When a forest traveller knocks at a lonely cottage, hoping to scrounge a bed for the night, a scowling woman appears and says he can sleep on the floor, but declares that she hasn't a morsel of food in the place. In that case, says the traveller, I'll have to share what I've got with you. And, taking an old, rusty, four-inch nail from his pocket, he starts to make ... Nail Soup.



In his delightful retelling of this trickster tale known throughout Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, Eric Maddern shows how a merry fellow can soften the heart of even a mean and grumpy woman. Paul Hess's post-modern illustrations combine to make a book that will bring a smile to the face of everyone who reads it.