52 pages • 1-hour read
The Enormous Egg
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Chapters 10-13Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 10 Summary
For almost a week, the crowds continue to gather, and Pop even prints extra copies of his paper. However, by the following Saturday, things have calmed down, with only one or two people arriving at a time. One day, Dr. Ziemer introduces Nate to Professor Morrison, a leading paleontologist from Montreal. Professor Morrison warns Nate and Dr. Ziemer to treat Uncle Beazley with dignity and to avoid the lure of advertising and Hollywood.
One day, as Nate reads an article about Uncle Beazley in the New York Times, a strange man walks up the path. The man introduces himself as Bill Griner and offers to buy Uncle Beazley to serve as an attraction outside his gas station. Though Bill encourages Nate to name his price, Nate refuses. Bill argues that Uncle Beazley is too ugly and expensive for a pet, insisting that he’s of more use as an attraction. When Nate still refuses, Bill gives Nate his card and drives away.
Almost every day, someone arrives hoping to buy Uncle Beazley. One day, a man driving a yellow convertible pulls up to the Twitchell house. Approaching Nate, he asks to speak with Nathan Twitchell. When Nate doesn’t budge, the man grows impatient, until Nate explains that he’s the man in question. Slightly embarrassed, the man announces that he owns a whiskey company called Old Mill Pond. Realizing that older whiskey is considered more valuable, the man hopes to use Uncle Beazley in an elaborate advertising campaign, suggesting that dinosaurs are a convincing symbol of age. The man promises to pay Nate $200 a month, but Nate refuses, worried about Uncle Beazley’s wellbeing. The man, frustrated, wonders why Nate would keep Uncle Beazley instead of making money off of him.
By mid-August, Uncle Beazley has reached over 5.5 feet long. Reviewing Dr. Ziemer’s meticulous measurements, Nate realizes just how quickly Uncle Beazley is growing. Dr. Ziemer himself is puzzled, wondering if atmospheric conditions have sped up Uncle Beazley’s metabolism.
As Uncle Beazley grows, Nate struggles to source food. At first, Nate enlists Joe to help mow grass on an overgrown lot. Though the work is hard, Nate is happy to satisfy Uncle Beazley’s appetite. Eventually, however, Nate and Joe realize they can’t meet the demand. Pop suggests they strike a deal with Henry Smith, who often uses his tractor mower to clean up the side roads. With Henry’s help, Nate is able to keep fresh grass stocked.
Eventually, Uncle Beazley can no longer fit in his pen and must instead be tethered in the backyard. For exercise, Nate takes Uncle Beazley for daily walks, and the two further develop their bond.
Chapter 11 Summary
Uncle Beazley keeps on growing, eventually reaching 9 feet. To better weigh him, Dr. Ziemer and Nate use the hay scales at Mr. Beeman’s feed store. As they walk through the streets, a gaggle of children follows them, though Uncle Beazley’s growing horns keep them at a distance.
At the beginning of September, Dr. Ziemer begins to worry about the winter weather. He explains that dinosaurs, like all reptiles, are cold-blooded, without the ability to properly regulate heat. Concerned that the cold weather will likely harm Uncle Beazley and thinking, too, of their strained food supply, Dr. Ziemer suggests relocating Uncle Beazley to the museum in Washington. Though Nate is disappointed, he admits he’s had a sinking feeling that Uncle Beazley would have to leave.
To distract himself, Nate joins Joe for a fishing excursion. When Nate tells Joe that the approaching winter will force him to give up Uncle Beazley, Joe suggests that they use the Simmonses’ old carriage house instead. Nate, resigned, knows he must do what’s best for Uncle Beazley, and he echoes his promise to Dr. Morrison.
Eventually, Nate and Joe each catch a couple fish, and Nate takes home a bass and two perch for supper. Back home, as Nate sits outside to clean the fish, Cynthia joins him, peeling potatoes. She teases Nate that she’s overheard Mom, Pop, and Dr. Ziemer discussing him though she refuses to explain any further. Just as she’s about to crack, Mom interrupts her.
Dr. Ziemer joins the family for dinner. Nate watches as everyone exchanges meaningful glances. With Pop’s encouragement, Dr. Ziemer breaks the tension. Referencing their previous conversation, Dr. Ziemer proposes to Nate that they transport Uncle Beazley to the National Museum, where he could be properly housed and fed. Dr. Ziemer stipulates that Nate would still technically be the owner.
At first, Nate struggles with mixed feelings: He’s grateful to the Museum for their offer but worries that he’ll never find an opportunity to visit Uncle Beazley. However, just before Nate truly despairs, Dr. Ziemer announces an interesting plan: Nate will accompany Uncle Beazley to Washington, DC.
