Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Stone Soup Day





Today was Stone Soup Day at the day care! So I took an extra hour lunch to go eat lunch with Madison (couldn't let Austin see me b/c he doesn't quite understand "I have to go back to work!") And we learned this morning there would be a little mini-recital with her dance teacher!! Since we didn't get much notice most of the girls are without their dance gear, but you can still see how fabulously cute they were!! Their teacher got them each a little skirt to wear which they had fun with! This is a little dance they learned in just 3 weeks!! Impressive for this age group! They are preparing for their annual spring recital in May. So enjoy Madison's cute little tap dance!! (I really hope I posted this right...my 1st video attempt!!)



The Story of Stone Soup (done every year at the day care for the last 20+ years!)



Once upon a time, somewhere in post-war Eastern Europe, there was a great famine in which people jealously hoarded whatever food they could find, hiding it even from their friends and neighbors. One day a wandering soldier came into a village and began asking questions as if he planned to stay for the night.
"There's not a bite to eat in the whole province," he was told. "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 wagon, filled it with water, and built a fire under it. Then, with great ceremony, he drew an ordinary-looking stone from a velvet bag and dropped it into the water.
By now, hearing the rumor of food, most of the villagers had come to the square or watched from their windows. As the soldier sniffed the "broth" and licked his lips in anticipation, hunger began to overcome their skepticism.
"Ahh," the soldier 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 cabbage he'd retrieved from its hiding place, and added it to the pot. "Capital!" cried the soldier. "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 all. The villagers offered the soldier a great deal of money for the magic stone, but he refused to sell and traveled on the next day. The moral is that by working together, with everyone contributing what they can, a greater good is achieved.

2 comments:

Anne said...

Oh, how I love a cute dancing girl! So fun!

Andrea said...

That was so cute!