Call It Courage: Chapter 1

by Armstrong Sperry
With a name that translates into Stout Heart, fifteen-year-old Mafatu, the son of the Great Chief of the Polynesian island of Hikueru, is determined to conquer his fear of the sea.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. indifference
    the trait of lacking enthusiasm for or interest in things
    A man who was afraid—what place had he in their midst? And the boy Mafatu—son of Tavana Nui, the Great Chief of Hikueru—always had been afraid. So the people drove him forth. Not by violence, but by indifference.
  2. interval
    the distance between things
    There were other canoes scattered at wide intervals along the reef.
  3. impending
    close in time; about to occur
    It was the season of hurricane and the people of Hikueru were nervous and ill at ease, charged, it seemed, with an almost animal awareness of impending storm.
  4. frail
    easily broken or damaged or destroyed
    It seized the frail craft in its swift race.
  5. churning
    (of a liquid) agitated vigorously; in a state of turbulence
    Despite all the woman’s skill, the canoe was carried on the crest of the churning tide, through the reef-passage, into the outer ocean.
  6. crest
    the top line of a hill, mountain, or wave
    Waves lifted and struck at one another, their crests hissing with spray.
  7. capsize
    overturn accidentally
    The woman sprang forward to seize her child as the canoe capsized.
  8. shroud
    cover as if with a burial garment
    Off the tip of Hikueru, the uninhabited islet of Tekoto lay shrouded in darkness.
  9. awash
    covered with water
    It was scarcely more than a ledge of coral, almost awash.
  10. grim
    harshly ironic or sinister
    Dawn found the woman still clinging to the purau pole and the little boy with his arms locked about his mother’s neck. The grim light revealed sharks circling, circling.
  11. beckon
    appear inviting
    But the palms of Tekoto beckoned with their promise of life, and the woman fought on.
  12. pinnacle
    a lofty peak
    When at last they were cast up on the pinnacle of coral, Mafatu’s mother crawled ashore with scarcely enough strength left to pull her child beyond reach of the sea’s hungry fingers.
  13. sustain
    provide with nourishment
    At hand lay a cracked coconut; the woman managed to press the cool, sustaining meat to her child’s lips before she died.
  14. stout
    courageous and dependable
    Mafatu, the boy who had been christened Stout Heart by his proud father, was afraid of the sea. What manner of fisherman would he grow up to be? How would he ever lead the men in battle against warriors of other islands?
  15. scorn
    lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
    Mafatu’s stepmother knew small sympathy for him, and his stepbrothers treated him with open scorn.
  16. jibe
    an aggressive remark directed at a person
    “Moana, the Sea God, thunders on the reef. He is angry with us all because Mafatu is afraid!”
    The boy learned to turn these jibes aside, but his father’s silence shamed him.
  17. nondescript
    lacking distinct or individual characteristics
    A nondescript yellow dog named Uri was Mafatu’s inseparable companion—Uri with his thin coat which showed his ribs, and his eyes so puzzled and true.
  18. albatross
    a large web-footed bird noted for powerful gliding flight
    Their only other friend was Kivi, an albatross. The boy had once found the bird on his lonely wanderings.
  19. fledgling
    young bird that has just become capable of flying
    Perhaps because it was different from its kind, the older birds were heckling and pestering the fledgling.
  20. serene
    not agitated
    In the air it achieved perfection, floating serenely against the sky while Mafatu followed its effortless flight with envious eyes.
  21. shaft
    a long rod or pole, especially the body of a weapon
    Every boy in the village sharpened his spear, tested the shaft, honed his shark knife.
  22. hone
    sharpen with a whetstone
    Every boy in the village sharpened his spear, tested the shaft, honed his shark knife.
  23. falter
    move hesitatingly, as if about to give way
    His fingers faltered as they flew among the sennit fibers of the net he was making.
  24. contract
    squeeze or push together
    Mafatu, standing tense in the shadows, heard a scornful laugh. His heart contracted.
  25. scoff
    laugh at with contempt and derision
    “Not all of us will go,” he heard Kana scoff.
  26. resentment
    a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
    Suddenly a fierce resentment stormed through him.
  27. taut
    pulled or drawn tight
    The boy stood there taut as a drawn arrow awaiting its release.
  28. stern
    the rear part of a ship
    The boy shoved off and climbed into the stern.
  29. jeer
    laugh at with contempt and derision
    What matter if they jeered? For a second he almost turned back. Then he heard Kana’s voice once more saying: “Mafatu is a coward.”
  30. ebb
    flow back or recede
    The canoe entered the race formed by the ebbing tide.
Created on Tue May 09 10:59:06 EDT 2023 (updated Wed May 10 10:01:52 EDT 2023)

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