The Ogress and the Orphans

The opening chapters are short, presenting the main characters and conflicts of the novel in bite-sized chunks. In this way, Barnhill gives equal importance to each introduced place or person. These chapters set up the story and foreshadow information that will be revealed by the story’s end. The stone is not revealed as the narrator until the final chapter, but hints are given along the way. The stone is located in the center of Stone-in-the-Glen and is depicted as a smooth rock with shifting pictures that tell stories.

The title of Chapter 1 is a call to the reader that a story will be told. The stone advises readers to listen because the story is full of meaning but also potentially difficult to follow, which is shown throughout as lessons are taught and the storyline shifts between different times and places. Chapter 1 discusses how caring is both a problem and a solution. Most people in Stone-in-the-Glen have stopped caring about anything but themselves, which leads to angry suspicion and the town falling apart. The children and the Ogress care about others, which allows them to save the town, and at some points, the Ogress and orphans care more about others than themselves, which causes unnecessary problems that could have been avoided. While caring is typically seen as a positive trait, even positive traits can bring about negative outcomes.

The dragon, Mayor, and Library are mentioned in these chapters, and the three are behind most of the book’s conflict. The dragon described in Chapter 2 is the same dragon who installs himself as Stone-in-the-Glen’s mayor. This dragon previously swindled the Ogress’s former village before burning it to the ground, and the dragon has come to Stone-in-the-Glen to con the people because he enjoys swindling others. The dragon uses his magic to enthrall the people, and when they start to doubt him, he burns down the Library to scare them, so they beg him for help. After the Library is destroyed, the people no longer meet there, which allows the Mayor to turn them against each other because he is their only source of information. The Mayor lies to the people throughout the book, and his secrets support the book’s central theme that Facts Matter.

The Ogress comes to Stone-in-the-Glen soon after the dragon burns her previous village. After hearing about the tragedy of the fire, she believes she can help, and she doesn’t know the dragon is there. Though she arrives after the Library burns, the Mayor uses her presence to divert suspicion from himself, blaming her for the town’s decline. The people want someone to blame, and when the Mayor gives them a scapegoat, they either forget or don’t care that the Ogress wasn’t there when the Library burned, which shows how anger clouds our judgment and memory. While the people blame the Ogress, she remains unaware of their feelings, which allows her to help them even as they hate her.

While the people believe the Mayor that ogres are wicked, the crows do their own research about the Ogress. The crows represent how seeking our own answers gives us a clearer picture of the truth. Rather than believe without question and let anger grow, the crows ask the Ogress if she is wicked and are surprised to find her kind and giving. The Ogress’s kindness wins over the crows, who become loyal to her, which supports the book’s theme of Kindness Is a Choice. While the crows warn the Ogress away from the town, the Ogress refuses to leave. She wants Stone-in-the-Glen to be her home, and she sees past the town’s current angry, despondent state. She understands the power of kindness, which she demonstrates throughout the book by leaving gifts and ultimately winning the people over.