The Greatest Sheep in History Read Online Free PDF Page B

himself—he acted to save his friend. And that, my dear superheroes, is the action of a true hero.
    ‘And so, as our national conference draws to a close for another year, I would ask you to join me in celebrating the superheroes of tomorrow: Extraordinary Ernie and Marvellous Maud! Hip, hip …’
    ‘Hooray!’ called the crowd.
    ‘And a cheer for the superheroes of Baxter Branch, who are doing such an excellent job of training tomorrow’s heroes,’ cried The Daring Dynamo. ‘Hip, hip …’
    ‘HOORAY!’

EIGHT

    There were no arguments in the van on the way back to Baxter that evening. In fact, everyone was remarkably quiet.
    Super Whiz was talking in a low voice to Valiant Vera and Amazing Desmond.
    ‘So you’re sure my speech was all right?’ he asked.
    ‘It was super, Whiz,’ Desmond assured him.
    Housecat Woman was stretched out along the back seat again, snoring softly, and Maud was reading about the sheep who had pilotedthe first-ever hot-air balloon in
The Greatest Heroes in History.
    Ernie, who had the window seat this time, was still thinking over what The Daring Dynamo had said in his closing address, about how heroes weren’t necessarily the strongest or fastest or smartest or even bravest people (or animals). Heroes didn’t just save people or catch wrongdoers; they also took the time to understand why people became wrongdoers in the first place—which was like saving them in a different way, Ernie supposed. He thought too about what The Daring Dynamo had said about him. Being a hero wasn’t about being fearless, as Ernie had always supposed; it was about overcoming your fears. He felt a glow of pleasure as he remembered The Daring Dynamo leading the cheers for him and Maud.
    At the roadside restaurant where they stopped for dinner, everyone had extra-cheesy macaroni except Maud, who just had a salad.She had been feeling a little queasy since her hot-air balloon flight.
    ‘You know, Ernie,’ she confided, as they stretched their legs (and hooves) in the car park, ‘I don’t think flying really agrees with sheep. But that’s okay. There are lots of ways a sheep can be a hero.’
    A couple of hours later, the van pulled up at the edge of Mackie’s Meadow to let Maud out, and a few minutes later drew to a halt outside Ernie’s house. ‘Bye, Ernie,’ the superheroes called. ‘See you tomorrow.’

    The next afternoon, Ernie and Maud arrived at 32 High Street at the same time for their regular weekly superhero training session.
    ‘I wonder what topic Super Whiz will be speaking about this week,’ Ernie said.
    Maud’s answer was smothered by the handle of her straw basket.
    As they pushed open the shabby brown door of the headquarters of the Superheroes Society (Baxter Branch), they saw Super Whiz, Valiant Vera and Amazing Desmond sitting at the large table in the centre of the room. Housecat Woman was curled up in her usual armchair.
    ‘Ah, here are our two heroes now,’ said Super Whiz, sounding much more jovial than usual. ‘I was just saying to the others that, instead of our usual training session, I think we should share our memories of the conference.’
    ‘That means he wants you to say nice thingsabout his speech,’ Desmond whispered behind his hand.
    ‘Shush, Desmond,’ said Valiant Vera as she stood up. But she was smiling as she said it. ‘Since it’s a special occasion, I think we should treat ourselves to some lemonade.’
    As Vera reached for the old chipped mugs lined up on a shelf above the sink, Maud set her basket down on the table. ‘I have something for you all, Valiant Vera,’ she said. One by one, she pulled six brand-new mugs from her basket.
    Each mug was different, and its owner was obvious.
    Ernie’s mug was fluorescent green with a gold lightning bolt.
    Super Whiz’s mug was blue with SW stamped across it in red.
    Valiant Vera’s mug had a cheerful flower pattern.
    Housecat Woman’s mug had a striped tail for its handle.

    Amazing Desmond’s mug