Stone Soup
In a thread-bare town at the end of the war
A hungry soldier knocked on a door
"Pardon me, Madame. I need some food...
Rum-Dum-Diddle-I food!"
"I'm sorry, Sir, but we are hungry too
There's no food left in the whole hungry village."
So...the soldier marched to the center of town
"Here Yee, Here Yee, gather 'round!"
He picked up a stone and gave it a kiss...
"Let's make soup out of this!"
"What? Soup from a stone?"
"Sure."
"All you need is what you've got
A tasty stone and water in a pot
Takes some time that feeds a lot
Stone soup tonight!"
"Stone soup! Stone soup!
What is this fellow, a nincompoop?"
But the kids brought stones which he put in the pot
Boiled the whole thing, piping hot
Then he hushed the crowd and solemn-faced...
Took a Rum-Dum-Diddle-I taste
"Ooh, this is gonna be good!"
"Please, Sir, please? Can we have some?"
"No, not yet. It's not quite done
It needs...
A soup bone full of flavor."
A little girl who brought a stone
Said, "We've been taken a big hambone
Shall I get it?" "That would be nice."
She was back in a trice! "Here."
The soldier smiled
"All you need is what you've got."
He took that bone and threw it in the pot
Some grown-ups started to see the light
"Stone soup tonight!"
Then he took a taste, took a taste
"Ooohhhhhh...this is gonna be great!"
"Now, sir, now can we have some?"
"Not just yet. It's still not done
It needs...
A potato and...an onion."
The kids jumped up and off they tore
And brought the things that he asked for
Not to mention turnip greens
A carrot and some beans
"Here, here, here."
The smell of soup began to float
Into every nose and throat
Calling people like a drum...
"Rum-Dum-Diddle-I Yum!"
"Stone soup! Stone soup!
We want some of that tasty goop!"
"No, not yet. I'm still not through
It needs one thing from each of you!
Whatever... you can spare."
"So the villagers scattered to the root cellars, corn cribs, and secret nooks
And brought back everything from an eggplant to a pepperoni
That night, the whole hungry village tasted on...
Soup...made out of...a stone!"
All they need is what they've got
A tasty stone and water in a pot!
Little things become a lot
Tiny gifts can fill the pot
When they're shared and they're served up hot!
"Stone soup! Stone soup!
Stone soup tonight!"