It was in the years before 1910 – possibly in Munich – when, during his lecture tours, Rudolf Steiner often lived in private pensions where he took meals as well. It also happened that his meals were accompanied by a noodle soup with plenty of herbs. Steiner liked the soup so much, that he helped himself to a second – maybe a third bowl.
As he had to leave the city the following morning, Steiner came to the train station accompanied by Miss von Sivers and the hostess. Steiner had already stepped into the waiting train – he liked to travel in a compartment for himself – while the two women stood on the platform exchanging goodbyes.
Suddenly, the maker of the good soup pulled a preserving glass out of her handbag and gave it to Miss von Sivers, saying: “Dear Miss von Sivers, yesterday the doctor praised my soup so much, and ate so much of it, that I cooked some extra soup for him. Please take it. You can instantly warm it up on arrival. I’ve also written the recipe down in case you ever wanted to cook it for yourself! “
Whoever is familiar with Ms Marie Steiner-von Sivers, can only imagine the negative frame of mind she was now in; once the train was out of town and in open countryside, she opened the window, poured the soup out, and threw the glass jar after it.
At the next station – where the “D” trains used to stop even longer than today – was heard, on the platform, loud grumbling from the conductor: “What a bunch of pigs! Why do we have a toilet in the wagon? Can people not go there when sick? My whole wagon is now full of puke! “
Rudolf Steiner heard this and left the carriage. The car looked really dirty, with noodles splattered by the wind across the outer wall and windows of the train. Miss von Sivers stood there with a flushed face.
“Now,” said Steiner, “the man is quite right! One cannot blame him.” He then grabbed his handkerchief out of the back of his coat and began wiping the noodles off the wagon; he only stopped when it again looked somewhat decent. This is how Steiner occasionally corrected the impulsiveness of the late Mrs Marie Steiner.
Source (German): Sie Mensch von einem Menschen! Rudolf Steiner in Anekdoten by Wolfgang G. Vögele (page 78-79)
Anonymous translator
The great Rudolf Steiner Quotes Site 