--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I will be brave, thought Despereaux. I…" description: "\"I will be brave, thought Despereaux. I will try to be brave like a knight in shining armour. I will be brave for the Princess Pea.\" — Kate DiCamillo" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/951/kate-dicamillo-599_be-brave_i-will-be-brave-thought-despereaux-i-wil_2702047.png" --- # I will be brave, thought Despereaux. I will try to be… ![“I will be brave, thought Despereaux. I will try to be brave like a knight in shining armour. I will be brave for the Princess Pea.” quote by Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/951/kate-dicamillo-599_be-brave_i-will-be-brave-thought-despereaux-i-wil_2702047.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/951/kate-dicamillo-599_be-brave_i-will-be-brave-thought-despereaux-i-wil_2702047.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/951/kate-dicamillo-599_be-brave_i-will-be-brave-thought-despereaux-i-wil_2702047.png) > “I will be brave, thought Despereaux. I will try to be brave like a knight in shining armour. I will be brave for the Princess Pea.” [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Courage is a conscious choice, modeled after heroic figures, to protect loved ones. **In simple terms:** Bravery is a deliberate act for those we cherish. Key Takeaway Act bravely for others' sake. Themes courage heroism protection Mood determined inspirational Type literary motivational When to use this quote - parenting - activism - team leadership - personal challenges Key Concepts moral fortitude self‑sacrifice Questions to Reflect On - What does bravery look like for you? - Who inspires your courage? A Different Perspective Bravery may lead to personal risk. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Brave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brave/) [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Despereaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/despereaux/) [Knight in shining armour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knight-in-shining-armour/) [Knights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knights/) [Princess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/princess/) [Shining](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shining/) ## Related quotes > [Our fate lives within us. You only have to be brave enough to see it. - Princess Merida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brave/our-fate-lives-within-us-you-only-have-to-be-brave-enough-to-see-it/) Brave > [“I ain’t the Princess Pea But someday I will be, The Pea, ha-hee. Someday, I will be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/i-ain-t-the-princess-pea-but-someday-i-will-be-the-pea-ha-hee-someday/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [“And he discovered, finally, the source of the honey-sweet sound. The sound was music. The sound was King Phillip playing his guitar and singing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/and-he-discovered-finally-the-source-of-the-honey-sweet-sound-the/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [At the thought of being eaten by rats, Despereaux forgot about being brave. He forgot about not being a disappointment. He felt himself heading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/at-the-thought-of-being-eaten-by-rats-despereaux-forgot-about-being/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [But still, here are the words Despereaux Tilling spoke to his father. He said, "I forgive you, Pa!" And he said those words because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/but-still-here-are-the-words-despereaux-tilling-spoke-to-his-father/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [“Despereaux was reading the story out loud to himself. He was reading from the beginning so that he could get to the end...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/despereaux-was-reading-the-story-out-loud-to-himself-he-was-reading/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [In The Tale of Despereaux, there is a lot of darkness, a lot of despair. There's also a lot of light, redemption, hope. There's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/in-the-tale-of-despereaux-there-is-a-lot-of-darkness-a-lot-of-despair/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [I was visiting my mother in Florida when the September 11, 2001 attacks happened. I was working on The Tale of Despereaux at that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/i-was-visiting-my-mother-in-florida-when-the-september-11-2001/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [The Tale of Despereaux is the story of an unlikely hero, a mouse, who falls in love with a princess and then must save…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/the-tale-of-despereaux-is-the-story-of-an-unlikely-hero-a-mouse-who/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [The sound of the king's music made Despereaux's soul grow large and light inside of him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/the-sound-of-the-king-s-music-made-despereaux-s-soul-grow-large-and/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [Love is ridiculous. But love is also wonderful. And powerful. And Despereaux's love for the Princess Pea would prove, in time, to be all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/love-is-ridiculous-but-love-is-also-wonderful-and-powerful-and/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [the story is not a pretty one. there is violence in it. And cruelty. But stories that are not pretty have a certain value,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/the-story-is-not-a-pretty-one-there-is-violence-in-it-and-cruelty-but/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [So here I am, sending a two-ounce mouse down into a dungeon with a sewing needle to save a human princess, and I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/so-here-i-am-sending-a-two-ounce-mouse-down-into-a-dungeon-with-a/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [“There is somebody who loves me," said Despereaux. "And I love her and that is the only thing that matters to me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/there-is-somebody-who-loves-me-said-despereaux-and-i-love-her-and/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [In luggage claim at the Minneapolis airport, the guy came up to me and said, "Maybe you're wrong, maybe stories do matter." I wrote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/in-luggage-claim-at-the-minneapolis-airport-the-guy-came-up-to-me-and/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) ## More by Kate DiCamillo > [In luggage claim at the Minneapolis airport, the guy came up to me and said, "Maybe you're wrong, maybe stories do matter." I wrote…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/in-luggage-claim-at-the-minneapolis-airport-the-guy-came-up-to-me-and/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [“If every babe who cried were still alive, well, then, the world would be a very crowded place, indeed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/if-every-babe-who-cried-were-still-alive-well-then-the-world-would-be/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [My father leaving the family shaped who I was and how I looked at the world. By the same token, my father telling me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/my-father-leaving-the-family-shaped-who-i-was-and-how-i-looked-at-the/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [Reader, you may ask this queston. In fact, you must ask this question. Is it ridiculous for a very small, sickly, big-eared mouse to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/reader-you-may-ask-this-queston-in-fact-you-must-ask-this-question-is/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [It wasn't until my fifth or sixth book where I realized I'm trying to do the same thing in every story I tell, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/it-wasn-t-until-my-fifth-or-sixth-book-where-i-realized-i-m-trying-to/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [ \[He\] had the soul of a poet, and because of this, he liked very much to consider questions that had no answers. