52 pages • 1 hour read
Oliver ButterworthThe Enormous Egg
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1956A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 1-5Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 1 Summary
The novel’s protagonist, Nate Twitchell, is a 12-year-old boy who lives in Freedom, New Hampshire, a small town not far from the Maine border. At the novel’s beginning, Nate is enjoying his summer vacation. Nate’s father, whom he calls “Pop,” runs the local newspaper, the Freedom Sentinel. To supplement income from the paper, the Twitchell family maintains a small farm, with chickens, a goat, and a vegetable garden.
During the warmer months, the family’s neighbor, Mrs. Parsons, leaves her windows open at night. One day, she complains that the family’s rooster, Ezekiel, has been crowing too loudly. When Mrs. Parsons demands that the family surrender Ezekiel, a debate ensues. Mom and Cynthia, Nate’s sister, argue that they should get rid of Ezekiel, but Nate favors an alternative. To keep Ezekiel quiet, Nate promises to bring him down to the cellar each evening, only releasing him after sunrise. Eventually, the family agrees. For about a month, Nate makes good on his promise, though he sometimes regrets intervening on Ezekiel’s behalf. However, the plan proves successful.
As summer rolls around, Nate notices that one of the hens looks oddly bloated. One morning, as he carries Ezekiel out to the chicken yard, Nate notices that the hen has laid a massive egg. The egg resembles a turtle egg more than a chicken egg, and the hen regards it with some curiosity. When Nate calls his family, they all dash out of the house. Though skeptical at first, Pop eventually concedes that the egg is real.
The family wonders how best to proceed. Nate suggests that they let the hen sit on the egg until it hatches, though Mom worries it’ll cause trouble. Nevertheless, Pop lifts the hen back onto the egg, excited to have a new story for the paper. Nate, too, anticipates the egg’s hatching with wonder.
Chapter 2 Summary
Remembering Pop’s tip about effective storytelling, Nate is careful to explain that hens usually turn their eggs regularly, so that each egg is evenly warmed. However, the egg is too massive for the hen to rotate herself, so Nate intervenes. Three to four times a day, he turns the egg in the coop, sometimes piling straw on top to better keep it warm. Together, Nate and the hen form an unlikely partnership.
Nighttime poses a dilemma, as both Mom and Pop discourage Nate from interrupting his sleep. As a solution, Pop offers to turn the egg himself before bed, if Nate will remember to turn it first thing in the morning. The rest, Pop explains, will be left up to fate, though Nate isn’t exactly sure what he means.
One night, when a poison ivy rash keeps him from sleeping, Nate decides to venture out to the henhouse. Much to his surprise, he meets Pop outside the henhouse, who meekly explains that the summer heat had kept him awake. The next morning, Nate asks Pop if he checks on the egg routinely, though Pop insists otherwise. However, Nate catches Mom smiling slyly.
Soon, Nate develops a routine: Each morning, he turns the egg, feeds the hen, freshens her water, fetches some stove wood, and eventually brings Ezekiel out of the cellar. Cynthia, realizing that Nate is stretched thin, offers to milk the goat.
Typically, during these summer months, Cynthia helps Mom clean up after breakfast, while Nate joins Pop at the print shop. On mailing days, Nate bundles papers before delivering them door to door on his bicycle. Other days, he tidies the shop, sweeping up slugs of type so that they can be melted down and reused. Afterwards, he typically meets his friend Joe Champigny to fish in Loon Lake, though he’s always careful to return every few hours to tend to the egg.
One morning, about a week after the egg’s discovery, a reporter arrives from Laconia, New Hampshire. The reporter intends to write a story about the egg, and Nate escorts him to the henhouse. When the reporter pokes the egg, the hen nips at him.
Soon, reporters also arrive from Boston, representing the Christian Science Monitor. The reporters explain that word has spread about the enormous egg, piquing the paper’s interest. As the reporters take pictures, both of the egg and of Cynthia feeding the chickens, they ask Nate about life in Freedom. The next week, Nate’s Aunt Grace, who lives in the Boston area, clips the article and forwards it to Freedom.
