The Greatest Sheep in History Page 3

  With a grateful smile, Super Whiz began …

  Desmond had bet Ernie a double-scoop colossal chocolate ice-cream cone that Super Whiz’s speech would be all about Leadership, since that was his favourite subject, but instead the Baxter Branch president had chosen Teamwork as his theme. Ernie was embarrassed but pleased to find that he and Maud were mentioned several times.

  When Super Whiz finished talking there was a huge wave of applause and people rushed forward to congratulate him. Some wanted to talk to Ernie and Maud and the other members of Baxter Branch too, and they were surrounded by people as they exited the hall and walked towards the cafeteria for lunch. Mei Li waved a friendly greeting as they passed her, and even Cuddles looked impressed.

  Lunchtime chatter was all about the heroes of Baxter Branch and their town’s record low levels of wrongdoing. Ernie even heard one superhero say to another, ‘I bet Chicken George wouldn’t have got away with that speech-stealing stunt in Baxter.’ After a while, though, he started to find all the attention overwhelming. As soon as he had an opportunity he slipped outside for a bit of peace and quiet and to look for Maud, who had left the hall a little earlier.

  At first he saw no sign of his partner, but a glance towards the far end of the field told him exactly where she was: sitting in the basket of the hot-air balloon. Walking closer, he could see that Clever Clementine was waving her wings around, as if she were explaining different features of the balloon to Maud, who had a faraway look on her face. Ernie could tell she was thinking of that heroic sheep who had piloted one of the first-ever flights.

  As Ernie made his way across the grass towards the balloon, he was suddenly overtaken by a streak of red and white.

  Oh no! Chicken George!

  ‘Maud!’ Ernie cried. ‘Watch out!’

  Maud looked up just in time to see Chicken George, who had nimbly untied the rope tethering the balloon to the ground, dive into the basket.

  There came a mad cackle, then, just like the night before, a thin voice rang out in a strange song:

  Run, run, as fast as you can,

  You can’t catch me—

  I’m Chicken George!

  ‘MAUD!’ Ernie yelled, racing towards the balloon, which was slowly lifting from the ground.

  But the basket was already hovering just beyond his reach. With a desperate lunge, Ernie grabbed the rope that was trailing like a tail behind the balloon, which was picking up speed as a gust of wind blew it higher.

  ‘Ernie!’

  Looking up, Ernie could see the anxious faces of a duck and sheep gazing down at him.

  ‘Let go, Ernie!’ Maud urged. ‘Save yourself while there’s still time.’

  Ernie shook his head. He was petrified but determined. As long as Maud was trapped in that basket with a vicious, villainous chicken, he was hanging on.

  Glancing down, Ernie saw a sea of curious faces as the superheroes spilled out onto the field after lunch.

  ‘Hey!’ someone cried. ‘Up in the air! It’s The Daring Dynamo’s balloon.’

  ‘But Dynamo’s backstage working on his speech,’ said someone else. ‘So who’s piloting that thing?’

  There was a pause, and then the first voice said in a tone of disbelief, ‘A sheep, a duck and—is that a rooster?’

  ‘No,’ called Ernie breathlessly, clutching the rope as he was lifted higher and higher above their heads. ‘It’s Chicken George!’

  SIX

  The balloon was soon sailing high above Thomastown, with Ernie dangling below. From this angle, Thomastown didn’t look nearly as welcoming as it had the day before.

  He could hear nothing over the rushing wind in his ears as they swept above the town’s main street. He shivered at the thought of poor Maud and Clementine, cornered in the basket by the monstrous chicken.

  The problem was, Ernie realised, as the town below grew smaller and smaller, he wasn’t much use to Maud and Clementine where he was.

  ‘Maud,’ he called faintly. ‘Are you okay?’ But his words were blown away by the breeze.

  Tentatively, Ernie took one hand from the rope and moved it higher, then did the same with the other hand. He continued climbing slowly, hand over hand, trying not to think of what might happen if a strong gust of wind hit him while he had only one hand on the rope. Soon he was closer to the basket, but the muscles in his arms were so sore and tired they were trembling. He knew he couldn’t grip on much longer.

  ‘Maud!’ he cried. ‘Maud, can you hear me?’

  There was a pause, long enough to make Ernie’s pulse race in terror for his friend, then Maud’s voice said reassuringly, ‘We’re fine, Ernie. You hold on tight and Clementine will have us down in a jiffy.’

  Ernie was comforted, if puzzled. What had happened to Chicken George?

  To his relief, the balloon appeared to have altered course and was now heading back across the river towards the Pleasant Dayz conference centre.

  He closed his eyes 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 to be 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 them both 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’s balloon?’ 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 superh
eroes.’

  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 sorry,’ he said again.

