Call It Courage: Chapter 3

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. gusto
    vigorous and enthusiastic enjoyment
    Uri lay close at hand, holding a robber-crab in 
his forepaws, cracking the tough shell and extracting the
 meat with gusto.
  2. giddy
    having or causing a whirling sensation; liable to falling
    He was giddy with thirst and there was an odd weakness in his limbs.
  3. prompt
    urge, encourage, or motivate someone to act
    He plunged his face into the pool and drank deeply. Then, prompted more by instinct than by conscious thought, he withdrew, to let the water run down his swollen throat sparingly, with caution.
  4. relish
    derive or receive pleasure from
    He sighed, and sank back on the mossy bank, relishing the strength that quickened his tired body.
  5. apprehension
    fearful expectation or anticipation
    Were they even now watching him from secret places in the jungle, biding their time? He glanced about in apprehension.
  6. congeal
    solidify, thicken, or come together
    From its base ridges of congealed lava flowed down to the distant shore.
  7. cauterize
    burn, sear, or freeze using a hot iron or electric current
    His leg still pained, and he would need the juice of limes to cauterize the coral wound, and purau leaves to make a healing bandage.
  8. caustic
    any chemical substance that burns or destroys living tissue
    He plucked half a dozen of the fruits, broke them on a bit of coral, and squeezed the juice into the wound. He winced as the caustic stung; but when he had bound on the leafy bandage with a twist of vine, it seemed that already his leg felt better.
  9. luxuriant
    produced or growing in extreme abundance
    For a quarter of a mile the coconuts held, beautiful trees that were more luxuriant than any in Hikueru.
  10. aerial
    existing, living, growing, or operating in the air
    Vines trailed like aerial ropes from the high branches where orchids bloomed, while little parakeets fled on swift wings and vanished in the green gloom.
  11. hue
    the quality of a color determined by its dominant wavelength
    Inside the barrier-reef the water deepened and shoaled in changing hues. Up here the whole world seemed consumed with light and color.
  12. unceasing
    continuous and uninterrupted in time
    Far off a mist of gulls drifted above the breaking surf, their hoarse cries as unceasing as the hum within a shell.
  13. rampart
    an embankment built around a space for defensive purposes
    In each case the opening was caused by a river which flowed from the mountain down into the lagoon; for the tiny coral polyp which builds up its ramparts from the floor of the sea cannot withstand fresh water.
  14. breach
    an opening, especially a gap in a dike or fortification
    Wherever a river flows into the sea there will be a breach in the barrier-reef.
  15. prospect
    the possibility of future success
    Pig roasted underground in the hot oven stones of the umu—Aué! His mouth watered at the golden prospect.
  16. naught
    a quantity of no importance
    But Grandfather Ruau, who had traveled as far as distant Tahiti, had told how the warriors of that island killed pigs in the mountains with naught but a knife for a weapon, bracing themselves so that the animal impaled itself upon the blade.
  17. adze
    an edge tool used to cut and shape wood
    “I must find a tree, a tamanu, for my canoe,” the boy said aloud. “I will burn it out, then make an adze of basalt to finish it. I’ll plait a sail of pandanus. And oh, it will be a wonderful canoe!”
  18. plait
    make by braiding or interlacing
    “I will burn it out, then make an adze of basalt to finish it. I’ll plait a sail of pandanus. And oh, it will be a wonderful canoe!”
  19. rout
    an overwhelming defeat
    Then, his hunger satisfied, his mind ran ahead again to the happy day when he would set sail for Hikueru, with all his demons put to rout and the bright flame of courage burning in his heart.
  20. clamber
    climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
    The boy clambered down, slipping and sliding, catching hold of roots and vines to keep from falling.
  21. thicket
    a dense growth of bushes
    Trees whizzed past. Wind drove the air from his nostrils. The valley rushed to meet him. He brought up with a bump in a thicket of cassi.
  22. extricate
    release from entanglement or difficulty
    As he extricated himself from the thorns he was still breathing with excitement.
  23. irresolute
    uncertain how to act or proceed
    The boy stood there irresolute and uncertain.
  24. premonition
    a feeling of evil to come
    Some premonition of danger kept him poised, alert, and wary.
  25. wary
    marked by keen caution and watchful prudence
    Some premonition of danger kept him poised, alert, and wary.
  26. grotesque
    distorted and unnatural in shape or size
    He saw a series of wide stone terraces rising in a pyramid many feet high; on top of this pyramid a grotesque idol, hideously ugly, reared in the brilliant sunshine.
  27. contour
    any spatial attributes, especially as defined by outline
    It was an ancient idol, its contours softened with fungus and lichens, corroded by the rains of ages.
  28. lichen
    a plant occurring in crusty patches on tree trunks or rocks
    It was an ancient idol, its contours softened with fungus and lichens, corroded by the rains of ages.
  29. stifle
    impair the respiration of or obstruct the air passage of
    No wind reached this hidden circle, and insects hummed in the hot air. Mafatu felt that he was stifling.
  30. strew
    spread by scattering
    Around the base of the idol he saw piles of bones, charred, but not old. The platform was strewn with them.
  31. forsake
    leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
    Taking a deep breath, he whispered: “It is you, Maui, who have led me to this island. I know it. Do not forsake me now!”
  32. poised
    marked by balance or equilibrium and readiness for action
    But he edged forward, poised for instant flight.
  33. unaccountable
    not to be explained
    The giant tree-ferns turned the jungle to an eerie gloom. The boy was filled with unaccountable dread.
  34. prance
    move or step in a lively, spirited, or showy way
    Uri leaped and pranced with excitement at his master’s side.
  35. haunch
    the upper thigh and back of the hip in human beings
    Propping the larger piece against a rock, he squatted on his haunches before it and gripped the small sliver in both hands.
  36. exertion
    use of physical or mental energy; hard work
    Weary with the exertion, Mafatu settled back on his haunches and watched the leaping flame.
  37. implement
    a piece of equipment or a tool used for a specific purpose
    Now he would have cooked food, warmth when he was wet through, and the first implement with which to set about building his canoe.
  38. frond
    compound leaf of a fern or palm or cycad
    He set about it at once: he tore off half a dozen fronds of a low-growing coconut tree; then he began to plait them into flat, matlike screens.
  39. trifle
    a small amount
    The boy pulled the breadfruit from the fire and broke it in half. Its white, flaky meat was packed with sustenance; a little like bread in taste, a trifle like potato, better than either.
  40. deftly
    with dexterity; in a dexterous manner
    Deftly Mafatu slid them out of the fire, transferred them to a broad leaf that served as a plate.
Created on Tue May 09 10:59:28 EDT 2023 (updated Wed May 10 11:06:24 EDT 2023)

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