The fable of the stone soup is about co-operation amid scarcity. In varying traditions, stone has been replaced with other common inedible objects, and therefore the fable is also known as button soup, wood soup, nail soup, and axe soup.

Story

According to the story, some travelers come to a village, carrying nothing more than an empty pot. Upon their arrival, the villagers are unwilling to share any of their food stores with the hungry travelers. The travelers fill the pot with water, drop a large stone in it, and place it over a fire in the village square. One of the villagers becomes curious and asks what they are doing. The travelers answer that they are making "stone soup", which tastes wonderful, although it still needs a little bit of garnish to improve the flavor, which they are missing.

The villager doesn't mind parting with just a little bit to help them out, so it gets added to the soup. Another villager walks by, inquiring about the pot, and the travelers again mention their stone soup which hasn't reached its full potential yet. The villager hands them a little bit of seasoning to help them out. More and more villagers walk by, each adding another ingredient. Finally, a delicious and nourishing pot of soup is enjoyed by all.

Little House On The Prairie "Stone Soup" (Part 4 & 5 Tell The Story of Stone Soup)

Part One: http://youtube.com/watch?v=F9KdM7Enta0
Part Two: http://youtube.com/watch?v=fb8cbmu_9cc
Part Three: http://youtube.com/watch?v=E4j7Z0ATrTc
Part Four: http://youtube.com/watch?v=NaEmW1xIvGo
Part Five: http://youtube.com/watch?v=kuHaOA3mieA