Sheila Rae, The Brave

Kevin Henkes

Cover

Title Page

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heila Rae wasn’t afraid of anything.

She wasn’t afraid of the dark.

She wasn’t afraid of thunder and lightning.

And she wasn’t afraid of the big black
dog at the end of the block.

At dinner, Sheila Rae made believe that the
cherries in her fruit cocktail were the eyes of dead
bears, and she ate five of them.

At school, Sheila Rae giggled when the principal walked by.

And when her classmate Wendell stole her jump rope
during recess, Sheila Rae tied him up until the bell rang.
“I am very brave,” Sheila Rae said, patting herself on
the back.

Sheila Rae stepped on every crack in the sidewalk
without fear.

When her sister, Louise, said there was a monster
in the closet, Sheila Rae attacked it.

And she rode her bicycle no- handed with her eyes closed.
“Yea! Yea! Sheila Rae!” her friends yelled,
clapping their hands.

One day, Sheila Rae decided to walk home
from school a new way. Louise was afraid to.
“You’re too brave for me,” Louise said.

“You’re always such a scaredy-cat," Sheila Rae called.
“Am not,” whispered Louise.

Sheila Rae started off, skipping.
“I am brave,” she sang. “I am fearless.”

She stepped on every crack.

She walked backwards with her eyes closed.

She growled at stray dogs,

and bared her teeth at stray cats.

And she pretended that the trees were evil creatures.
She climbed up them and broke their fingers off.
Snap, snap, snap.

Sheila Rae walked and walked.

She turned corners.

She crossed streets.

It suddenly occurred to Sheila Rae
that nothing looked familiar.

Sheila Rae heard frightening noises.
They sounded worse than thunder.

She thought horrible thoughts.
They were worse than anything she had ever imagined.
“I am brave,” Sheila Rae tried to convince herself.
“I am fearless.”

The sounds became more frightening.
The thoughts became more horrible.
Sheila Rae sat down on a rock and cried.
“Help,” she sniffed.

She thought of her mother and her father and Louise.
“Mother! Father! Louise!” she cried.

“Here I am,” a voice said.

“Louise!” Sheila Rae hugged her sister.
“We’re lost,” Sheila Rae said.
“No, we’re not,” said Louise. “I know the
way home. Follow me!”

Louise stepped on every crack.

She walked backwards with her eyes closed.

She growled at stray dogs, and bared
her teeth at stray cats.

And she pretended that the trees were evil creatures.
She jumped up and broke their fingers off.
Snap, snap, snap.
Sheila Rae walked quietly behind her.