Once upon a time, in a small town nestled in the rolling hills, a terrible flu outbreak swept through the community. Everyone was sniffling, coughing, and feeling miserable. Every citizen of the town, big or small, young or old, was lying in bed trying to get better.
One day, a group of kind-hearted grandmothers decided to take action. They gathered together in the town square and began to make a huge pot of chicken soup. But there was one major problem. They had all the ingredients they needed as they all had a vegetable garden full of fresh vegetables, but none of the grandma’s had a chicken and all the shops and butchers were closed due to the flu. Where would they get a chicken?
Just when they were about to give up, a bright idea struck one of the grandmothers. “I know!” she exclaimed. “We can ask Farmer Joe! He always has chickens.”
The grandmothers quickly made their way to Farmer Joe’s farm. When they arrived, they found him tending to his chickens. Even though the farmer, just like everybody else, was sick with the flu, he hand to tend to his animals.
“Farmer Joe, we need your help!” the grandmothers said. “We’re trying to make a pot of chicken soup for the whole town, but we don’t have a chicken. Could we please have one of yours?”
Farmer Joe chuckled. “Of course, ladies. Anything for the town! But please make sure to bring me a bowl of soup, as I can’t leave the animals” he said. The grandma’s happily agreed. He chose a plump, healthy chicken and gave it to the grandmothers with a smile.
The grandmothers were overjoyed. They quickly got to work, chopping the vegetables and adding them to the pot along with the chicken and noodles. To cheer everybody up they also baked some fresh buns to go with the soup.
As the aroma of the soup wafted through the streets, people started to come out of their homes to see what was going on. The grandmothers explained that they were making soup for the whole town, to help everyone feel better. They believed that the broth would improve the function of the tiny hairs in everybody’s noses that prevent contagions getting into the body. And not only the broth is powerful, other key ingredients in a chicken soup include onions and garlic and additional vegetables like carrots and parsnip. These not only add flavour, but also a healthy dose of phytonutrients – vital for a well-functioning immune system.
As the soup simmered and bubbled, people started to feel a little better just from the smell alone. They sat on blankets in the sunshine, sipping the warm soup and chatting with their neighbors.
Slowly but surely, the town began to recover from the flu. The fresh air, the warm soup, and the chance to mingle with others all helped to lift their spirits.
And from that day on, the town celebrated Chicken Soup Day once a year, to remember the time when a group of loving grandmothers came together to help their community heal.
