Pamela had to admit that she was indeed bad-tempered. But then, after all, anyone insulted as often as she was would be bad-tempered.
Pamela Camel is a 1984 illustrated children's book by Bill Peet. A camel named Pamela is trapped in a dull, unpleasant existence in a circus's menagerie, where she is ignored by the workers and insulted by the circus-goers. Running away from the circus, she notices a break in a railroad track. With no other way to prevent the train from crashing, she stands on the tracks as a warning, hoping that the train crew is willing to stop for a camel. The train stops, and the crew members realize that the camel has just saved them from a life-threatening derailment. Celebrated as a hero, Pamela is reclaimed by the circus and promoted to the lead of the entrance parade, cheered for, praised, and happy.
Pamela Camel includes examples of the following tropes:
- Celebrating the Heroes: At the end, Pamela leads the circus parade as the ringmaster praises her.THE ONE AND ONLY PAMELA CAMEL! THE MOST COURAGEOUS, THE MOST INTELLIGENT, THE MOST AMAZING AND EXTRAORDINARY DROMEDARY EVER TO WALK THE FACE OF THE EARTH!
- Heroic Resolve: Pamela stares down an oncoming train to save the people on board.
- "I Can't Look!" Gesture: Justified Trope; Pamela closes her eyes to the oncoming train, not because she doesn't want to see it coming, but because its light is blinding her.
- I Just Want to Be Special: Pamela's main motivation. She hates her dull life and reflects the crowd's contempt back at them.
- A Pet into the Wild: Pamela's not a pet, but she's a domesticated animal that decides to run away.
- Post-Victory Collapse: After the train stops, Pamela passes out.
- Track Trouble: The broken train track that Pamela notices.
