The Folktale

Once upon a time...

There was a great war that went on for many years. Everyone suffered. Many crops were destroyed, and people began to hoard what food they had. At last the war was over and the soldiers were sent home.

One soldier walked for three days over mountains and through valleys. He was tired and very hungry. He stopped in a village and knocked on the door of every house, but was turned away time after time. They had needs of their own. They had nothing to share.

Still the soldier persisted. He began a fire in the middle of the village square. He took his ration pot, filled it with clean, cold water, and placed a perfectly round, smooth stone into it. He began stirring and adding imaginary seasonings, tasting it from time to time.

Curiosity overcame the villagers as they peeked through their curtains and watched the strange event. Finally a woman came out of her home with the skin of an onion and offered it to the pot. "Soup is better with onion," she said.

She was promptly followed by another who offered the tip of her carrot, and another who offered a used soup bone, and on and on until soup happened! And what a glorious soup it was. Plenty to share with the whole village...

The moral of the story: Everyone has something to share. And when you share, the whole community benefits - even you.