Jewish Family Service of Rockland County, Inc.

A Fable For Our Times

A weary distraught traveler knocked on the door of a small unpretentious house. The occupant, who happened to be a widow and who had a reputation as being extremely cautious about her finances, opened the door.

"Ma'am, I'm weary and hungry and need a place to sleep for the night. Could you be so kind as to give me some soup and bread and let me sleep on the floor near your hearth to keep warm?"

"Go away! she shrieked at him. I have no food to spare, nor can I provide you with shelter for the night."

"Ma'am if you have nothing more than water and a pot, I have two magic stones with me that make the most delicious nourishing soup which I would share with you, but I need a hearth to cook it in. I will be no trouble to you and will be happy to share my stone soup with you. You wouldn't believe how delicious it is."

The idea of making soup out of two stones intrigued the widow's imagination. She figured that if she could learn the secret of making soup from two stones she would then be able to make better use of the few assets that she owned. Cautiously she bid him enter.

The weary traveler put his pack on the floor near the hearth and removed two beautiful round stones each about the size of a large potato.

"Let's see I need a pot and some water in which to cook these two stones to make stone soup."

The widow eagerly provided the pot and water and watched carefully as the weary traveler hung the pot of water containing the two stones, over the fire to boil. While waiting he spread out his cloak on the floor to the side of the hearth in preparation for sleeping.

Soon the water started to boil and the traveler asked for a spoon so that he might taste the soup to see if was ready yet.

"Hmmm, it's quite good, but it would be even better if I could add an onion and some carrots."

The widow growing more eager to taste this wonderful soup quickly provided an onion and two carrots. The traveler quickly peeled the carrots and sliced the onion and threw them into the pot.

After a short time he said, "Let me taste it again and see if it is ready."

"Hmmm! I think it could use some flavoring, it certainly wouldn't hurt it to add some salt and pepper and perhaps a couple of potatoes too." Again the widow quickly brought forth the suggested ingredients and the traveler threw them into the pot and stirred the contents in the pot.

"You know, I've made this soup many, many times using these same two stones and their wonderful flavor is beginning to weaken. If you have a bit of meat to throw in it would help tremendously." By now the stew was beginning to smell good and the widow quickly complied with the request. Several more items were added in the same manner. Beans, leeks, a bit of cabbage and a bit more onion.

The room was soon filled with the smell of a most delicious soup and the traveler announced that it was ready for serving. The widow provided two bowls and the traveler ladled out two large portions of his wonderful stone soup. The widow was so thrilled with this wonderful soup that she quickly brought out some thick bread and the two ate quietly until satisfied.

The traveler in a gesture of gratitude gave the widow his two magic stones.

This fable reminds me of some of my own experience in life. About 15 years ago a few of us started out with a magical idea. We would provide much needed social services in the county where we lived. We started with a few dollars and started a program. We tasted the success of the program but felt we needed a little something more to add to it to make our service even better. We took in Russian immigrants and resettled them in the county, but the mix wasn't right yet. We added some more money supplied by the wonderful people of the county and then tasted what we had done.

The mix never seems to be quite finished. It is satisfying, tasty, hearty and filling, but it still lacks a little something more. The County government, the State Government added to the soup and we found we could offer more and better services. But we are not yet satisfied that the soup is perfect. It needs a little something more.

It needs your contribution

We offer, in appreciation, a Social Service Agency serving the entire county. We offer you a better place to live, in these troubling times.

This is a personal memory of Elliott Eichler, a board member.