New Stone Soup Story
-
A long long time ago, there was a very smart man. But he was very poor and desperately hungry.
One day, he had a great idea.
He went to the King and told him that he had a magic stone that can produce the best tasting soup in the Kingdom. No other ingredients necessary, just add boiling water.
The King was obviously skeptical, but he agreed to try. All he stands to lose is just a pot of water, so why not?
When the water arrived, the poor man quickly plopped something on a string into the pot. He stirred and stirred. Then he had a taste.
"Hmm marvellous! But it would be even better if you added some salt."
The King's men added some salt.
"Superb taste! But it would be even better if you added some carrots..."
And so on. You know the story.
Eventually the soup was served to everyone, including the King. It was the best tasting soup in the Kingdom. The poor man drank his fill. It was his first full meal in months.
"What an amazing soup made from a stone! A magical stone!" the people chanted.
But when the poor man raised his string from the pot, there was no stone. It was only an empty loop of string.
You see the poor man wasn't stupid enough to plop a real, dirty stone into a pot that he would drink from. But he didn't pull out the string fast enough, and was discovered.
The poor man became worried as the people encircled him, staring at the empty loop. Suddenly someone chanted "the magic stone is invisible! This man is an angel!"
The excited crowd threw the King off his throne and made the poor man a new King. He has an invisible magic stone that can turn water into soup.
No one will be hungry for all eternity. -
duh, the man so dishonest
i pity the king -
wah lau. u juz wanna shoot religion again right?
actually hor.. i dunnoe read where gt ppl put stone in soup one. its actually a limestone or something, dat gives the soup taste. -
At least he got a free meal and was made king.. he clever enough.
-
Dishonest? The poor man had no idea that the people will rather believe that it was the invisible magic stone that made the soup, rather than the ingredients that went into the pot.Originally posted by Y_Shun:duh, the man so dishonest
i pity the king
Neither did the King. He thought he would lose a pot of water at most, but he lost his Kingdom. -
Good story
It tells you people will believe everything and anything, no matter how ridiculous, and in reality, you will lose everything because you thought you would gain some/ lose little.
-
I am just telling my updated version of an old story to entertain everyone.Originally posted by Ito_^: wah lau. u juz wanna shoot religion again right?
actually hor.. i dunnoe read where gt ppl put stone in soup one. its actually a limestone or something, dat gives the soup taste.
It would be great if my story lets people stop and think about these two questions:
1. If you add the invisible magic stone without adding other ingredients, how would the soup taste like?
2. If you add the others ingredients without adding the invisible magic stone, how would the soup taste like? -
Taste like nothing? just plan water?Originally posted by Cystaire:1. If you add the invisible magic stone without adding other ingredients, how would the soup taste like?
Taste like what it should be like a soup with those ingredients?Originally posted by Cystaire:2. If you add the others ingredients without adding the invisible magic stone, how would the soup taste like? -
Thanks!Originally posted by laurence82:Good story
It tells you people will believe everything and anything, no matter how ridiculous, and in reality, you will lose everything because you thought you would gain some/ lose little. 
In addition I hope people can ponder on this question:
If the invisible magic stone can feed the people for all eternity, why is there still a need to keep planting carrots? -
You are correct of course.Originally posted by Y_Shun:Taste like what it should be like a soup with those ingredients?
When drinking this delicious soup, a few people in the Kingdom believe that it tastes great because there were carrots and salt and chicken bones inside.
However, most other people believe that it tastes great because there was an invisible magic stone dunked in it.
Yet they are against the removal of the other ingredients, because without them, the magic stone would simply refuse to turn water into soup.
Somebody screams: "LOOK! It's an empty loop of string!!!"
In the past such people would be captured by the guards and beaten until they realize that invisible things can have more real effects than visible things.
Nowadays in the Kingdom, people who say such things are just politely reminded that they are headed for Hell. -
To me, the stone is portrayed as the key ingredient, yet in reality its those salt and carrots at workOriginally posted by Cystaire:I am just telling my updated version of an old story to entertain everyone.
It would be great if my story lets people stop and think about these two questions:
1. If you add the invisible magic stone without adding other ingredients, how would the soup taste like?
2. If you add the others ingredients without adding the invisible magic stone, how would the soup taste like?
Sadly, people choose to believe in the stone.
To quote somebody's words
Got eyes and refuse to see
Got ears and refuse to listen -
Actually the problem is more difficult than that.Originally posted by laurence82:To me, the stone is portrayed as the key ingredient, yet in reality its those salt and carrots at work
Sadly, people choose to believe in the stone.
