Print the following pictures (or draw your own) and use them to tell the old fable: Stone Soup.
Stone Soup
A kindly, old stranger was walking through the land when he came upon a village. As he entered, the villagers moved towards their homes locking doors and windows.
The stranger smiled and asked, why are you all so frightened? I am a simple traveler, looking for a soft place to stay for the night and a warm place for a meal.
"There's not a bite to eat in the whole province," he was told. "We are weak and our children are starving. Better keep moving on."
"Oh, I have everything I need," he said. "In fact, I was thinking of making some stone soup to share with all of you." He pulled an iron cauldron from his cloak, filled it with water, and began to build a fire under it.
Then, with great ceremony, he drew an ordinary-looking stone from a silken bag and dropped it into the water.
By now, hearing the rumor of food, most of the villagers had come out of their homes or watched from their windows. As the stranger sniffed the "broth" and licked his lips in anticipation, hunger began to overcome their fear.
"Ahh," the stranger said to himself rather loudly, "I do like a tasty stone soup. Of course, stone soup with cabbage -- that's hard to beat."
Soon a villager approached hesitantly, holding a small cabbage he'd retrieved from its hiding place, and added it to the pot.
"Wonderful!!" cried the stranger. "You know, I once had stone soup with cabbage and a bit of salt beef as well, and it was fit for a king."
The village butcher managed to find some salt beef . . . and so it went, through potatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and so on, until there was indeed a delicious meal for everyone in the village to share.
The villager elder offered the stranger a great deal of money for the magic stone, but he refused to sell it and traveled on the next day.
As he left, the stranger came upon a group of village children standing near the road. He gave the silken bag containing the stone to the youngest child, whispering to a group, It was not the stone, but the villagers that had performed the magic."
Moral: By working together, with everyone contributing what they can, a greater good is achieved.
Time to Cook!
Go on a walk and ask children to help you find a nice looking stone to use in your soup. When you find the perfect stone, have children wash up/dress up and pretend to be the village people. Have each child choose a name for him/herself. Hand a few ingredients to each child and have them place them in their own grocery sacks. When it is time for each ingredient to be added, call the children by their chosen names and ask them to place their ingredient on the cutting board, so you (the stranger)can prepare it for the soup. After vegetables have been chopped, allow the children to put them into the pot.
Soup Recipe:
4 Cups Water
4 Bouillon cubes (or you may just use 2-3 cans of canned chicken or beef broth
3/4 cup sliced carrots
3/4 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 medium potato
Chicken (cooked) optional
2/3 cup pasta
1 tsp parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Scrub and rinse stone thoroughly.
Dissolve bouillon cubes in 4 cups boiling water. Add stone and all veggies and seasonings. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to Medium. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add Chicken and pasta. Cook on Medium until pasta is tender.
Serve with Bread or biscuits!
