Stone Soup

“STONE SOUP”: A MONTAGE OF GENRES
In Robert Rankin’s novel entitled Nostradamus Ate My Hamster one of the
characters tells an old Irish story about stone soup. A hungry and exhausted
wanderer who wants to find some place to spend the night reaches a castle right
after dusk falls. Unfortunately, a merciless cook from the castle believes that the
wanderer is a beggar. The man admits that he does not have any money but
instead he can show him a magic trick. Apparently, the wanderer has a stone
that changes water into an appetising soup. The cook agrees to let the man
demonstrate the power of the stone. If it really works, he will keep it in
exchange for a meal and shelter. So the wanderer throws the stone into a pot
with boiling water. After some time the cook tries the soup which, of course,
tastes like water with a boiled stone inside. The wanderer suggests they add
some herbs. The cook tries the soup but it still tastes like highly seasoned water
with a boiled stone inside. This time the wanderer suggests adding chicken
broth to the soup but the cook complains that now it is just seasoned water
mixed with some chicken broth and a stone inside. So they add some poultry,
some parsnip and a pinch of corn flour. They also add carrots, mushrooms and a
few potatoes. After they sprinkle it with salt, the soup is ready. They eat it with
slices of bread smeared with butter, and wash the meal down with some wine.
After supper the cook keeps the stone. The next day, when the cook observes the wanderer from the battlements, he sees the man pick up a new stone which
he hides inside his pocket