it needs something, perhaps a carrot..... Yes, that's it, a little bit of carrot would make it perfect!'' An elderly villager stepped forward, looked into the pot, leaned over and inhaled deeply. When he stood up, he closed his eyes and remembered the aromas of soups and stews long gone. The villager paused a moment, then said,''I think I might have a couple of carrots in my cellar, I will bring them.'' On his return the carrots were added to the Rock Soup. Again the soldier continued to stir and taste and stir and taste. Finally the soldier said,''This is pretty good Rock Soup, the carrots made it better, but it is still missing something. Perhaps a few onions would make it even better.'' No sooner had he said it, than a few villagers scurried off. Upon their return, the soldier was given more than a few onions --but it was a big pot, so in they all went. Again the soldier continued to stir and taste and stir and taste. The soldier said,''This is very good Rock Soup, the carrots and onions made it better, but it is still missing something. Perhaps a few potatoes would make it even better.'' He let two or three of those that had drawn near sample the ever-steaming brew, which by now was starting to smell delicious. A good number of villagers bustled off. Upon their return, the soldier was presented with a potato here and a potato there until he had enough to fill the pot. As he let it simmer, others brought bits of this and that to add to the flavor. Tasting it one more time, he exclaimed it was ''Perfect!'' Starting with the children, everyone had a bowl of this wonderful soup. Everyone in the village exclaimed that it was the best Rock Soup that they had ever eaten and they all ate their fill. ''What about neighboring villages?'' someone asked. ''They are hungry, too.'' Saving a rock for themselves, the others were cleaned, placed in baskets, and sent out by messenger.
The soldier's recipe was attached.....
Gather a few local stones..
Clean them well....
Add this stone to them....
Next,....