Ginger is fearless. She is not scared of a hairy crab and she is not scared of a loud thunderstorm. But the dim stairs upstairs scare her. They creak, creak, creak! Ginger will not go near the scary stairs.

One day, Ginger is in the kitchen with a muffin. Then she hears a peep, peep, peep. It is a tiny peep, and it is near. It comes from the dim stairs!

Ginger stares at the stairs. Her knees tremble. "I am scared," she says. "But what if something is hurt?" She puts down her muffin. "I will be careful."

Ginger goes up one stair. Creak! She jumps back and bumps a chair. The chair slides, slides, slides! Peep, peep, peep! "Okay, okay," says Ginger. "I am coming."

Up, up, up she goes. Creak, creak! It is dim and dim and dim. Then something swishes past her hair! Ginger yells. She clasps her knees and stops. Peep, peep! It is right up top.

Ginger goes back to the kitchen and fetches her lantern. The lantern shines brightly. Up, up, up she goes. At the top, a tiny sparrow stares at her. It is scared!

"Do not fear," says Ginger. "I will not harm you." She puts out a fingertip. The sparrow clings to it. Ginger opens the kitchen door and puts up her hand. The sparrow flies up in the air!

The next day, Ginger hears peep, peep near the kitchen door. She shares a bit of muffin with the sparrow. Then Ginger goes up the dim stairs, just to look. Creak, creak! She grins. "You are not so scary," she says.