Provided by:      Chris Dabis
The Story of Stone Soup
This is a true story about a boy named Danny and his Nanna-Know-What.

Danny and his parents lived with his Nanna when he was just a baby and until he was about 4 years old. He liked to help his Nanna do everything, but this one story is about a special dinner they made: Stone Soup.

Danny was getting a little hungry and he asked Nanna if she was hungry too. Nanna said, "Danny, it's a cold night. Would you like to help me make some stone soup?"

Danny's eyes blinked, he looked left and then right, and then he said, "Stones are rocks, right?" "That's right, Danny."

Danny's mind was thinking deeply on this matter. How could anyone eat rocks? Nanna never lies to me. I'm confused.

Nanna said, "You go outside and get me two stones about the size of these potatoes.". By this time Danny didn't know up from down, but he giggled and said, "OK!" and off he went.

It didn't take Danny very long to gather the two stones. When he brought them into the kitchen his Nanna said, "Climb up in this chair and help me wash the stones. We need to scrub them really good." They scrubbed and scrubbed and both decided that the stones were perfectly clean.

Both stones were placed into a big pot of boiling water. Nanna sniffed deeply over the pot and said, This smells very good, Danny. Care to have a taste with me?" Danny gave a reluctant nod and then flashed a magical smile. Maybe he thought Nanna was crazy, but it was a fun kind of crazy. He giggled as Nanna cooled a spoon filled with the stone broth.

"That tastes pretty good, Nanna." and he licked his lips. Nanna took a taste of the broth and agreed with Danny, then said, "It might taste a little better if we put some salt into the soup." Danny agreed. They tasted it again. Oh! Nanna, that's delicious now." Then Danny suggested that they add some butter to the soup.







Little by little, both Danny and Nanna thought of other things they could put into their stone soup. Danny suggested a diced potato. Nanna thought a diced onion would be nice. Danny said a can of clams might be a good addition. Nanna dropped a few bay leaves into the pot. They both agreed that some milk would be a good ingredient, too.

"I think our soup's ready now, Danny. Can you get two bowls down?"

"Are these big enough, Nanna?" and he handed her two nice sized bowls. "Hop up in this chair again, Danny, and help me ladel the soup." Danny spun the ladel around in the pot until the ladel made contact with one of the stones. He lifted the stone up and placed it gently into the bowl. Then he gathered some of the liquid, enough to cover the stone completely.

At the table, Danny dipped his spoon into the soup but before he lifted it out he said, "Nanna, we're not going to eat the rocks, are we?" Nanna said, "No, we're going to save the rocks for the next time we make our stone soup." They both laughed and enjoyed their special soup dinner.

Danny and Nanna's
Recipe for
Stone Soup

  • Boil one very clean stone for each person in 6 cups hot water, add

  • Two diced potatoes and one diced onion, then add

  • Two tablespoons of butter,

  • A few cans of minced clams,

  • Salt and pepper to taste,

  • 5 bay leaves.

    When the potatoes are soft, add

  • 1/2 cup flour mixed well with 1/2 cup milk.

    Stir until thick.
    Make sure that Danny, and each guest, gets one stone in their bowl of soup.