A Metaphor of Local Economic Development: The Stone Soup

One of the key ideas of local economic development is this: everybody contributes something, and out of bits and pieces something big and important may emerge. LED is not necessarily about huge amounts of money, but rather about intensified communication and co-ordination. A good metaphor in this respect is the story of the stone soup.

Stone Soup

It is told of a wise, wandering wayfarer who stumbled upon a very poor town in his travels. Coming out of the lush Irish hills in search of a morsel to eat, the wayfarer had spied the little village and thus came to find himself in the main square. Here, he first went to a small tavern and asked if they could but spare this tired man a morsel to hold him over since he had not eaten in a fortnight.

The tavern's keeper, a ragged old woman, said "I would feed you good sir if I had the morsel to give but we are a poor people and I must keep every scrap to keep my family well." and thus bid him upon his way.

Only a short distance down the road he saw a small shop with a small man out front and again asked the man if he might have morsel of food. And, again the man told him no, to be off for he could but barley feed his own.

On the wayfarer went till he reached a farm at the outskirts of town. Here he asked the farmer and his wife if they could spare him a morsel and he would be on his way. The farmer and the woman told the hapless wayfarer to be gone, that not only did they not have enough to feed him but that he should be flogged for begging from such an obviously poor people.

Disappointed the wayfarer headed back up toward the hills. That evening he lay cold and hungry and decided what he had to do with the dawning of the new day. Early in the morning he headed back down toward the town to the very center. As good fortune would have it most of the townspeople were there including the people he spoke with the previous day. Upon entering the square he politely asked the tavern's keeper again if she was sure she had not a morsel to spare.

The keeper told him "woe that I could feed you I would feed all of the town and we would be happy again."

The wayfarer looked at her and said "alas my good woman if only I had brought my magic soup stones then I could indeed feed your entire village."

The old woman scoffed "magic stones indeed, feed the whole village stone soup."

The townspeople were beginning to gather around now curious about the commotion. "My fair maiden if ... " and he stopped... "you know it was country just like this that I originally found my magic stones for the stone soup recipe. It is a magic recipe taught me by a wizard many years ago. Know kind woman that truly it is not the stones, though they need to be exactly the right kind, but he magic of the wizard's recipe that will make soup to feed the entire village."

Intrigued the shop owner said... "There are some very beautiful stones just over the first hill near the brook."

"Then let us have a look" said the wayfarer. And the whole town followed him to the brook were he carefully examined 30 or 40 rocks. Each one he would pick up, scan it and then taste it... and toss it down, splashing as they hit the water..."that one won't work". Finally he picked up a very round, reddish rock and smiled "this rock is perfect" he said "there may be stone soup for all yet."

The whole town started to murmur, you could sense the excitement, for they all in their individual poverty's were indeed hungry. The Wayfarer ran to another part of the stream picking up another red rock and dancing a bit of a jig as he held it in the air for all to see... It was then a little boy came forward to the wayfarer and held out a stone he had found and asked... "Is this a magic stone sir?"

The wayfarer looked at the young child and took his stone and examined it very closely. At last he spoke, as the crowd grew silent. "This young child has indeed found the third stone...and tonight my good people we shall all feast on Stone Soup!"

The Wayfarer turned to his audience and asked "Who then has a huge kettle?" The brawny Blacksmith responded positively that he had an old kettle, not to rusted, behind the barn and went off with several of the towns men to get the pot.

"Then we need wood for the fire!" The towns carpenter voiced up that he had scraps of wood and left to gather them.

With the kettle cleaned and in place, full of fresh water from the brook and the fire briskly burning underneath... the wayfarer, with the entire town watching removed the stones from his pocket and holding them over the kettle loudly spoke a chant : "From not one stone, from not two stones but from three stones will we feed all." The cantation finished he then tossed the stones - gerblunk, into the boiling water. Grabbing the huge wooden ladle he began to stir and hummed an old Celtic folk tune as he did.

After about 10 minutes the crowd was growing restless... noticing this the wayfarer stood and stirring once more raised the ladle to his lips and tasted the stone soup... From somewhere in the crowd came the question... " is it soup yet?"

The wayfarer smiled after tasting the soup and said "It is good, very good, but alas if I had but a but a pinch of salt it would be perfect."

The shop keeper spoke up "I have a pinch of salt even some pepper we can add" and he ran off to get them.

Another few minutes passed and again the wayfarer stood and stirring once more raised the ladle to his lips tasting the stone soup.

The wayfarer smiled broadly and said "It is good, very good, but alas if I had but a few carrots to add for extra flavor then the soup would be perfect."

The farmer's wife spoke up "I have a few carrots, a potato, and some onions from my garden we can add" and she ran off to get them.

As more time passed the wayfarer stood over the hot kettle, of steaming, bubbling liquid whose aroma lofted into the air tantalizing the town people, and he once more tasted the soup.

The wayfarer looked very pleased and said "It is good, very good it may be the best ever, but if I had but a few small chunks of mutton, ahhhhh then the soup would indeed be perfect, fit for a king!"

This time the farmer spoke up "I did just on the morrow slaughter one of my last remaining sheep - we can add some of it" and he ran off to get it.

And so it went until all the towns people had all contributed a small portion of something they had preciously hoarded for themselves ... and the soup turned out to be so filled with the many little contributions that it was more like a stew then a soup. So it was the town feasted all night on the glorious soup. The Baker brought out loaves of bread and the Tavern's owner even broke out a keg of Gruel for the feast... it was a night to remember. That amazing night everyone in the village including the wayfarer found themselves filled to their content and as such that evening slept very soundly.

In the morning as the wayfarer headed out of town to continue his journey the towns people bestowed on him many gifts and supplies. The wayfarer as a gesture of thanks handed over the precious stones to the Tavern's keeper and he told her and the whole town..."you can feast like this when ever you desire, if you follow my recipe exactly, and everyone adds just a little of what they have to season the soup to perfection..." and with that the satisfied wayfarer headed off into the sunset and the hills of Ireland!

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