Horton the elephant agrees to watch over lazy Maisie bird's egg while she vacations
Horton Hatches the Egg is a children's book written and illustrated by Theodor Geisel under the pen name Dr. Seuss and published in 1940 by Random House.

The book was adapted into a ten-minute animated short film by Leon Schlesinger Productions and released in 1942 as part of Warner Bros.' Merrie Melodies series. The short was directed by Bob Clampett and marked the first time a Dr. Seuss work was adapted for the screen and also the only time a WB animated short was licensed to be based on pre-existing work still under copyright.