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Parable of the Stone Soup...

Many years ago, in a time of great hardship and famine, a traveler wandered into a poverty-stricken village and asked for shelter for the night. "There's nothing to eat here," the villagers told him, "you'd better move on!"

"I have enough here to make soup for all of us," the traveler replied, "if I could just borrow a large pot." Curious, the villagers produced a pot and stood around watching as the traveler filled it with water and built a small fire underneath. He then took three round stones from a small bag and dropped them into the water.

As the water came to a boil, the traveler sniffed it hungrily, saying, "I do love stone soup, but if I just had a little cabbage, it would taste even better!" At this, one of the villagers disappeared, returning a few minutes later with a cabbage he had been hiding and put it into the pot.

A while later, the traveler tasted the soup and said, "Hmm, this is good, but a couple of carrots would make it better still." Again, a villager produced a bunch of carrots, and so it went on as potatoes, onions, mushrooms, and a bit of salt beef were all added to the pot until there was indeed a delicious meal for all.

There are many versions of this old story, but the message is the same. We all have a contribution to make, and by sharing our gifts and resources, our own lives are enriched.