When a group of hungry soldiers ride into San Miguel, the townspeople don t want to share their food. They hide their tortillas, tamales, beans, and flour and put on torn clothes to look poor. But the Capitan is not fooled. He asks for a cactus thorn to make some cactus soup, and before long he has tricked the townspeople into giving him salt and chilies, vegetables, and a chicken as well Whimsical watercolors by Phil Huling add to the humor in this southwestern twist on the classic Stone Soup tale."