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There are many variations on the story of stone soup, but they all involve a
traveler coming into a town beset by famine. The inhabitants try to
discourage the traveler from staying, fearing he wants them to give him food.
They tell him in no uncertain terms that there's no food anywhere to be
found. The traveler explains that he doesn't need any food and that, in fact,
he was planning to make a soup to share with all of them. The villagers watch
suspiciously as he builds a fire and fills a cauldron with water. With great
ceremony, he pulls a stone from a bag, dropping the stone into the pot of
water. He sniffs the brew extravagantly and exclaims how delicious stone soup
is. As the villagers begin to show interest, he mentions how good the soup
would be with just a little cabbage in it. A villager brings out a cabbage to
share. This episode repeats itself until the soup has cabbage, carrots,
onions, and beets -- indeed, a substantial soup that feeds everyone in the
village.
This story addresses the human tendency to hoard in times of deprivation.
When resources are scarce, we pull back and put all of our energy into
self-preservation. We isolate ourselves and shut out others. As the story of
stone soup reveals, in doing so, we often deprive ourselves and everyone else
of a feast. This metaphor plays out beyond the realm of food. We hoard ideas,
love, and energy, thinking we will be richer if we keep them to ourselves,
when in truth we make the world, and ourselves, poorer whenever we greedily
stockpile our reserves. The traveler was able to see that the villagers were
holding back, and he had the genius to draw them out and inspire them to
give, thus creating a spread that none of them could have created
alone.
Are you like one of the villagers, holding back? If you come forward and
share your gifts, you will inspire others to do the same. The reward is a
banquet that can nourish many.
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