Nate is ecstatic. Mom and Pop offer their approval, though Nate senses that they’ve already discussed it. When Dr. Ziemer stipulates that Nate will receive a salary of $25 a week, Nate realizes he can pay Joe to take over some of his chores. As for school, Mom mentions that Mr. Jenkins has promised to excuse Nate for up to four weeks, on account of his trip’s educational value. He expects, though, that Nate will keep up with his schoolwork. Nate is all too eager to comply. In fact, he’s so excited that he barely notices dessert.
Chapter 12 Summary
Nate prepares for his trip to Washington, DC. Meanwhile, Dr. Ziemer secures a truck and a trailer to transport Uncle Beazley, preparing the trailer with a bed of straw. Loading Uncle Beazley into the truck proves difficult, as he now weighs nearly a ton. When Uncle Beazley refuses to move up the ramp and into the trailer, Nate picks some gladioli, using them to urge Uncle Beazley forward.
Mom, Pop, and Cynthia say goodbye. Dr. Ziemer, before sliding into his own car, wishes them farewell. Nate sits in the cab of the truck, so that he can be close to Uncle Beazley in case something startles him. As the truck pulls out, Nate realizes this is the first time he’s been on his own.
The truck driver, Michael Finney, makes conversation to pass the time. He mentions his own work at the National Museum and recalls a mission to dig up fossils in Wyoming. However, the bones had frightened him, and he admits that he much prefers living creatures.
The group first encounters traffic in Manchester. A honking horn startles Uncle Beazley, though Nate manages to soothe him. Slowly, they progress through Worcester, Massachusetts; and Hartford, Connecticut; eventually reaching New York. To Nate, the landscape looks cluttered with houses and chimneys.
Eventually, the group stops for dinner, and Nate is fascinated with a tabletop jukebox. Dr. Ziemer and Michael show him how to properly select songs. Once they’re back on the road, Nate falls asleep.
When Nate wakes, they’ve stopped, and Dr. Ziemer is opening the trailer. With some effort, Uncle Beazley exits the trailer and steps into the back door of the museum. As they lead Uncle Beazley down a hallway, the group bumps into Dr. Kennedy, who eyes Uncle Beazley’s growing horns with suspicion. Uncle Beazley is corralled into a sizable room, with plenty of hay and fresh grass.
Dr. Ziemer and Nate bid goodnight to Michael and Dr. Kennedy. En route to his apartment, Dr. Ziemer points out the Washington Monument in the night sky, similarly gesturing toward the Capitol Building. Nate is fascinated, and Dr. Ziemer promises they’ll have plenty of time for sightseeing.
Chapter 13 Summary
Dr. Ziemer lives within a half mile from the museum. At night, as Nate tries to sleep, the sounds of the city keep him awake. However, he eventually gets used to it.
Before winter arrives, Dr. Ziemer hopes to exercise Uncle Beazley outside. Both Dr. Ziemer and Dr. Kennedy are worried about attracting crowds—with Dr. Kennedy insisting that people would jeopardize Uncle Beazley’s wellbeing—so Dr. Ziemer asks Nate to walk Uncle Beazley in the early morning.
Each morning, Nate wakes up at 5:00 am to fetch Uncle Beazley. Together, they walk across the National Mall, before the crowds descend. Once Nate brings Uncle Beazley back to the museum, Dr. Ziemer usually assigns a project, asking Nate to explore the museum and report back on a set of topics.
In his free time, Dr. Ziemer shows Nate around Washington, DC, visiting both the Supreme Court and the Archives Building. Nate particularly enjoys the Jefferson Memorial. One of Thomas Jefferson’s quotes, inscribed in the memorial, catches Nate’s attention.
By the end of September, Uncle Beazley measures 16 feet long and weighs over 2,000 lbs. His horns stretch almost as long as Nate’s arm. As Uncle Beazley outgrows his collar and leash, Nate resolves to tie a rope loop around his upper left horn. Tugging on the rope, Nate leads Uncle Beazley; Uncle Beazley, encouraged by his trust in Nate, follows willingly. Sometimes, in the early mornings, Nate mounts and rides Uncle Beazley through town.
One morning, as Nate rides Uncle Beazley, a mist descends. As they turn toward the Jefferson Memorial, they approach an intersection. When the light turns green, Nate urges Uncle Beazley across. However, a pickup truck appears, nearly crashing into Uncle Beazley before slamming on the brakes. Impatient, the driver lays on his horn, angering Uncle Beazley. Using his horns for leverage, Uncle Beazley topples the pickup truck. The driver, unharmed, escapes the truck and flees screaming.
After Nate coaxes Uncle Beazley to pick up the truck, the two speed back to the museum. Nate confesses to Dr. Ziemer, who admits that he’d half-expected such an incident. Explaining that dinosaurs are at odds with the modern world, Dr. Ziemer rescues Nate from self-blame. When Nate asks about the police, Dr. Ziemer assures him that they’ll handle it without fuss, though Nate is skeptical.
