The tale of Ivan’s Stone Soup
Many years ago, during one of the great periods of famine in the Kouznets Union, there was a man named Ivan who lived in a small village. Ivan was a hardworking man, but times were tough, and he often struggled to put food on the table for himself and his family. One day, Ivan woke up feeling particularly hungry, but there was nothing to eat in the house except a stone. If only he had a pot and some water, he could make some stone soup.
Feeling dejected, Ivan decided to take a walk to clear his head. With the stone in hand, he walked through the village. He came across some of his neighbours who were tending to their gardens. Ivan greeted them and noticed that they had various vegetables growing in their gardens.
Hungry and curious, Ivan asked his neighbours if they had any vegetables to spare to add to his stone soup. They happily offered to share some of their crops with him, and Ivan began to collect some onions and garlic in a basket.
As Ivan returned home with his onions, garlic and stone, he realized he didn't have a pot to cook them in. He wondered where to find one and remembered that old Mrs. Petrova had recently purchased a huge, new copper pot.
Ivan decided to go to Mrs. Petrova's house and ask if he could borrow her pot to cook his stone soup. He knocked on her door, and she answered, surprised to see him.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Petrova. I wondered if I could borrow your pot to cook some stone soup. I promise to return it as soon as I'm done," Ivan said.
Mrs. Petrova was initially hesitant but intrigued by the idea of a stone soup. She knew Ivan to be a kind and honest man. She decided to lend him the pot and even offered to help him prepare the soup.
Ivan was grateful for Mrs. Petrova's kindness and happily accepted her offer. Together, they began to prepare the onions and garlic, chopping them up and adding them to the pot. It was then that Mrs. Petrova realized that her water ewer was empty. She had been going out to refill her fresh water when Ivan knocked on the door.
Ivan volunteered to go down to the river for water. As he walked along the riverbank, he came across some of his neighbours, who were fishing. They asked him what he was up to, and Ivan explained that he was making a stone soup.
The neighbours had never heard of stone soup and asked if they could contribute anything to the soup.
Dmitry offered some fish he had caught, while his sister, Elena, offered herbs from her garden. They even suggested adding potatoes and carrots to make the soup more filling.
Ivan was grateful for their offer and accepted it gladly. They returned to Mrs. Petrova's home with the new ingredients and added them to the pot.
As the soup cooked, more and more neighbours arrived, bringing additional ingredients to add to the pot. Some brought mushrooms, while others brought meat and more vegetables.
By the time the soup was ready, it had turned into a delicious feast, filled with the flavours of the Kouznets Union. Everyone gathered around, enjoying the warmth and comfort of the soup and thanking Ivan for bringing everyone together to share this delicious meal. All that was left was the stone, which lay forgotten on the table.
The experience taught Ivan the importance of community and how sharing and working together can bring joy and comfort, even in difficult times.
