Once upon a time, a traveler came walking down a long, dusty road. She was tired and hungry, and she hadn't eaten all day. At last she came to a village.

She knocked on the first door. "Excuse me, could you spare a bit of food?"

"No food here," said the woman, and shut the door.

She knocked on the next door. "I'm very hungry. Might you have something to eat?"

"We barely have enough for ourselves," said the man, and shut the door.

Door after door, the answer was the same. No one in the village would share. The traveler sat down in the village square and thought. Then she smiled.

She built a small fire, filled a big pot with water from the well, and dropped in a smooth, round stone.

"What are you doing?" asked a boy who was watching.

"Making stone soup," said the traveler. "It's the most delicious soup in the world. The stone gives it a wonderful flavor. Of course, it would be even better with a little bit of onion."

"I think we have an onion," said the boy. He ran home and came back with two onions. The traveler dropped them in the pot.

A woman walked by. "What smells so good?"

"Stone soup!" said the traveler. "Though it could use a few carrots."

"I might have a few carrots," said the woman. She brought them back and dropped them in.

More villagers gathered around. One by one, they each added something. A handful of potatoes here. A bit of salt there. Some beans. A few tomatoes. A chunk of meat. A bunch of herbs from someone's garden.

The pot bubbled and steamed, and the most wonderful smell filled the village square. Soon, everyone was gathered around the pot, and they were all smiling.

The traveler ladled out bowls of thick, rich soup for everyone. The villagers sat together, eating and talking and laughing. It was the best meal any of them had eaten in a long time.

"Imagine that," said the man who had shut his door. "Delicious soup from a stone!"

The traveler smiled. She knew the secret, of course. The soup wasn't made from a stone. It was made from everyone sharing just a little bit of what they had.

And from that day on, the village was a much friendlier place.