The Stone Bird

Eliza finds an object on the beach that her mother identifies as a stone, but Eliza believes it is an egg. Later, a cracking sound confirms that something unexpected is inside, and she meets the Stone Bird. When her special stones disappear, Eliza is saddened. On her birthday, she wakes to a surprise that follows her discovery. The story moves from her certainty about the beach find to a mystery involving the stones and the bird.