Mafatu's name means "Stout Heart", but his people call him a coward. Ever since the sea took his mother's life and spared his own, he has lived with deep fear. And even though his father is the Great Chief of Hikueru--an island whose seafaring people worship courage--he is terrfied, and so scorned. By the time he is fifteen years old, Mafatu can bear it no longer. He must conquer his fear alone … even if it means certain death. This classic tale of a young boy’s hidden strength has been a favorite of readers of all ages since its 1940 publication-and this handsome new edition preserves its original illustrations in all their beauty.