To quote somebody's words
Got eyes and refuse to see
Got ears and refuse to listen
They taste the soup and think - "how can mere salt and carrots and chicken bones and ground onions create such a wonderful soup? YOU must be blind and stubborn not to see the invisible magic stone!"
Some travellers protest - "but other Kingdoms use invisible magic pearls which also produces very delicious soup!"
The people shout - "No! Those soups only taste good, but they will never ease your hunger forever. You will simply be poisoned more and more if you drink them."
Other travellers retort - "but there are even Kingdoms where no invisible magic things are used to make soup!"
The people shout - "Ridiculous! How can they disprove something that they cannot see? They only THINK there is nothing invisible in their soup. The fact that the soup tastes wonderful INDICATES that some magic is obviously inside!" -
yeap, i get the ideaOriginally posted by Cystaire:Actually the problem is more difficult than that.
They taste the soup and think - "how can mere salt and carrots and chicken bones and ground onions create such a wonderful soup? YOU must be blind and stubborn not to see the invisible magic stone!"
Some travellers protest - "but other Kingdoms use invisible magic pearls which also produces very delicious soup!"
The people shout - "No! Those soups only taste good, but they will never ease your hunger forever. You will simply be poisoned more and more if you drink them."
Other travellers retort - "but there are even Kingdoms where no invisible magic things are used to make soup!"
The people shout - "Ridiculous! How can they disprove something that they cannot see? They only THINK there is nothing invisible in their soup. The fact that the soup tastes wonderful INDICATES that some magic is obviously inside!"
The thing gets bian ben jia li -
how come noone give credit to the water har?
very precious u noe.. -
so moral of the story is cheat, lie, deceive, and thy shalt prosper?
-
It is precious, but adding more water into the pot doesn't turn water into soup.Originally posted by Ito_^:how come noone give credit to the water har?
very precious u noe..
Only an invisible magic stone can do that. -
is this going to lead to religious bullshlt again?Originally posted by laurence82:Good story
It tells you people will believe everything and anything, no matter how ridiculous, and in reality, you will lose everything because you thought you would gain some/ lose little. -
Not really, the story is just for entertainment.Originally posted by hisoka:so moral of the story is cheat, lie, deceive, and thy shalt prosper?
But if I had to pick a moral for this story it would be:
You can fool all of the people some of the time,
You can fool some of the people all of the time,
But if you want to fool all of the people all of the time...
You need an empty loop of string. -
Possibly beOriginally posted by CyNdI)4.eVa:is this going to lead to religious bullshlt again? -
ok. christians bashing again. lol.Originally posted by Cystaire:You are correct of course.
When drinking this delicious soup, a few people in the Kingdom believe that it tastes great because there were carrots and salt and chicken bones inside.
However, most other people believe that it tastes great because there was an invisible magic stone dunked in it.
Yet they are against the removal of the other ingredients, because without them, the magic stone would simply refuse to turn water into soup.
Somebody screams: "LOOK! It's an empty loop of string!!!"
In the past such people would be captured by the guards and beaten until they realize that invisible things can have more real effects than visible things.
Nowadays in the Kingdom, people who say such things are just politely reminded that they are headed for Hell. -
nope. nowadays, u need something more expensive. u need a fairytale book called the bible.Originally posted by Cystaire:Not really, the story is just for entertainment.
But if I had to pick a moral for this story it would be:
You can fool all of the people some of the time,
You can fool some of the people all of the time,
But if you want to fool all of the people all of the time...
You need an empty loop of string. -
Pls, atheists, dont bash Christians anymore
I think some of them cant take the heat, and resort to bashing Buddhists now -
haha i like buddhists. at least they act normal and they dun bug me to go to church.Originally posted by laurence82:Pls, atheists, dont bash Christians anymore
I think some of them cant take the heat, and resort to bashing Buddhists now -
Ya.. Because they dont go churches.. They go temples..Originally posted by CyNdI)4.eVa:haha i like buddhists. at least they act normal and they dun bug me to go to church. -
I always wonder, why cant we left alone to practise our faith/ non beliefs and everything?Originally posted by CyNdI)4.eVa:haha i like buddhists. at least they act normal and they dun bug me to go to church.
People dont realise that, once they bash non believers, they will provoke a responses, some try to justify their actions, the others act blur and deny such bashing takes places. In the end, all come round and ask why their religion is being bashed.
And despite all these, they are still recalcitrant. Sigh
So much for world peace