In Everybody Can Cook a Stone Soup, we follow four kind travelers—Ivana, Benisha, Irina, and Miolka—who arrive at a village where no one wants to share even the smallest amount of food. Through creativity, teamwork, and a clever idea, the travelers show the frightened villagers that generosity can create something wonderful. This heartwarming story celebrates the magic that happens when everyone contributes, no matter how small the ingredient may seem. Children will learn that cooperation can turn strangers into friends, and that even a simple “stone soup” can become a delicious feast when a community works together.
CHARACTERS:
NARRATOR
IVANA (traveler)
BENISHA (traveler)
IRINA (traveler)
MIOLKA (traveler)
OLD WOMAN 1
OLD MAN 1
OLD WOMAN 2
VILLAGER 1
VILLAGER 2
VILLAGER 3
VILLAGER 4
VILLAGER 5 (brings the spoon)
VILLAGER 6
VILLAGER 7
VILLAGER 8 (brings the onion)
VILLAGER 9 (brings the carrots)
VILLAGER 10 (brings the potatoes)
VILLAGER 11 (brings the meat)
MAN WITH NO FOOD
SCRIPT:
NARRATOR: Many years ago, four weary travelers arrived at a small, secluded village. Their names were Ivana, Benisha, Irina, and Miolka. They had been on the road for many, many days and were utterly exhausted and famished. As they caught sight of the village, their only thought was of a warm meal and a soft bed to rest their weary bones.
(Villagers are outside their homes, chatting casually. Villager 1 notices the travelers entering the village.)
VILLAGER 1: (Yelling, alarm in her voice) Look! Travelers are here! And travelers are always hungry… but we have so little for ourselves! Quick! Get inside your homes! Bolt the doors, and hide every scrap of food!
(The Villagers scramble and rush into their homes.)
IVANA, BENISHA, IRINA, AND MIOLKA: (Shouting after them) Wait! Don’t go! Please, come back!
NARRATOR: But the villagers paid no mind. They sealed their doors, not wanting to share anything they had.
IVANA: (To her friends, frustrated) My friends, I am certain the people here would share if they knew how far we have walked.
BENISHA: I am happy we are finally here, but I am so hungry I feel like I have a cavern in my stomach!
IRINA: Oh, for a splendid dinner tonight… and a proper bed… but it seems that is quite impossible now!
NARRATOR: Ivana stepped up and knocked gently at the door of an old woman.
OLD WOMAN 1: (Suspiciously, from inside) Who is it? What do you want?
IVANA: We are four travelers on our long journey home. Could you share a little food with us?
OLD WOMAN 1: Food? Oh, dear me, no. I have nothing to spare.
IVANA, BENISHA, IRINA, MIOLKA: Thank you for your time.
NARRATOR: Ivana knocked at another door.
IVANA: Good afternoon.
MAN WITH NO FOOD: (Gruffly) What do you want?
IRINA: Good person, we are very hungry travelers in a strange land. Could you spare any food for us?
IVANA: We would be grateful for anything to eat. We are on our way home, and we lost all our money. We have covered a great distance and are completely famished.
MAN WITH NO FOOD: (Peering through a small window) I have nothing to give you. Go away, and don’t come back!
NARRATOR: Ivana knocked at several more doors, but received the same harsh answer every time. No one would open their door or offer a single crumb.
BENISHA: These people are so utterly selfish!
MIOLKA: They clearly don’t believe in sharing! We should leave this unwelcoming village.
IRINA: What in the world are we going to do now?
IVANA: Let us teach them a lesson… we will show them how to make a Stone Soup!
BENISHA, IRINA, AND MIOLKA: (Excitedly) That’s a brilliant idea!
Narrator: Inside their homes, some villagers were peeking through their windows, waiting for the travelers to give up and leave.
Villager 3: What are they waiting for? They should just go!
Villager 2: We certainly don’t want strangers lingering in our town!
Villager 1: Exactly! We want them gone!
Narrator: Meanwhile, the four travelers gathered stones and built a small fire in the middle of the village square. Then, they found a large iron pot and placed it over the flame.
Villager 1: (Staring through the window) What in the world are they doing?
Benisha: (To her friends) Let’s go to the river for some water.
Ivana: (Yelling, loud enough for the hidden villagers to hear) Yes! Bring stones for the soup… but choose the very best—round and delicious-looking!
