Share the Hug.

Once, a weary traveler arrived in a small village, hungry and tired from his journey. He went from door to door, but the villagers, fearing they didn't have enough for themselves, told him they had nothing to share.

Undeterred, the traveler smiled and said, "Then I shall make Stone Soup for everyone!" He pulled a smooth, plain stone from his pocket, placed it in a large pot of water over an open fire, and began to stir. Curiously, one by one, the villagers came out to watch.

"It's good," he whispered, "but a bit of onion would make it wonderful." A villager ran to her house and brought an onion. "Imagine it with a carrot!" he mused. Another brought a bunch. Soon, potatoes, herbs, and scraps of meat were added to the pot.

By nightfall, the entire village sat together for a magnificent feast. The stone had no magic—the magic was the community realizing that when we all give just a little bit, nobody has to go hungry.