When three weeks—the typical incubation period—pass without a change, Nate grows concerned. After yet another week passes, Pop guesses that the egg likely won’t hatch. Noticing Nate’s disappointment, Pop advises that bad luck is inevitable. However, he still encourages Nate to realize the wonder in discovering the egg at all.
Weighing the next steps, Pop promises to take the egg to a museum, so that it might be preserved. However, Nate pipes up, asking Pop to wait just a little longer. Pop agrees but warns Nate to steer clear of lost causes. Nate agrees, promising to wait just another week.
Chapter 3 Summary
At the end of five weeks, Nate begins to lose interest in the egg, only rotating it two or three times a day. However, the hen remains faithful, and Nate is encouraged by her perseverance.
One day, after finishing his chores at the print shop, Nate heads to Look Lake. Carrying his rod and a can of bait, Nate retrieves his rowboat from a sandy cove. Before climbing into the boat, Nate sheds his pants and shirt and goes for a swim.
Eventually, Nate rows out into the lake, joining a few other fishermen. Anchoring the boat near a ledge of rock, Nate sets up his fishing rod. Nate leans back, emphasizing that the key to success is patience.
Nate doesn’t even get a nibble. As he waits, he regrets that his care of the egg has gone unrewarded and wonders if it’d be better to give up. However, still convinced that the egg is special, Nate resolves to wait another week.
Soon, another rowboat approaches Nate, steered by a short, bespectacled man. Calling out, the man asks Nate if he’s caught any fish. Nate responds in the negative. When the man unwraps a ham sandwich for lunch, he offers Nate half, though Nate explains that he typically eats lunch at home. Nate also casually mentions that he usually turns his egg over at lunchtime. Confused, the man questions Nate further, eventually realizing that he’s read a similar story in The Washington Post. At first, the man remembers the family’s name as “Winchell” until Nate corrects him.
The man, introducing himself as Dr. Ziemer, explains his own interest in rare eggs. Dr. Ziemer again offers Nate a piece of his ham sandwich, and this time, Nate accepts, admittedly ravenous. Chewing loudly, Dr. Ziemer asks Nate to describe the egg further. Nate mentions that the egg is long and thin, with a tough, leathery shell totally unlike a hen’s egg. Dr. Ziemer, curious, asks to see the egg.
Back at the Twitchell house, Dr. Ziemer carefully examines the egg, cryptically describing his findings as “impossible” (25). He encourages Nate to remain patient and watch over the egg. When Nate introduces Dr. Ziemer to the rest of the family, Dr. Ziemer admits to Pop that the egg is unusual, predicting that it will hatch within the next week. Pop asks what the egg contains, but Dr. Ziemer refuses to say for certain. Dr. Ziemer asks the family to call him as soon as the egg hatches, day or night.
Chapter 4 Summary
The next week goes by slowly, with both Nate and the hen beginning to lose interest. One night, as the family eats dinner, Pop cautions Nate to prepare for disappointment. When Nate cites Dr. Ziemer’s optimism, Mom casts doubt on Dr. Ziemer’s qualifications, imagining that he’s only a medical doctor. When Nate mentions that Dr. Ziemer collects eggs, Pop jokingly compares the egg to that of a dinosaur. Mom, unamused, only shakes her head at the suggestion.
Nate turns the egg once after dinner and once before bed. That evening, to distract Nate, Pop talks about their planned camping trip to Franconia Notch. As he settles in for the night, Nate guesses that the egg contains triplet chicks, nothing more.
