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| Edition: | Full Color (Paperback) |
| Author: | C. S. Lewis |
| Published: | August 2000 |
| Pages: | 240 |
| ISBN 10: | 64409406 |
| ISBN 13: | 9780064409407 |
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BOOK SUMMARY
A young boy called Shasta has been found and raised by Arsheesh, a Calormene fisherman. Arsheesh agrees to sell the boy to a powerful Calormene feudal noble. Shasta is glad to hear that he is not the fisherman's true son, and awaits his new master in the donkey stable outside the fisherman's house. As he muses aloud, the noble's stallion, Bree, begins to talk to Shasta, who is astounded. Together the pair decide to escape a life of servitude in Calormen by riding north for Narnia. They meet another pair of escaping travellers, Aravis, a young Calormene aristocrat, and her talking horse, Hwin. Aravis is fleeing a forced marriage to the Tisroc's grand vizier.
When the four arrive at the capital city of Calormen, Tashbaan, they are forced to travel through it. They encounter a procession of visiting Narnian royalty, who see Shasta and mistake him for Corin, a prince of Archenland, who was traveling with the Narnians but had run away. Shasta is too scared to protest. He discovers that the Narnians are planning to escape from Calormen for fear of being kept prisoner if Queen Susan refuses to marry the Calormene prince, Rabadash. When Shasta is alone, the real Prince Corin climbs through the window; he takes his rightful place and Shasta escapes.
Meanwhile, Aravis has been spotted by her noblewoman friend Lasaraleen, but warns the girl not to tell anyone that she has seen her. Lasaraleen agrees, although she cannot understand why Aravis would want to leave the luxurious life of the Calormene nobility. She helps Aravis to escape through the palace, although en route the two narrowly avoid running into the Tisroc and take refuge in one of his private rooms. They briefly hide behind a sofa, and overhear the Tisroc giving his son permission to attack Archenland as a means of later invading Narnia.
Once outside the city, Aravis rejoins Shasta and the Horses. The four of them make the unpleasant journey across the desert to try and warn the people of Archenland and Narnia that the Calormenes are coming to wage war on them. A pursuing lion (later revealed to be Aslan) forces the travellers into moving at great speed, although in the process, Aravis is injured (in punishment for her mistreatment of her former servant) and the horses become exhausted. These three rest with an old hermit while Shasta continues alone. He meets and warns the Archenland army, who are able to defeat the Calormenes. King Lune of Archenland sees that Shasta is really Cor, the long lost elder twin of Prince Corin and heir to the throne. Aravis and Cor live in Archenland thereafter and eventually marry years later, though stated in the book to be because that way they could argue more efficiently.
CHAPTER SUMMARIES
The Horse and His Boy is set in the time of King Peter the Magnificent during the Golden Age of Narnia. The story introduces the land of Calormene which lies south of Narnia across the southern desert. The people are swarthy, worship the God, Tash, and its nobility are referred to as Tarkaans and Tarkheenas. There are no talking animals indigenous to Calormene.
CHAPTER I: How Shasta Set Out on His Travels
In a town south of Calormene, a boy named Shasta lived with his father, a poor fisherman named Arsheesh. Shasta finds it difficult to love Arsheesh because he often unkind and always harsh and cold towards him. Struggling with this dilemma, as well as the poverty, Shasta often daydreams about the lands that lay to the north, beyond the hills of Calormene. He is not interested in the lands south of his village as he had been to sell fish with Arsheesh and found the villages filled with poor old men as dull as his father. The lands to the North, however, were infinitely more fascinating as nobody ever went there and he not allowed to go himself. Arsheesh often punishes Shasta for asking questions about the northern lands.
It happened one day that a Calormene Tarkaan from the south stops at Arsheesh's home. Over dinner, the two begin to bargain over a price for which Shasta would be sold to the Calormene. During the discussion, Shasta learns that Arsheesh is not his true father. Arsheesh had found him as an infant in a small boat that had cast ashore. In the boat with Shasta was a soldier who had obviously died in his effort to keep the child alive. During the bargaining, Shasta slips away to the stables where he talks aloud to himself.
