← Origin of the Stone Soup Folktale
In English, the Stone Soup story was first published in a British magazine, The European Magazine, and London Review, in 1806. This is the beginning of what very quickly proved to be a popular life for the story in Anglo-American literature.
In the first English telling of the story it takes place in Switzerland, near Zurich. It was written by Joseph Moser (1748–1819), a British writer of Swiss descent. As Moser wrote the story its plot line is very close to that of Madame du Noyer’s (which had been republished in France a few years earlier), but in the best storytelling tradition of the folktale, he repositioned and personalized the story.1 His contribution to the tale was to expand on Madame du Noyer’s ending to show how close the tie became between the host and the traveler, and how much the soup was appreciated as a brilliant recipe.
When it [the soup] was finished, the kind hostess, who had watched the operation with some anxiety, and from time to time longed to taste the soup, was indulged. She found it excellent. She had never before tasted any that was so good. She produced all the edibles her cottage afforded; and spreading her table, she, with the Traveller, made a hearty meal, of which the stone soup formed the principal part.
[Upon taking his leave, in recompense for her kindness to him the traveller gives her the stone, which she had carefully washed, and the story proceeds.]
The poor woman could hardly set any bounds on her gratitude; and she and the Traveller parted highly satisfied with each other.
Proud of this discovery, she, in general terms, mentioned it to her neighbors. By this means the recipe was promulgated; and it was in the course of many experiments at length found, that other pebbles would make as good soup as that in her possession. The viand now became fashionable through the Canton, and was indeed so generally approved, as to find its way to most of the peasants’ tables, where stone soup used frequently to be served as the first dish.2