In 1973 Pratchett wrote "Rincemangle, the Gnome of Even Moor", one of many serialised children's stories for the Bucks Free Press, in his own words "an earlier and shorter version of what became Truckers".

The other younger members of the tribe departed some time before to find a new place to live, but never returned after crossing the motorway - where they were inevitably killed by cars or lorries.

The Elders, led by Granny Morkie and Old Torrit, initially oppose the move but finally agree, bringing with them 'The Thing', a small black cube that has been the tribe's symbol of authority for as long as anyone can remember.

Ejected from the Duke's presence, the Outsiders wander the underfloor corridors until 'The Thing' is accidentally dropped next to an electrical cable, where it starts to recharge itself.

'The Thing' then powers up and identifies itself as the navigational computer of the Galactic Survey Starship 'Swan'; the ship developed an engine fault many thousands of years ago, and marooned its Nome crew on Earth.

Arriving at an abandoned quarry, the Nomes begin a new life Outside, while Masklin watches the planes at the local airport and plans the next step on their journey home...

When he clumsily suggests that they should settle down together, Grimma instead tries to tell him that she doesn't want to be restricted by a conventional relationship, using the analogy of South American tree frogs that spend their whole lives in a plant called a bromeliad, not knowing anything of the outside world.

When Masklin, Abbot Gurder and Angalo De Haberdasheri subsequently take The Thing with them to investigate the nearby airport but don't come back, it is left to Grimma to deal with a new threat; the abandoned quarry is to be reopened... Grimma, believing Masklin to be surely dead, finally admits her feelings for him but must put them aside to deal with an attempted revolt by Gurder's apprentice, Nisodemus.

After attempting to keep the returning humans out by locking the quarry gates, Dorcas and two other nomes try to remove a battery from a lorry, it rolls down a hill into the path of an oncoming train.

The quarry Nomes finally make an escape attempt using Jekub, an old JCB digger, which Dorcas the engineer discovered in an old shed and repaired.

Coming out unexpectedly, he sees Masklin, but they escape into the surrounding Everglades where they discover another group of Nomes led by Shrub (that is her name) and her son Pion.

Aboard the ship he meets up with Angalo, Gurder and Pion and they plan to return to the quarry to get the others, making a short detour to South America to pick up some frogs in a bromeliad.

They arrive back at the quarry in time to see the Store Nomes careening around a nearby field on Jekub, pursued by a police car, and rescue them (as told in Diggers).

[7] Plans to move forward with DreamWorks' adaptation resurfaced in 2010 with the announcement that Legend of the Guardians screenwriter John Orloff would pen the script for director Anand Tucker.

[8] Tucker was later announced to direct another DWA film Trolls,[9] which was planned to be partially based on a Pratchett novel,[10] before he was replaced by Mike Mitchell.