There was once a tramp, plodding his way through the woods when he came across a cottage. He knocked at the door and an old woman cautiously opened it a little and peered round.

"Good afternoon, and well met!" said the tramp.

"Good afternoon," said the woman. "Where have you come from?"

"South of the sun, and east of the moon," said the tramp, "and now I am on the way home again, for I have been all over the world with the exception of this parish."

"You must be a great traveller, then, but you may as well continue on your way. I can't let you in, for my husband is not at home," said the woman. "And I haven't a thing in the house to offer you," she added, her voice showing unmasked scorn for the man she assumed was a beggar.

"Then you could make use of my soup stone,” he replied.

"Soup stone?" said she, suddenly showing interest in the tattered stranger.

"Oh yes," he said. "If I just had a pot full of water and a fire, I'd show you how it works. My special stone boiled in water makes the most wonderful soup. Your husband would thank you for the good supper, if you'd just let me in and put my stone to use over your fire."

The old woman was by now very inquisitive, as you may guess, so she let him in and fetched out a pot. He filled it with water and put it on the fire. He blew with all his might till the fire was burning fiercely all round the pot, and the water was bubbling. Then he took an ordinary looking stone from his pocket, turned it carefully three times in his hand and put it into the pot.

The woman stared with all her might. "Are you really going to make soup with that stone?" she asked.

"Yes, and it will be the best soup you have ever tasted," said the tramp.

The old woman had seen and heard a good deal in her time, but not that anybody could have made soup with a stone. “Well, I have never heard the like before,” she said, "and I should like to learn how to make it."

“Then you only have to watch me” he said, and went on stirring. The old woman drew near and sat down, her hands clasping her knees, her eyes following his hand as he stirred the broth.

"This generally makes good soup," he said, "but today it will very likely be rather thin, for I have been making soup all week with the same stone. If you only had a handful of barley and a pinch of salt, and perhaps a little butter too, that would make it all right," he continued. "But what you haven’t got, it's no use thinking more about," and so he stirred the broth again.

The woman ran off, returning with the suggested ingredients, which she added to the soup. The tramp continued stirring for a while, then stopped and tasted the watery gruel. "It's pretty good," he said. "The stone has not failed us. "But a few vegetables and potatoes would make it even better, but there are none in your cellar are there?"

"Oh yes," she said, her enthusiasm for the miracle soup growing, and she quickly found a generous portion of potatoes, turnips, carrots, and beans.

After the mixture had simmered awhile, the man tasted it again. "Much better!" he said. But some chicken stock and chunks of meat would make it fit for a king."

The woman, recognizing the truth of his claim, ran to the larder and came back with a jug of stock and some meat. "Soup stone, do your thing!" she cried, adding them to the pot.

They both sat watching the pot boil, enjoying the delicious aroma wafting past their noses, until the man pronounced that the soup was ready.

The woman dished up a healthy portion for her guest and for herself. “You were right,” said the woman, “this truly is the best soup I ever tasted”. They ate their fill, and -- thanks to the magic stone -- there was still a large bowlful left over for her husband's supper.

"My thanks for the use of your pot and your fire," said the tramp as evening approached, and he sensed that the husband would be arriving home soon. He fished his stone from the bottom of the pot, wiped it clean, and put it back into his pocket.

“Thank you, for what you have taught me," the old woman said. "Now I shall live in comfort, since I have learnt how to make soup from a stone.

"Well it isn't too difficult, especially if one only has something good to add to it," said the tramp as he opened the door to leave.

"Do come again," said the thankful woman.

"I will indeed," said the tramp, and disappeared into the woods.

The woman stood at the door staring after him. "Such people don't grow on every bush," she thought.