Old King Karnak is worried. He hasn't long to live, and there is no heir to the throne. So he holds a rather unusual competition to find one. Knights and nobles flock to the palace and the King gives each of them a tiny seed to grow. Jack the farmer's son is given a seed too, so he plants it, waters it and waits for it to sprout! Praise for Nail Soup "Space should still be found for this beautifully retold folk tale. Paul Hess's illustrations make ordinary household objects seem magically unreal all at the same time." - Carousel