Stones is a collection of three funny folktales about stones - a stone that makes blissful soup, stones that masquerade first as coins and then as jewels, an innocent stone that is accused of stealing.
Stone Soup tells the story of a tramp who convinces a family of bickering sisters to help make a pot of soup that sweetens their natures and changes their lives. The tramp puts his "soup stone" in a pot of water and then convinces the sisters to add potatoes, tomatoes, onions and more. They are thrilled with the results, more thrilled when the tramp gives them his "soup stone" and so busy planning their next soup that they forget to argue.
Robbers Are Everywhere is about a poor man who turns the tables on a greedy rich woman, using her own greed to trick her out of his three precious coins she has tricked from him. This poor man must go on a trip and entrusts his few precious coins to the rich woman in his absence. On his return she gives him a bag containing stones and denies all knowledge of his coins. The man tells everyone in the market that this bag contains jewels. The woman hears this and, greedy as ever, insists he take back the bag with his coins in exchange for the bag of "jewels." Which he is very happy to do.
In The Trial of the Stone a couple hides their one and only coin under a stone, not knowing they are being watched by thieves who then steal it. They tell the facts of the case to a judge who accuses the stone of being the thief. The trial begins and lures in the real thieves who are caught when they steal again, as the clever judge knew they would, and the stone's good name is happily restored.
Plays Include:
Stone Soup
Robbers Are Everywhere
The Trial of the Stone