
Mayzie is a flighty bird who just wants to have fun, so it's not that surprising that she finds sitting on an egg in her nest quite dull. Fed up with waiting for her egg to hatch, Mayzie longs for a vacation--but whom can she dupe into minding her egg while she searches for adventure? Luckily, Mayzie happens to meet the perfect egg-sitter: a loyal, sweet tempered elephant named Horton. After promising Horton that she'll be right back, Mayzie takes off--leaving poor Horton to sit on her egg through rain, snow, and sun. Teased by his friends, captured by hunters, and forced to appear in a traveling circus, Horton still manages to keep his word and faithfully mind the egg. A story of patience rewarded, HORTON HATCHES THE EGG shows both the positive and negative sides of keeping one's word. B&W illustrations, highlighted with bright greens and reds, accompany the text. Horton the elephant also appears in HORTON HEARS A WHO.