  Stupendous Sue stepped forward. ‘Well, I accept your apology, George,’ she said, and the crowd murmured their agreement. ‘Now,’ she announced, ‘it’s time we all made our way to the hall to hear The Daring Dynamo’s speech. Thank you, Marvellous Maud,’ she added, turning to address the sheep. ‘You’ve done well. Very well indeed.’

  Ernie thought he would burst with pride as Maud trotted over to join him and the members of the Superheroes Society (Baxter Branch).

  Strolling slowly across the field towards the assembly hall with the others, Ernie caught a glimpse of a duck talking animatedly to a tall, dashing man dressed all in red standing at the edge of the field. The duck was gesturing with her wings to George, and once her left wing seemed to point at Maud, then at Ernie.

  The dark-haired man nodded thoughtfully, then glanced in the direction the duck was pointing.

  When Ernie caught a look at the man’s face, his heart almost stopped. It was The Daring Dynamo!

  SEVEN

  It felt strange to Ernie to be sitting back in the same seat in the front row of the assembly hall after everything that had happened since Super Whiz’s speech. It felt especially strange to be so close to his hero, The Daring Dynamo. He had always seemed like a distant figure who only existed on TV—but no, he was real, and he was so close Ernie could almost reach out and touch him.

  ‘Good afternoon, fellow superheroes,’ The Daring Dynamo began. ‘And what an action packed afternoon it has been.’

  Many members of the audience murmured their agreement.

  ‘On witnessing the happy resolution of what looked like a certain tragedy, I have started to question the nature of heroism. What, my dear colleagues, is a hero? Is it the bravest, strongest and fastest among us?’

  As The Daring Dynamo stood up straight, his muscles bulging, Ernie began to nod, as did many others.

  ‘Or is a hero the most intelligent and wise among us?’

  Ernie saw Super Whiz nodding.

  ‘I think not,’ said The Daring Dynamo simply, provoking gasps from the audience. ‘Let us consider the actions of Marvellous Maud of Baxter Branch,’ he continued, gesturing to the front row, where Maud sat dumbstruck. ‘Did not this heroic sheep transform a vicious, terrifying chicken monster into an ordinary young man?’

  The superheroes in the audience had to admit it was so.

  The Daring Dynamo was right, Ernie realised. The Chicken George who had stolen Stupendous Sue’s speech and The Daring Dynamo’s hot-air balloon was a far different character to the young man who now sat between Maud and Clementine in the front row.

  ‘And how did she do that?’ The Daring Dynamo asked. ‘By listening!’

  A hush fell over the crowd.

  ‘When face to face with this young man who had been hastily condemned as a villain, Marvellous Maud did not judge him. Instead, she sought to uncover the nature of his problem. And when he spoke, she listened.

  ‘Now, thanks to Marvellous Maud, we understand young George’s actions. Although he has behaved very badly, I propose that we should also recognise his achievements, for he has proved himself to be faster and fleeter than the fastest and fleetest! As such, I think we should also consider the fact that he has much to contribute.’

  ‘Hear, hear!’ came scattered cries from the audience.

  ‘But wait!’ The Daring Dynamo held up his hand. ‘I would now like to turn your attention to another hero to emerge from today’s incident.’

  To Ernie’s utter astonishment, The Daring Dynamo was pointing at him!

  ‘It was Extraordinary Ernie,’ The Daring Dynamo informed the audience, ‘who clung so bravely to the rope of the balloon as it sailed above the treetops. Was he afraid? Yes!’

  Ernie cringed, waiting for the cries of horror and disgust. But The Daring Dynamo wasn’t finished.

  ‘Yes, he was afraid. But did that stop him? No! When he saw his partner in trouble, he didn’t stop to think of 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 piloted the 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 con
ference.’

  ‘That means he wants you to say nice things about 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 had pepperoni shapes stuck all over it.

  And there was a plain pink mug that was clearly meant for Maud.

  ‘Wow, Maud!’ said Ernie. ‘This is great!’

  ‘Why, these are all wonderful!’ exclaimed Valiant Vera. ‘Where did you get them, Maud?’

  ‘I made them,’ said Maud shyly. ‘My art class did pottery a couple of weeks ago.’

  Housecat Woman, who had risen from her chair to see what all the fuss was about, sniffed at her mug appreciatively.

  ‘You really are a most remarkable sheep,’ said Super Whiz thoughtfully, examining his mug in wonder.

  Maud beamed.

  Amazing Desmond poured lemonade into each of the mugs, then said, ‘What about a toast then, eh, Whiz?’

  For once, Super Whiz didn’t snap at Desmond. ‘Good idea,’ he said instead. He held up his mug and said, ‘To Ernie and Maud, the superheroes of tomorrow.’

  ‘To Ernie and Maud,’ the others repeated, holding their mugs aloft.