The Stones Are Hatching
First edition
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| Author | Geraldine McCaughrean |
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| Country | UK |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Young adult fantasy |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
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Publication date
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1999 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover, Paperback) & audio book |
| Pages | 183 pp (Oxford hardcover edition) and 256pp (paperback)) |
| ISBN | (Oxford hardcover edition) |
| OCLC | 59577228 |
The Stones Are Hatching is a young adult fantasy novel by Geraldine McCaughrean first published in November 1999 by Oxford University Press. It recounts the adventures of Phelim Green and his companions as they try to prevent the Stoor Worm from waking.
A boy named Phelim lives with his sister Prudence. One day, while Prudence is away, he wakes up to find his house full of small creatures called glashans, led by a creature called the Domovoy which lives behind his stove. The Domovoy tells him about 'hatchlings' which Phelim doesn't understand, before the house is attacked by a monstrous black dog. Phelim narrowly escapes being eaten; the Domovoy saves him, and then evicts him from his house, referring to him as 'Jack O'Green'.
Confused, Phelim wanders into a forest, where he encounters Mad Sweeney, a tramp who lives in the trees and never touches the ground. He leaves, and finds himself at a river, where he sees a washerwoman cleaning his shirt of blood. This terrifies him, and he flees, encountering Alexia, a strange girl who casts no shadow or reflection, on a bridge. She tells him that she will be his 'Maiden' but before she can explain what she means Phelim spots treasure at the bottom of the river, he wades in to take it, before Alexia jumps in an attempt to stop him, and is grabbed by a monster that was creating the vision of treasure as a lure to catch and eat Phelim.
They are saved by Mad Sweeney, who explains what is going on; a gigantic worm called the Stoor Worm is buried under Europe, asleep, after being defeated by a hero thousands of years earlier. However, the sound of the artillery from the war in France is waking her up; as she becomes more and more awake, her children, various mythological monsters such as the dog that attacked Phelim, are hatching and rampaging above-ground. Alexia tells him that he is 'Jack O'Green', the hero fated to stop the worm from waking and bringing destruction, helped by the Maiden, the Fool, and the Horse. Alexia will be the maiden, and Sweeney the fool, but they still have to find the horse. She also tells him that the washerwoman he saw is an omen of his impending death, which frightens him greatly.
The next morning, Phelim abandons Alexia and Sweeney, taking refuge with a group of farm workers. He works with them for a few hours, helping to reap wheat, but is then attacked by more hatchlings - people made of iron who slaughter all the farmers. Alexia rescues him. Phelim is then attacked by a spirit that attempts to snap his neck; when his blood falls on it, however, it vanishes. Alexia tells him that this is the final proof that he is the chosen one.
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