The next morning, Nate carries Ezekiel up to the chicken yard. After feeding the hen, Nate notices that she’s moved off the nest. As Nate peers in the coop, he realizes that the egg has hatched. At first, Nate wonders if it’s merely a rat, but as he inspects further, he beholds a lizard-like creature with a thick tail and bumpy head. When Nate calls his family, they all rush out. Pop is still half-shaven while Cynthia is barefoot. Mom disapproves of all the excitement. Pop looks at the creature curiously and mutters under his breath.
Eventually, once the commotion subsides, Pop tells Nate to phone Dr. Ziemer at the MacPhersons’ house. When Nate calls, the operator, Mrs. Beebe, recognizes his voice and discourages him from phoning so early. However, Nate insists, and a sleepy voice answers on the other end. Eventually, Nate reaches Dr. Ziemer, announcing that the egg has hatched. When Dr. Ziemer begs Nate for details, Nate likens the creature to a lizard, with little horns. Dr. Ziemer lets out an excited whoop and rushes over.
Chapter 5 Summary
Dr. Ziemer rushes over to the Twitchell house, still in his pajamas. When Dr. Ziemer looks at the creature, he grows excited, describing it as a “biological mix-up” (38). Eventually, Dr. Ziemer explains that the egg has hatched a dinosaur–more specifically, a Triceratops. Mom wonders that it should happen in their own backyard, while Cynthia appears squeamish. Nate, however, feels like the dinosaur is already part of the family.
Mom reminds everyone that they’re only half-dressed and invites Dr. Ziemer for breakfast. After a hearty meal, Dr. Ziemer explains that he’s not a medical doctor but a paleontologist, specializing in ancient animal life like dinosaurs. Dr. Ziemer predicts that the triceratops will prove immensely important to paleontological study, as no scientist has ever beheld a live dinosaur.
Dr. Ziemer worries that a throng of scientists will descend on the Twitchell home, trampling their flower beds and dirtying their yard with cigarette wrappers. When Mom wonders if the dinosaur should remain secret, Dr. Ziemer gently insists that he has a professional responsibility to alert other scientists. To manage crowds, Cynthia suggests relocating the dinosaur to a museum. Dr. Ziemer, interested in the suggestion, asks Nate for his approval. Nate, however, hesitates to part with the dinosaur. To settle the dilemma, Pop decides to keep the dinosaur, encouraging Dr. Ziemer to contact his colleagues.
Together, the family and Dr. Ziemer devise a system to avoid chaos. Dr. Ziemer proposes strict visiting hours, while Mom promises that Mrs. Beebe will redirect unwanted callers. Nate volunteers as the dinosaur’s keeper. Cynthia, for her part, agrees to answer the phone during the day, acting as a secretary. For Cynthia’s first job, Dr. Ziemer asks that she send a telegram to Alfred Kennedy at the United States National Museum in Washington, DC. Dr. Ziemer, figuring that they have a few hours before the onrush, returns home.
After Dr. Ziemer leaves, Mom urges the family to resume their chores. Despite Nate’s protests, Mom insists that the family attend church. The family hustles to get ready.
Chapters 1-5 Analysis
This first section of chapters provides meaningful exposition, introducing plot and character elements that lend the narrative its structure. Most significantly, these chapters explore the first of the novel’s main settings: Freedom, New Hampshire, an easygoing, one-post town near the Maine border. In characterizing Freedom and its quirks, the novel ultimately introduces a larger consideration of both small-town life and its approach to extraordinary circumstances.
Freedom is based on the real place of the same name, located just west of the Maine border. The real Freedom is small, with a population of just 1,700, and hugs the Ossipee Lake, a popular destination come summer. The novel’s version of Freedom is much the same: Nate describes it as a “little town, with a few houses all along one street, and a store and a church, and not much else” (1). With school out for the summer, Nate’s primary pastime is fishing, a leisurely pursuit that Nate usually accomplishes while “kind of leaning back on the gunwale” (18). Eventually, fishing develops into a motif, suggesting the necessity of patience. Here, it characterizes Freedom’s slow pace.
