Brave and True

Martin's old schoolfellows gather round to hear how he helped an officer who once made his life difficult. The opening story turns a naval encounter into a conversation about loyalty, with Martin treating his quick response as an ordinary duty to a shipmate. His embarrassment at their praise gives this collection of children's stories and verse an immediate example of courage joined to modesty.

The scenes then move from military danger to a kitchen, a meadow and a mountain pasture. Ned and his little sister Tizzy need paste for a homemade kite, while little Kirl struggles to save a goat at a crumbling precipice. A short crocodile poem provides a comic pause among the stories. Readers can follow these separate pieces for their changes of setting and scale, from childhood disappointments to urgent acts of care. Kindness, responsibility and the way children judge bravery give the collection a shared concern across its different voices.