Story of the Month: Stone Broth

One very stormy day, a Poor Man came to a rich man's house to beg.

"Away with you!" said the servants. "Do not come here troubling us."

Then said the Man, "Only let me come in and dry my clothes at your fire."

This, the servants thought, would not cost them anything, so they let him come in.

The Poor Man then asked the cook to let him have a pan so that he could make some stone broth.

"Stone broth!" said the cook. "I should like to see how you can make broth out of a stone." So, she gave him a pan.

The Man filled it with water from the pump and then put into it a small stone from the road.

"but you must have some salt," said the cook.

"So you think so?" courteously replied the stranger.

She gave him the salt, and before long, she added some peas, some mint, and thyme. At last she brought him all the scraps of meat she could find, so that the Poor Man's broth made him a good dinner.

"You see," said the Man, "that if you only try long enough, and are cheerful, making the best of what you have, you may at last get what you want."