Here is the famous story of pebble soup. Once upon a time there was a monk who asked for alms. He arrived at some peasants, but they would not give him anything.
Pebble soup
The monk who had died of hunger said to them:
"Fine, I'll see if I can make a stone broth." "
He picked up a pebble from the ground, shook the earth, and began to look at the pebble to see if it was convenient for him to make the soup. The peasants laughed and made fun of him. The monk said to them:
"So, you've never had stone broth?" ".
They answered him:
"We would like to see that. "
This was what the monk wanted to hear. He washed the stone and said:
"If you could lend me a pot?" "
They gave him the pot. He filled it with water and put the stone at the bottom.
"Now if you let me put the pot on the fire." "
When the water began to boil, he said:
“With a little bacon, the soup would be better. "
The peasants went to get a piece of bacon. The dumbfounded peasants looked at the boiling soup. The monk tasted the soup, and said:
“She's a little bland. It lacks a little salt. "
They gave him salt. He salted, tasted and said:
“Now if we added a heart of cabbage, even the angels would eat it. "
The hostess went to the garden and brought back two cabbages. The monk washed them and put them in the pot. When the cabbages were boiling he said:
"With a small piece of smoked sausage, that would be perfect ..."
They gave him a little sausage, which he put in the pot and while the soup was finishing cooking, he went to get a piece of bread from his bag and got ready to sit down at the table. The soup smelled so good it was a treat. He ate all the soup and licked his lips. The pot was empty, and only the stone remained. The peasants, who never took their eyes off him, asked him:
"Monsieur l'Abbé, then this pebble?" "
The monk answered them:
"The pebble, I'll wash it, and take it away for another time." "
And in this way the monk ate, wherever people would not give him anything.
