Stone soup

One day a man called at the house of an old woman. Most people did not like the old woman because she was very unpleasant.
"I am very hungry," the man said. "Can you give me something to eat?"
"I have little food in the house," the old woman said "I can give you only a piece of bread".
"Bread is better than nothing," the man told her, and he went into the house.
The old woman cut a piece of bread and gave it to him.
"This bread is good," he said. "But it will taste better with some soup".
"I have no soup", the old woman said.
"Can you make stone soup?" the man said.
"Stone soup? What is that?"
"It is easy to make. Take a stone from the garden. Wash it and put it in a pan of water. Boil the stone in the water."
The old woman took a stone from the garden and washed it. Then she put it in a pan of water and boiled the water.
The man took a spoonful of the soup and tasted it. "Yes" he said, "this is a very good soup, but a few potatoes will make it taste better".

The old woman put two potatoes in the soup and boiled it again. The man tasted it.
"Much better" he said, "but a few onions will give it a stronger taste".
The old woman put two onions into the soup and boiled it again.
The man tasted it a third time.
"Excellent", he said, "I see you have a piece of chicken on the table. Put that into the soup and add a little pepper and salt. It will make the stone soup perfect".
The old woman put the piece of chicken into the soup and added a little pepper and salt.
"You are an excellent cook" the man said. "This is the best stone soup I have ever tasted. Now I can eat the bread you gave me".