Call it Courage

Mafatu starts work on his canoe and makes the tools he will need for survival. He finds that his experience with the tasks he was responsible for in Hikueru comes in handy and he feels thankful for the chores he used to dislike. He uses fire to fell a tree for his canoe and makes a raft of bamboo so he can catch fish on the reef. While Mafatu works, Uri is always beside him, and Kivi comes and goes, always returning at sundown. Mafatu finds a mulberry tree and uses the inner white fiber to make clothing for himself. He knows that returning to Hikueru with good clothing will showcase his skill in living off the land. Other tasks keep Mafatu busy as well, such as making his lean-to into a house, fashioning fishhooks from bone, and making rope.

One day, Mafatu finds a whale skeleton and is overjoyed to bring all the bones back to camp. He plans to use them to make an ax, a knife, and more fishhooks. He spends hours carving and grinding the blades for the ax and knife on a slab of basalt. As he works, he thinks of the hammerhead shark that has been breaking into his bamboo fish trap. Now he will have a knife to kill it!

However, after he has finished the knife, Mafatu’s bravery fades, and he feels nervous as he ventures out on the reef with Uri to check his fish trap. Just as Mafatu expects, the hammerhead shark is lurking near the fish trap, and Mafatu watches as the shark breaks the trap with its jaws and eats the fish. Uri begins barking at the shark and running back and forth on the raft, and he falls in the water. As the hammerhead starts swimming toward Uri, Mafatu grips his knife and jumps in after his dog. He comes up under the shark and stabs it, killing the shark. As he pulls Uri onto the raft, Mafatu can hardly believe he killed the ma’o (shark) with only his knife, and realizes he did it without thinking, to save Uri.

Mafatu continues the many steps in the process of making his canoe. His progress is slow because he takes time to climb the plateau each day to look out for people coming from the neighboring island, which he calls Smoking Island. On his hike one day, Mafatu hears a wild boar crashing through the jungle. At first he wants to run, but Mafatu fights this instinct, and instead shouts at the boar and braces himself, clutching his spear.

Mafatu stands his ground as boar runs at him, and the boar impales itself on Mafatu’s spear. Mafatu is shocked that he has killed a wild boar; he dances and shouts in celebration, knowing his father would be proud.

Back at his camp, Mafatu cooks the pig by creating an open oven: He heats a pile of stones in the fire, places the pig on the stones, and layers plantain leaves on top to trap the heat and cook the pig slowly. While pig cooks, Mafatu makes the boar’s tusks into a necklace. He imagines what his fellow villagers will say when they see his necklace, a symbol of immense bravery. As he thinks about killing the shark and the boar, Mafatu realizes he will soon be ready to return home having proven himself.

The day comes when Mafatu finally finishes his canoe. He doesn’t climb the plateau that day because he is so excited at the prospect of finishing the canoe. As he launches it for the first time, Mafatu offers the traditional prayer for launching ships in Hikueru. He no longer fears the reef and its thunderous waves. Mafatu believes he has “established a truce” with the sea god Moana, and he feels at home on the ocean (71). As Mafatu empties his fish trap, his knife snaps off its cord and falls to the ocean floor, near a dark hole in the reef wall. Mafatu is torn. He knows he needs his knife, but the hole it lies near could be home to a giant feké—octopus.

Mafatu thinks of Maui, whom he credits with providing the whale bones and keeping him safe thus far. Mafatu does not want Maui to think him a coward, so he gathers his courage and his breath, and dives down deep to retrieve the knife. As soon as he grabs it, an octopus tentacle shoots out from the cave and grabs his waist, while another one clamps onto his leg. Mafatu stabs for the octopus’s eye, but misses, and continues to struggle. Just as Mafatu runs out of air, he stabs again and reaches his mark, killing the octopus. Back in his canoe, Mafatu retrieves the octopus's body with a hook and line and stabs it again with his knife. He thanks Maui again for protecting him and makes plans to dry the octopus tentacles. When he brings them back to his village, the people will marvel at his bravery in killing it singlehandedly.

Night falls as Mafatu paddles back to shore. He plans to leave for home the next day, and prepares to leave at daybreak, filling his canoe with food and fresh water for his journey. As he falls asleep, Mafatu thinks about his father, hoping he will be proud of his son. Mafatu wakes before dawn to the sound of a drumbeat. He realizes with dread that the cannibals from the neighboring island have come.