The Greatest Sheep in History Read Online Free PDF Page A

for a moment, weak with exhaustion, and when he opened them again he was level with the treetops surrounding the field.
    As they descended gently towards the open ground, two hundred concerned superheroes were visible once more, and this time Ernie could make out the superheroes of Baxter Branch. They had pushed to the front of the crowd and, as Ernie’s feet touched the ground, they came running towards him.
    Ernie watched anxiously as the balloon’s basket hit the earth with a gentle thump. Clementine was moving efficiently around the basket, pulling ropes, while Maud appeared tobe in deep conversation with—not a chicken, but a thin, shamefaced young man with bright red hair.
    The young man leapt from the basket, then turned to give Maud a helping hand.
    Valiant Vera, who was the fastest of the Baxter superheroes, arrived at Ernie’s side just as Maud did, with Housecat Woman, Super Whiz and Amazing Desmond close behind.
    Vera threw her arms around Ernie as Desmond threw his arms around Maud, then Vera gave Maud a big squeeze as Desmond gave Ernie a hearty hug. Super Whiz patted themboth vigorously, and Housecat Woman curled around all of them affectionately.

    ‘That’s
what I’m afraid of,’ panted Vera, when she had got her breath back. She was speaking as if they were still at the roadside restaurant talking about their fears. ‘I’m afraid of bad things happening to the people I care about.’
    Ernie thought it was one of the most noble fears he’d ever heard.
    Just then he noticed that the expressions of relief coming from the crowd of watching superheroes had turned into dark muttering. Then someone said loudly, ‘He’s not so tall.’
    And someone said even louder, ‘His teeth don’t look so big.’
    And a third person called, ‘He’s not even a chicken!’
    The crowd surged forward and Ernie could hear furious cries of, ‘Where’s Stupendous Sue’s speech?’ and ‘What’s the big idea of stealing The Daring Dynamo’sballoon?’ and ‘Why do you call yourself a chicken?!’

    The red-haired man standing near the Baxter Branch superheroes began to look frightened as the angry crowd drew nearer.
    Suddenly, Maud leapt in front of Chicken George and held up a hoof. ‘Wait!’ she shouted.
    Still muttering, the assembled superheroes stopped.
    ‘This is George,’ said Maud, waving her hoof at the frightened young man. ‘And he lives here in Thomastown. All his life, people have mocked him because of his sticking-up red hair. Because it looked like a chicken’s crest they called him Chicken George—and they said he must
be
a chicken.’
    ‘Oh, that’s harsh,’ said one red-haired superhero standing near the front of the crowd.
    There were a few murmurs of sympathy.
    ‘Finally,’ Maud continued, ‘all the teasing and taunting became too much and George decided to act. When he heard that the National Superheroes Conference was being held here, he thought he’d show everyone that he wasn’t a chicken by outsmarting the fastest and fleetest and bravest and cleverest people in the country: the superheroes.’
    A few of the superheroes snorted indignantly, but others were nodding their heads.
    ‘It’s true,’ said one. ‘We are fast and fleet.’
    ‘Though not as fast and fleet as Chicken George,’ another pointed out.
    ‘Come here, George,’ said Maud, beckoning. Chicken George shuffled forward to stand beside her. ‘Now George knows he has behaved badly, don’t you, George?’ Maud nudged the young man.
    Chicken George nodded.
    ‘And he has something he would like to say.’
    Chicken George cleared his throat, and when he spoke Ernie was surprised to hear that his voice was quite ordinary, without a hint of a cackle.
    ‘I’m very sorry,’ Chicken George mumbled. He looked over at Maud, who nodded encouragingly. ‘I did a stupid thing. I know now how foolish I was—Marvellous Maud has helped me to see that I was hurting the very people who would have helped me. I’m