Chapters 10-13 Analysis
As the novel progresses, Uncle Beazley’s care grows more and more cumbersome, emphasizing the limitations of space and food. As Nate and Dr. Ziemer consider an appropriate solution, Nate is called upon to think objectively of Uncle Beazley’s wellbeing, ultimately demonstrating the depth of their relationship and his own capacity for selflessness. This section highlights the theme of Discovering Value Apart from Capitalism, as Nate must fend off many people who want to buy or exploit Uncle Beazley for profit.
As Uncle Beazley matures, Dr. Ziemer keeps up with his detailed log of measurements. By mid-August, after merely two weeks, Uncle Beazley has reached nearly six feet long, weighing almost 150 lbs. Though Dr. Ziemer admits that “reptiles can grow very fast,” he’s nevertheless shocked to realize Uncle Beazley’s “unbelievable rate of growth” (101) and wonders if the atmospheric conditions might have accelerated Uncle Beazley’s metabolism. Scientific pondering aside, Dr. Ziemer and Nate confront a practical dilemma: “[I]f [Uncle Beazley] goes at this rate much longer,” Dr. Ziemer admits, “we’re going to have a problem on our hands” (101).
At first, the appropriate solutions present themselves easily, and without much accommodation. To account for Uncle Beazley’s increased appetite, Nate and Joe Champigny mow the lawn at the old Spencer place, where “grass is just growing wild” (101). Then, when they deplete that supply, Nate and Joe ask Henry Smith to “cut us a patch of grass every couple of days with his tractor,” following Pop’s suggestion (101). And similarly, to accommodate space constraints, Nate scraps Uncle Beazley’s pen and substitutes a “strong leather collar and a cow chain” (102), to be fastened to a crowbar in the ground. At this point, it seems that with just a touch of ingenuity, Nate can adapt to Uncle Beazley’s changing needs.
However, it’s not long before Uncle Beazley’s rapid growth utterly exhausts Freedom’s resources. By the end of August, Uncle Beazley weighs just under 800 pounds, forcing Nate and Dr. Ziemer to complete their measurements at the local feed store. As Dr. Ziemer reckons with this unprecedented growth, he realizes that they’ve “used up just about all the available grass in the neighborhood” (107) and might have to outsource their food supply. And the approaching winter poses an even more critical threat: reminding Nate that dinosaurs, like all reptiles, are cold-blooded, Dr. Ziemer doubts that Uncle Beazley “could stand a New Hampshire winter” (106). Here, Nate and Dr. Ziemer revisit the same practical dilemma that had troubled them not long after Uncle Beazley’s hatching. However, in this case, the choice is unquestionably more dire: relocate Uncle Beazley or risk his death. Recognizing their limited options, Dr. Ziemer finally suggests that he and Nate “ship [Uncle Beazley] to a zoo, or a museum, where he can get proper housing and food” (107). The situation has simply escalated beyond the capabilities of two people, in one small town.
Of course, this is Nate’s worst nightmare. He’s resisted relocation efforts before, citing his attachment to Uncle Beazley and his concern that any move would estrange them. However, this time, Nate doesn’t argue; instead, he admits that he has to “send [his]dinosaur away to some museum,” as Uncle Beazley “can’t stay out when the cold weather comes” (109). Though this plan disappoints Nate, he’s quick to accept its necessity. For instance, when Joe Champigny encourages Nate to keep Uncle Beazley anyway, Nate insists that he “better not”, as he’d promised Professor Morrison to protect Uncle Beazley. In addition to emphasizing Persistence in the Face of Adversity, this internal dilemma deepens Nate’s characterization, suggesting a willingness to sacrifice his own desire to better protect Uncle Beazley’s wellbeing. Like a true scientist, Nate puts Uncle Beazley first.
However, it’s not long before Nate realizes that he won’t have to part with Uncle Beazley at all: Mom and Dad, at Dr. Ziemer’s suggestion, have agreed to let Nate travel to Washington, DC, and participate in Uncle Beazley’s care. As Butterworth narrates the trip to Washington and Uncle Beazley’s introduction to the museum, he highlights the growing depth of Nate and Uncle Beazley’s relationship. For instance, it’s Nate’s ingenuity that encourages Uncle Beazley into the truck: Using gladioli as bait, Nate leads Uncle Beazley up the ramp. And similarly, during the journey, Nate soothes Uncle Beazley so that he doesn’t “get too excited by all the noise” (117). This rapport continues in DC, too. Talking to the night watchman, Nate explains that Uncle Beazley “knows me pretty well” (128) and later elaborates that Uncle Beazley trusted him enough to follow his lead. Though Nate might casually refer to Uncle Beazley as his pet, this unique connection suggests something akin to partnership; in approaching Uncle Beazley with care, dignity, and empathy, Nate comes to understand him as a true friend. In illustrating such a warm relationship between human and animal, the novel advocates for environmental responsibility, noting that all species deserve our heartfelt attention.
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