Three monks, Hok, Lok and Siew, journey along a mountain road trying to understand what makes one happy. At once the monks encounter frightened villagers who lock their windows and darken their homes. The villagers have long been ravaged by harsh times, and their hearts have grown hard toward everyone they meet. But when the monks cleverly entice them to make soup from stones, the villagers discover how much they each have to give - and how much more comes back in return. With magnificent watercolours that invite reflection of deeper meaning, Jon J Muth combines his love of Zen Buddhism and Eastern culture with a favourite old trickster tale that celebrates the power of generosity.