(Benisha, Irina, and Miolka return shortly with the water and the stones, which they then ceremoniously place inside the pot.)
Ivana, Benisha, Irina, and Miolka: (Cheerfully) This soup is going to taste wonderful!
Narrator: The people from the village, who had been watching them the entire time, were overcome by curiosity. They slowly opened their doors and approached the fire.
Villager 1: What exactly are you doing?
Benisha: Oh, we are simply preparing a classic Stone Soup.
Villager 4: Stone Soup? I have never heard of a soup made with stones… but the idea is intriguing!
Narrator: A man who had joined the growing crowd cautiously stepped closer to inspect the contents of the pot.
Ivana: You’ve never tasted Stone Soup? Ah, then you absolutely must join us for dinner! Friends! Today we have a special guest! We should add a few more stones to the soup!
Benisha: Excellent! Excuse me, kind sir. Do you have a spoon? We need it for stirring the soup.
Villager 5: Yes, yes, of course! Let me go and fetch one!
Miolka: That is very generous of you.
Narrator: Then a woman ventured nearer to see what was happening.
Villager 6: What are you making?
Benisha: We are making a most excellent Stone Soup!
Villager 7: And… did you take those stones from our river?
Benisha: Yes, we did. And this soup is beginning to smell quite appealing!
Villager 7: I don’t smell anything yet. But, to tell you the truth… I am quite hungry.
Narrator: The man with the spoon returned, and he had also brought his plate. Benisha tasted the boiling mixture and declared:
Benisha: Mmm, it’s so delicious! It only needs a single onion to be perfect.
Villager 8: I have an onion at home! Let me get it!
Miolka: Wonderful! That will make the soup taste even better. And please, bring your plate and join us for dinner!
Narrator: The woman hurried off and quickly came back with a handful of onions. After a little while, Benisha tasted the soup again.
Benisha: Mmm, it’s even more delicious! We also need some carrots in this pot.
Narrator: Another man, who was watching intently in the crowd, spoke up.
Villager 9: I will bring some carrots!
Narrator: The man returned with the carrots. Benisha dropped them into the pot and tasted it one more time.
Benisha: Mmm, this soup is truly improving. Now, it’s the perfect time to add some potatoes.
Narrator: Yet another man in the crowd responded.
Villager 10: I have some potatoes! I’ll be back in a minute!
Narrator: When the man returned, Benisha added the potatoes to the pot.
Ivana: (Yelling) No! That’s too many potatoes! The soup will be ruined!
Benisha: We can still salvage it! Let’s add some meat to balance it out.
Villager 11: I have some meat at home! I will go and get it right away!
Old Woman 2: I’ll bring some salt!
Old Man 1: And I’ll bring some pepper!
Narrator: When the people brought the meat, salt, and pepper, Ivana placed them all inside the pot. While the soup simmered, a man from the village asked the four travelers an important question.
Villager 5: Can everyone truly cook this soup?
Ivana: Absolutely! It only requires some water, good stones, and a healthy dose of hunger!
Irina: The soup is ready! I can’t wait to taste it!
Narrator: Soon, the savory aroma of the soup filled the air, smelling truly delicious.
Ivana: The stones in your village are incredibly flavorful! This soup is magnificent! Bring your plates so we can all share in this feast.
Irina: I have never tasted such a wonderful soup, and to think it all started with stones!
Narrator: And every single person in the village enjoyed a generous and wonderful dinner that evening.
Villager 1: Thank you so much for teaching us how to make a soup from stones!
Ivana: You are very welcome!
In the end, the villagers discover that the secret to Stone Soup is not the stones—it is the spirit of sharing. Thanks to the travelers’ clever plan, the villagers learn to open their homes, their hearts, and their hands. What began with fear and selfishness ends with laughter, unity, and a shared meal. Everybody Can Cook a Stone Soup reminds us that when we work together and give a little of what we have, we create something much greater than food—we create community.
The End
Author: European Folktale
Moral of the Story: When everyone contributes, everyone benefits. Sharing turns scarcity into abundance.
Moral Values:
- Generosity – Giving even a little can help others in big ways.
- Cooperation – Working together creates better results than working alone.
- Creativity – Clever thinking can solve difficult problems.
- Kindness – Treating others with compassion opens the door to friendship.
- Community – Everyone has something valuable to share.
- Trust – Believing in one another helps build stronger, kinder relationships.
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