Many years ago three soldiers, hungry and weary of battle, came upon a small village. The villagers, suffering a meager¹ harvest and the many years of war, quickly hid what little they had to eat and met the three at the village square, wringing² their hands and bemoaning³ the lack of anything to eat.

很多年前，有三个士兵，他们从战场回来既饥饿又疲倦，这时他们来到了一个小村庄。然而由于粮食遭遇欠收和连年的战争，村民们迅速的将它们的一小点粮食藏了起来，并在村子的广场中接待了士兵们，搓着双手，哀叹着他们是多么缺少食物。

The soldiers spoke⁴ quietly among themselves and the first soldier then turned to the village elders. "Your tired fields have left you nothing to share, so we will share what little we have: the secret of how to make soup from stones."

士兵们平静地与村民们交谈着，第一个士兵对村庄的长老说道：“既然你们的土地收成不好，不能分给我们点吃的，那么我们将会与你们分享我们所有的：如何用石头做一道好汤的秘密。”

Naturally the villagers were intrigued⁵ and soon a fire was put to the town's greatest kettle as the soldiers dropped in three smooth stones. "Now this will be a fine soup", said the second soldier; "but a pinch of salt and some parsley would make it wonderful!" Up jumped a villager, crying "What luck! I've just remembered where some's been left!" And off she ran, returning with an apronful of parsley and a turnip⁶. As the kettle boiled on, the memory of the village improved: soon barley⁷, carrots, beef and cream had found their way into the great pot.

自然啦，村民们都十分好奇，很快他们就升起了火，架起了城里最大的一口锅，士兵们将三颗光滑的石子丢到了锅里。“这将是一锅好汤”第二个士兵说；“不过如果有一撮盐和一些欧芹那就更棒啦！”一个村民跳了起来，喊道“多幸运啊！我刚刚想起来家里还剩下些呢！”于是她跑回家，带着满满一围裙的欧芹和一根萝卜回来了。随着锅里的水渐渐煮沸，村民们的记忆力也变的越来越好，很快地，大麦，胡萝卜，牛肉还有奶油，统统被投入了这个大罐子里。

They ate and danced and sang well into the night, refreshed by the feast and their new-found friends. In the morning the three soldiers awoke to find the entire village standing⁸ before them. At their feet lay a satchel⁹ of the village's best breads and cheese. "You have given us the greatest of gifts: the secret of how to make soup from stones", said an elder, "and we shall never forget." The third soldier turned to the crowd, and said: "There is no secret, but this is certain: it is only by sharing that we may make a feast". And off the soldiers wandered, down the road.

他们吃啊~跳啊~唱啊~直到深夜，美妙的宴会和新结交的朋友让每个人都感到焕然一新。当早上三个士兵醒来时，他们发现所有村民正站在他们面前。在他们脚边放着有一包这个村子最好的面包和奶酪。“你们把最好的礼物送给了我们：如何从石头里做汤的秘密”，一位长老说道，“这一点我们永远也不会忘记。”第三个士兵转身冲大伙说到：“这并没有什么秘密，但是有一件事是确定的：只有一起分享，我们才可能举办一次宴会。”说完，他们又踏上了路，慢慢走去了。