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/he-had-the-soul-of-a-poet-and-because-of-this-he-liked-very-much-to/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [Everything about writing is hard for me except for that - the names pop into my head. That's one of the reasons why I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/everything-about-writing-is-hard-for-me-except-for-that-the-names-pop/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [Reading a story should be a fabulous, wonderful thing. The most important thing that parents can do for kids is to read with them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/reading-a-story-should-be-a-fabulous-wonderful-thing-the-most/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [You have to learn how to write each book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/you-have-to-learn-how-to-write-each-book/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [“If you have no intention of loving or being loved then the whole journey is pointless”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/if-you-have-no-intention-of-loving-or-being-loved-then-the-whole/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [I feel like the luckiest person in the world to have found what I am supposed to do and to get to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/i-feel-like-the-luckiest-person-in-the-world-to-have-found-what-i-am/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [“Everything, as you well know (having lived in this world long enough to have figured out a thing or two for yourself), cannot always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/everything-as-you-well-know-having-lived-in-this-world-long-enough-to/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [“Dear God, thank you for warm summer nights and candlelight and good food. But thank you most of all for friends. We appreciate the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/dear-god-thank-you-for-warm-summer-nights-and-candlelight-and-good/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [There ain't no point in making soup unless others eat it. Soup needs another mouth to taste it, another heart to be warmed by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/there-ain-t-no-point-in-making-soup-unless-others-eat-it-soup-needs/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [ I remember wanting to write a book with someone, the someone being Kate \[DiCamillo\], and we decided to write about two friends. We had… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/i-remember-wanting-to-write-a-book-with-someone-the-someone-being/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) [Explore all 442 Kate DiCamillo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) ## More Be brave quotes > [If You Love Someone, Be Brave Enough To Tell Them., Otherwise Be Brave Enough To Watch Them To Be Loved By Someone Else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bilal-zahoor/if-you-love-someone-be-brave-enough-to-tell-them-otherwise-be-brave/) [Bilal Zahoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bilal-zahoor/) > [Be convinced that to be happy means to be free and that to be free means to be brave. Therefore do not take lightly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thucydides/be-convinced-that-to-be-happy-means-to-be-free-and-that-to-be-free/) [Thucydides](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thucydides/) > [I admire machinery as much is any man, and am as thankful to it as any man can be for what it does for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-admire-machinery-as-much-is-any-man-and-am-as-thankful-to-it-as-any/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [To be able to live and train in Iraq under these circumstances you need to be brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-be-able-to-live-and-train-in-iraq-under-these-circumstances-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Be brave! Be strong! Be fearless! Once you have taken up the spiritual life, fight as long as there is any life in you.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/be-brave-be-strong-be-fearless-once-you-have-taken-up-the-spiritual/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [Sometimes I think I'm a nihilist because it doesn't matter, none of this matters. We're all following the will of some unknowable higher power,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ottessa-moshfegh/sometimes-i-think-i-m-a-nihilist-because-it-doesn-t-matter-none-of/) [Ottessa Moshfegh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ottessa-moshfegh/) > [Let us be brave in the face of adversity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-elder/let-us-be-brave-in-the-face-of-adversity/) [Seneca the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-elder/) > [So that my life be brave, what though not long?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-drummond/so-that-my-life-be-brave-what-though-not-long/) [William Drummond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-drummond/) > [You can plan to be brave - it's even better if you just try to be brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-barker/you-can-plan-to-be-brave-it-s-even-better-if-you-just-try-to-be-brave/) [Clive Barker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-barker/) > [We are in a tight corner, now, I agree. But we have been in tight corners before and come out of them. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-hoffman/we-are-in-a-tight-corner-now-i-agree-but-we-have-been-in-tight/) [Mary Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-hoffman/) > [ Before \[Hindus and Moslems\] dare think of freedom, they must be brave enough to love one another, to tolerate one another's religion, even prejudices… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/before-hindus-and-moslems-dare-think-of-freedom-they-must-be-brave/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [The real problem with big issues like Medicare is that both parties have to be brave at the same time. Every pollster will tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-cooper/the-real-problem-with-big-issues-like-medicare-is-that-both-parties/) [Jim Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-cooper/) > [Fear is the raw material from which courage is manufactured. Without it, we wouldn't even know what it means to be brave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-beck/fear-is-the-raw-material-from-which-courage-is-manufactured-without/) [Martha Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-beck/) > [Pain nourishes courage. You can't be brave if you've only had wonderful things happen to you. Pain is inevitable. Misery is optional. Physical pain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara/pain-nourishes-courage-you-can-t-be-brave-if-you-ve-only-had/) [Barbara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara/) > [You make choices and sometimes they're good and sometimes they backfire. The most important thing is to be brave, forgive yourself when you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiersey-clemons/you-make-choices-and-sometimes-they-re-good-and-sometimes-they/) [Kiersey Clemons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiersey-clemons/) Browse all 333 Be brave quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I will be brave, thought Despereaux. I will try to be brave like a knight in shining armour. 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