Once there was a poor village. People there often locked their doors and windows tight and kept the food they had to themselves.
A stranger came one day. He was really tired and hungry. He stopped at the first1to ask for some food. "There is hardly any food here!" the woman inside the house said and closed the door. But the traveler was not ready to 2. He picked up a large, round 3 and knocked once more. The lady opened the door only half way. "Since you are poor like me, perhaps you would like to have some of my 4 stone soup." said the traveler. Though the woman felt it was impossible, she was hungry too, so she invited him in. She lit the fire to boil the water, and opened her windows to let out some heat. The traveler 5 the stone inside the water until it boiled. He tasted a little, "It's almost done, but if you had just a little salt and butter, it would taste much better!" The lady did so.
Just then the lady's husband returned with carrots and potatoes. "Impossible!" shouted the husband when he knew what happened. "It's almost finished but it would be even nicer if we added some carrots and potatoes." the traveler assured. The husband 6 and handed over the carrots and potatoes. Soon, the smell of the soup drifted (飘) out through the window and down the village. One neighbor followed the smell to the first house and watched from the window. The traveler said it could be better if some beans were added. "I have some!" shouted the neighbor. He couldn't wait to taste the soup so he 7 returned with beans, and poured them into the pot. The smell drifted even 8 down the village.
Word about a strange traveler making soup out of a single stone drew many villagers out of 9 homes there. The traveler finally said, "It's done!" He served a bowl of stone soup for every villagers. From that day on, villagers still remembered the finest soup and they didn't locked their doors and windows tight any more, 10 they finally understood the meaning of share.
