The Wee Free Men may very well be a children's book, but that doesn't mean it isn't full of harrowing situations that would make the bravest adult quake in their boots. Fortunately Tiffany Aching is a girl with a super strong backbone, and she's going on this adventure with a band of little blue men who don't seem fazed by danger at all. As they go into the Queen's creepy dream kingdom, they are determined to get through whatever scary situations present themselves—even if it means being attacked by swarms of bug women, or getting caught in a web of nightmares. They just stick their chins up and march on through.
Questions About Courage
- Why aren't the pictsies afraid of fighting the Queen when they know what she's capable of?
- How could Tiffany possibly feel prepared to go into battle armed with nothing but a frying pan?
- What events in Tiffany's life made her the hearty little warrior she is today?
Chew on This
In the end it is clear that the Queen is far more afraid of Tiffany than Tiffany is of the Queen.
The pictsies act out of bravery and courage because they truly believe that they are currently dead—and that when they die, they will go to join the land of the living.