Anyone care to make "Stone Soup"?

You allusion is pretty decent, and I enjoy the very old tale of stone soup, which is analogous on its own merits.

Stone Soup, or St. Bernard’s Soup.

A beggar asked alms at a lordly mansion but was told by the servants they had nothing to give him. “Sorry for it,” said the man,” but will you let me boil a little water to make some soup of this stone?” This was so novel a proceeding, that the curiosity of the servants was aroused, and the man was readily furnished with saucepan, water, and a spoon. In he popped the stone, and he begged for a little salt and pepper for flavoring. Stirring the water and tasting it, he said it would be the better for any fragments of meat and vegetables they might happen to have. These were supplied, and ultimately he asked for a little of any sauce. When fully boiled and fit, each of the servants tasted it, and declared that stone soup was excellent.

Dallas, thanks for that story. But I know of a literally sound recipe for stone soup. There is a place where the natives would gather stones submerged in a river. They would wash and boil them with salt and spice to taste. It tasted excellent. The fact is, the stones were coated with algae, and the algae actually gave the flavor.