Horton Hatches the Egg facts for kids
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| Author | Dr. Seuss |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Random House |
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Publication date
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June 19, 1940 (renewed 1968) |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 64 pages |
| OCLC | 189245 |
| Preceded by | The Seven Lady Godivas |
| Followed by | McElligot's Pool Horton Hears a Who! (plotwise) |
Horton Hatches the Egg is a popular children's book. It was written and illustrated by Theodor Geisel, who is better known as Dr. Seuss. Random House published the book in 1940.
The story is about Horton the Elephant. He is tricked into sitting on a bird's egg. The egg's mother, Mayzie, leaves for a long vacation. Horton faces many challenges but never gives up. He often says, "I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful, one hundred percent!" In the end, the egg hatches. A special "elephant-bird" comes out. It looks like both Mayzie and Horton.
Dr. Seuss's biographers say he got the idea in 1940. He claimed a sketch of an elephant landed on a sketch of a tree by accident. However, another biographer, Charles Cohen, thinks this story might not be true. He found similar ideas in earlier Dr. Seuss works. For example, a 1938 story called "Matilda, the Elephant with a Mother Complex."
Horton Hatches the Egg became popular right away. It was loved by critics and sold very well. The book has also been used in school studies. People have written about it in relation to topics like economics and adoption. Horton appeared again in another Dr. Seuss book in 1954. This book was called Horton Hears a Who!. Both Horton books inspired parts of the 2000 Broadway musical Seussical.
Contents
What is the Story of Horton Hatches the Egg?
The book is about a kind elephant named Horton. A lazy bird named Mayzie convinces him to sit on her egg. She says she needs a short "break." But her break turns into a permanent move to Palm Beach.
Horton's Challenges and Loyalty
Horton sits in the nest high in a tree. He faces bad weather and is laughed at by his jungle friends. Hunters capture him, and he has to go on a difficult sea trip. Finally, he ends up in a traveling circus. Even with all these problems, Horton refuses to leave the nest. He wants to keep his promise. He keeps repeating, "I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful, one hundred per cent!"
The Elephant-Bird's Arrival
The circus eventually visits near Mayzie's new home in Palm Beach. Mayzie sees the circus just as the egg is about to hatch. This is after 51 weeks! She demands that Horton give her the egg back. She doesn't offer him any thanks. But when the egg hatches, a special "elephant-bird" appears. It is a mix of Horton and Mayzie. Horton and the baby elephant-bird happily return to the jungle. Mayzie gets nothing because of her laziness.
How Was Horton Hatches the Egg Created?
According to Dr. Seuss's biographers, Judith and Neil Morgan, Horton Hatches the Egg started in 1940. Dr. Seuss said he left a window open in his studio. The wind blew a drawing of an elephant onto a drawing of a tree. This made it look like an elephant was sitting in a tree. He told similar stories about how he got his ideas. The story changed a bit each time. But it always involved an elephant and a tree drawing.
Early Ideas for Horton
Charles Cohen, another biographer, found earlier ideas for Horton Hatches the Egg. In 1927, Dr. Seuss drew a cartoon with a bird and an elephant. He also drew a story where a whale ended up in a tree. In 1959, he drew a cartoon for Life magazine. It showed a dog sitting on eggs for storks. Some of his older work even showed elephant-bird mixes. These were like the elephant-bird at the end of Horton Hatches the Egg.
Matilda and Other Inspirations
In 1938, two years before Horton Hatches the Egg, a magazine published a story by Dr. Seuss. It was called "Matilda, the Elephant with a Mother Complex." This story was very similar to Horton. It was about an elephant who sat on a chickadee egg until it hatched. In 1939, Dr. Seuss made an advertisement for NBC. It showed a kind elephant tied with ropes in a cage. This was similar to Horton's situation when hunters caught him.
Character Name Changes
In early versions of the story, the elephant's name changed. It was Osmer, then Bosco, then Humphrey. The final name, Horton, was likely named after Horton Conrad. He was one of Dr. Seuss's classmates at Dartmouth College. The bird's name also changed from Bessie to Saidie, and finally Mayzie. In the first draft, the elephant offered to sit on the eggs. The bird was not sure about it at first.
Film and Musical Adaptations of Horton
Horton Hatches the Egg has been made into films and musicals.
Animated Short Films
- In 1942, Leon Schlesinger Productions made a ten-minute animated short film. It was part of the Merrie Melodies series. This was the first time a Dr. Seuss book was made into a movie.
- In 1966, Soyuzmultfilm released an 18-minute Russian film. It was called I Am Waiting for a Nestling. This film won an award in 1967.
- In 1992, Random House released "Horton Hatches the Egg" on video. Billy Crystal narrated it.
Horton's Appearances in Other Works
Horton also appeared in Horton Hears a Who, published in 1954. The story of the 2000 Broadway musical Seussical uses ideas from both Horton books.
Even though Horton Hatches the Egg was never a full movie, the 2008 film Horton Hears a Who! mentions it. In that movie, Horton says his famous line: "I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elephant's faithful one hundred percent."
Images for kids
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In Spanish: Horton empolla el huevo para niños
See also
In Spanish: Horton empolla el huevo para niños
