"Eat the Whole Bowl" by Rochelle Leya Watts

The brothers walked down the road with the sun slowly sinking at their backs. The eldest was named Gerry and the younger was named Ken. Padding along behind them came their cat, an old and mangy thing, which no one would believe was a magic cat that could speak but it could do that only once a day. Neither of them paid it any mind; it had been in their family since they could remember and thus it being around was something they often took for granted.
The road was dusty because it was the dry season and it clung to their clothes. Sometimes one of them would pat themselves and the dirt would poof out in a brown cloud. After about an hour of walking, a fork in the road came up in front of them. At the fork there was a signpost with two arrows, one pointing left and the other pointing right. And beneath the signpost there sat a hunched old woman.
“Hello, “ she croaked as the brothers approached.
“Hello there, good woman, would you know where the road goes on one side or the other? “ Gerry called out.
“That way, “ she pointed left, “ goes to a city. And the other goes to a different city. That is if you follow either of them long enough. “
The old woman bent over and stirred the pot simmering on a small fire in front of her feet. The pot was scorched on the bottom from lots of use. Ken edged closer to look inside. He saw that it was full of a greenish sludge that had a few chunks of yellow bobbing on its surface. The smell that wandered over from this swampy stew was that of mildew and wetness. Ken wrinkled his nose.
“ Oh don’t be such strangers, “ the old woman called in her froggy voice. “ Please come and share a bowl of my magic stew. “
“ Magic stew you say? “ Gerry asked as he came to the edge of the road. “ Why is it magic? “
“ Oh, because my boy, it will give you what you most need. All you have to do is eat one whole bowl full. I’m afraid I only have one bowl though, so you’ll have to eat it one at a time. “
Ken brightened at this, “ It will really give me what I most need? “
The crone nodded and ladled out some into a misshapen clay bowl. Ken thought about it and came over to take the bowl first. The wet smell was turning earthier but it did not make the green goop anymore appetizing. Ken decided to make the best of it and ate it as quickly as he could, not stopping to chew the yellow bits, which he could only assume was some kind of vegetable. It wasn’t long before the whole bowl was gone. Ken handed the old lady back her bowl.
While she ladled more so called stew into the bowl, Ken looked around.
“ I don’t see any horses. This magic stew of yours doesn’t work and it didn’t taste very good either. “ He scowled as he moved off to sit where the smell of the pot couldn’t reach him. The old lady chuckled to herself.
Gerry, seeing as Ken hadn’t gotten what he needed, was not sure about eating his bowl of stew. He looked at his skinny arms and stick like body. Sure, the stew hadn’t produced a horse but making him stronger wouldn’t be asking as much he thought. So, although a bit reluctantly, Gerry took the bowl from her and ate his share. He didn’t gulp it down as his brother did since that wouldn’t be polite, but kept at it until the whole bowl was gone.
As he handed back the bowl, Gerry flexed his arm. Then he swung a leg around.
“ I don’t feel any more powerful. I am afraid I am going to have to agree with Ken, good woman, your magic stew is a trick. Perhaps if you just add some salt and pepper to it, then you wouldn’t have to lie to get others to eat some. “ Gerry went over to where Ken was and sat down as well.
The sun’s last few rays were sparkling in the air as the old lady ladled out one more bowl and set it down. The cat crept up and lapped at it while keeping an eye on the old lady. Some of the yellow bits were left in the bowl since the cat was not fond of any kind of vegetables much less unidentifiable ones. But he did eat all of the broth.
The old lady grinned as she picked up the bowl and dumped, unwashed, into her pack. With a flick, she put the ladle in there as well, and with a grunt, she turned the pot over letting the last little bit at the bottom run out into the dry crackling grass.
The brothers had both rested their feet for bit but felt they need to get going. Ken ignored the old lady as they headed down the road going to the left, but Gerry gave her courteous nod. The cat trailed behind them, winding in and out of grass that struggled to grow along the sides of the road.
They continued to march along until the crone was well out of sight, what with the night coming on and all. The brothers had started to argue as they walked about which was a more needed thing, strength or a horse. Neither of them noticed when the cat hung back for a second then turned around.
It didn’t take it long to get back to the fork. The old lady was still sitting there, hands out over the small fire to warm them. The cat slowly approached and sat down on the opposite side from the old lady.
She looked up into its golden, oval eyes. “ Eh? “
“ Thank you, “ the cat said. Then it got up and went back down the road to catch up with the brothers, dipping its tail as it ambled along.
“ Well, “ the old lady grumbled to the cat’s disappearing back, “ anyone with a set of eyes could see that the thing you three needed most was a healthy and filling meal. “ She pulled her shawl tighter around her to ward off the night’s chill and settled in for a nice snooze.