Even Freedom’s newspaper, the Freedom Sentinel, is limited in its reach. Pop mainly distributes copies to Effingham and Central Ossipee, both within 10 miles of Freedom, and publishes content that he plainly likens to “local gossip” (8). Though newspapers typically cover major events, both local and national, domestic and foreign, the Sentinel limits itself to the concerns of Freedom and its surrounding towns. Indeed, at the novel’s beginning, Freedom is arguably close-minded, verging on unscientific. Pop, for instance, plants his beans according to Mrs. Parsons’s open windows, which he credits as “more dependable than the almanac” (2). With its quirks, slow pace, and hyper-focus on local events, Freedom seems like the quintessential small town.
Though these characteristics might draw accusations of small-mindedness or a lack of sophistication, the people of Freedom are more than proud of their humble town, laying the groundwork for the theme of Discovering Value Apart from Consumerism. For instance, though its pursuit offers little excitement, fishing is one of Nate’s favorite activities. Similarly, though the Sentinel’s circulation is limited to surrounding towns, Nate credits Pop with a commanding intelligence, admitting that “[Pop] must know what he’s talking about, what with his newspaper and all” (9). And even later, as the Twitchells consider Dr. Ziemer’s credentials, they’re quick to assert their own claim to expertise, mentioning that “[they] collect [eggs] twice a day” (29). Perhaps Pop summarizes this local confidence the most succinctly: “Freedom’s just as much a part of our state as Concord is” (1).
Despite its tradition of pride, Freedom is soon disrupted, as the enormous egg invites curiosity from fields afar, helping to establish Science as a Force of Change. A reporter from Laconia arrives first, then two reporters from Boston, and then finally Dr. Ziemer, visiting from Washington, DC. Dr. Ziemer characterizes the egg according to its “unusual appearance” (26), foreshadowing the impossibilities that will disrupt Freedom’s routine.
Of course, Dr. Ziemer’s inkling proves correct: When Uncle Beazley hatches, Nate and his family startle to behold their new pet. To better convey the Twitchells’ surprise, excitement, and bewilderment, Butterworth employs action-packed imagery, mentioning that Nate “lit out across the yard as fast as I could go”, while Mom “was so startled she dropped a saucepan in the sink” (32). Pop, for his part, comes “running down the stairs” while Cynthia bursts outside without her shoes (33). This sense of hurry, which Nate succinctly describes as an “awful lot of commotion” (34), suggests both the uniqueness of Uncle Beazley’s hatching and its sudden, radical effect on the Twitchells’ lives. Briefly, they worry that things will never be the same.
Though Uncle Beazley’s hatching is remarkable, and though its news attracts a host of interested parties, it never truly alters life in Freedom; instead, the ordinary and extraordinary coexist. As mentioned before, when Uncle Beazley first hatches, the Twitchells run wildly to the yard: Cynthia sprints without her shoes, Pop runs down the stairs “with lather over one side of his face” (32-33), and Nate tugs Mom along, too. Once the initial excitement subsides, Mom is quick to reinforce order. Suddenly noticing their untidiness, she exclaims: “Cynthia, you’re still in your pajamas! […] You get right into the house and get dressed. Walt, you’ve only shaved half your face […] And we haven’t had breakfast yet!” (39). Though a dinosaur has just hatched in the backyard, there’s no cause to abandon civility. And other neighbors operate similarly. When Nate phones the operator, Mrs. Beebe, and asks to be connected to the MacPhersons, she hesitates, stressing that it’s “only half-past six” (34), too early to dial vacationers. Eventually, Mrs. Beebe caves, but her resistance nevertheless emphasizes Freedom’s strict loyalty to social conventions—something not even the hatching of a dinosaur can disrupt. This casual juxtaposition between the ordinary and extraordinary is not only humorous but crucial in understanding the stubbornness, pride, and self-confidence that shape Freedom’s reputation. Later, Nate will adopt these very qualities as he advocates for Uncle Beazley’s safety.
