Bernard the Brave facts for kids
First edition book cover
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| Author | Margery Sharp |
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| Illustrator | Faith Jaques |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Rescuers |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Heinemann |
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Publication date
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1977 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 108 |
| ISBN | 0-434-96306-2 |
| Preceded by | Miss Bianca and the Bridesmaid |
| Followed by | Bernard into Battle |
Bernard the Brave is an exciting adventure book by British author Margery Sharp. It's the eighth book in a popular series called The Rescuers. This series follows two brave mice, Bernard and Miss Bianca. They are part of the Mouse Prisoner's Aid Society. This special mouse group helps and cheers up prisoners all over the world.
Contents
Story of Bernard the Brave
This book tells the tale of Bernard's bravery. Miss Bianca's human owner, "The Boy," gets sick. He needs to go to a mountain resort for fresh air. Miss Bianca goes with him. She leaves her beautiful home, the "Porcelain Pagoda," in Bernard's care. She trusts him completely.
Bernard's New Case
Soon after Miss Bianca leaves, Bernard gets a visitor. An older mouse named Nicodemus arrives at Bernard's home. Nicodemus is in big trouble. He hoped to find the famous Miss Bianca for help. His problem is about his owner, a young lady named Miss Tomasina. She is an orphan. Mountain bandits have kidnapped her. Her legal guardian ordered the kidnapping. Miss Tomasina is almost old enough to claim her family's property. She has only three days left.
Bernard decides to take on this important case. He starts looking for clues. He also has some funny and dangerous moments. Schoolgirls keep him as a pet for a short time. He almost gets cooked by two housemaids!
New Friends and Allies
During his adventure, Bernard meets a very unusual character. This is a stuffed bear named Algernon. Algernon becomes a great friend and helper. Bernard and Algernon eventually travel to a dangerous place. It is called the "Wolf Range." Their clues point to Miss Tomasina being held there.
Miss Bianca's Worries
Meanwhile, Miss Bianca often thinks about Bernard. She wonders what he is doing. When she returns home from the mountains, Bernard is not there. She rushes to his flat, worried he might be sick. She asks Nicodemus and Bernard's neighbors what happened. She hears all about Bernard's mission to rescue Miss Tomasina. This makes her very worried.
At this point, readers see how much Bernard means to Miss Bianca. She stops being so formal. She realizes she loves him deeply. She cannot imagine living without him. She refuses to eat or sleep. She thinks only of her dear Bernard. He is lost in the Wolf Range with only a stuffed toy.
The Rescue and Return
Bernard and Algernon finally find the bandits' hideout. They rescue Miss Tomasina just in time. Many exciting things happen next. Miss Tomasina's legal guardian suddenly passes away during a court hearing.
After the adventure, Algernon finds a new home. He lives with another stuffed bear named Nigel. They even start a stuffed toy club! Bernard returns to Miss Bianca. They sit by the fountain in her courtyard. It's a sweet moment. Their whiskers touch, and they feel each other's love.
Miss Bianca asks Bernard to come live with her. She feels they have had enough adventures. She wants to settle down and retire. Bernard, however, feels differently. Something inside him tells him there's one more adventure. This leads to the next book, Bernard into Battle. And with this scene, the story ends.
