One of the sailors, who was known to be a good shot, decided to try to hit the bear while they were still in the boat. But because his footing was unsteady, he almost missed. The polar bear suffered only a light flesh wound . . . The sailor tried to shoot again, but the gun misfired. It seemed only seconds, and the angry animal had reached the boat. It laid its front paws on the edge and tried to climb in. Once again Piet Prins has given us an outstanding novel. Follow Stefan’s adventure as he runs away from his cruel uncle the cobbler and joins the men aboard the whaling ship the Sea Dragon. Hunting whales, encountering ferocious polar bears, storms and fog, dealing with sickness and hunger, floating adrift and shipwreck, all become part of Stefan Derksen’s polar adventure. It is an adventure full of distress and surprise. Will Stefan ever return home to his mother?