Shasta wonders what kind of man the Tarkaan, whose name is Anradin, is and how life would be under his rule. To Shasta's surprise, the Tarkaan’s horse speaks out and tells Shasta that he would be better off dead than a slave in the Tarkaan's household. The horse introduces himself as Bree, who as a colt in Narnia, had foolishly strayed too far from his dame and had been kidnapped by Calormene thieves. Upon hearing of the horrors of Anradin’s treatment of slaves, Shasta decides that he must run away. Bree, who has always known that he could not escape Calormene without a rider, tells Shasta that he will accompany him.
After Arsheesh and the Tarkaan are asleep, Shasta steals the visitor’s saddle and bridle and with a great deal of help from Bree, manages to properly equip the horse. Settling into the saddle (like a sack of potatoes), the two ride northward into the night.
The only experience Shasta had with equines was riding the donkey, a statement to which Bree snorted in disgust. As such, Shasta was forbidden to use the reins or hold Bree’s mane. After several falls and much encouragement from Bree, Shasta found he was able to at least keep his seat by the time the dawn began and he was allowed to slip off the horse and sleep.
CHAPTER II: A Wayside Adventure
Around noon, Shasta awoke with sore muscles and an empty stomach. After finding food in the Tarkaan’s saddlebags, Shasta mounts, and they continue north. Bree informs Shasta that he is heading towards Tashbaan, the largest city in Calormene where the palace of the Tisroc (Calormene King) sits. He tells Shasta that they will have to travel through the city to reach the river, which they must then cross. As the two travel toward Tashbann, Bree tells tales of Calormene wars.
The following weeks of travel were the best of Shasta’s young life. Gradually, his muscles hardened as he become more accustomed to riding. He learned to trot, canter, jump, and gallop and did not fall nearly as much as he had in the beginning. He reveled in the air, because it did not smell of fish and the sea, and in the countryside, because with every step he was farther north.
There came an evening when they resumed their journey (having slept through the day) on a wide plain with a forest to the left and the sea, hidden by small sand hills, to their right. After an hour, Bree suddenly halted and sniffed the air; his body tensed and his ears perked in listening. Shasta, listening as well, tells Bree it is another horse traveling between them and the forest. Bree, realizing it is not a farmer’s horse but a fine, spirited horse ridden by an experienced horseman, most probably a Tarkeen. They both acknowledge that the other horse and rider had stopped immediately after they did.
Bree and Shasta waited for a cloud to cover the moon and softly trotted towards the sea in order to lose the other rider in the dunes. Suddenly, as they approached the dunes, out of the darkness came a long snarling roar. Startled and terrified, Bree turned and galloped inland, telling Shasta that it was a lion’s roar. Splashing across a small stream, hoping it would hide their scent from the lion, they continued to walk northward. Bree breaks into another frightened gallop as they hear another lion’s roar emanating from the forest.
As they galloped, Shasta notices that the other horse is galloping right next to them. As the other rider attempted to widen the space between them, two more lion’s roars sounded—one from the right and one from the left. The two horses, racing neck to neck as if in a race, splashed into a narrow inlet of the sea. Turning to look backward, Shasta saw a huge lion crouching on the shore.
As the horses climbed out of the water on the far shore, the other horse was heard to say she was tired. The rider tried to hush the horse but Bree, much larger than the other horse, shouldered his way in front:
- "Broo-hoo-hah! Steady there! I heard you, I did. There’s no good pretending, Ma’am. I heard you. You’re a Talking Horse, a Narnian horse just like me."
The rider spoke, telling Bree to mind his own business. Shasta, in hearing her voice, realizes the rider is a girl. After a minor quarrel where the girl accuses Shasta of being a thief and Bree reminds her it is only courteous to exchange greetings when one encounters a countryman, it is learned that the girl’s name is Aravis and the horse’s name is Hwin. It is also revealed that Aravis is a Tarkheena and she and her horse are running away to Narnia. Bree invites Hwin to accompany him and Shasta, which upsets Aravis because she felt the invitation should have been directed to her.
- "Excuse me Tarkheena, but that’s Calormene talk. We’re free Narnians, Hwin and I, and I suppose, if you’re running away to Narnia, you want to be one too. In that case, Hwin isn’t your horse any longer. One might just as well say you’re her human."
Settling the matter of traveling together, (Bree had to vouch for Shasta’s trustworthiness against Aravis’ accusations that he was a spy) the horses were unsaddled. Aravis offered some rather nice food to Shasta but Shasta chose to be sulky and silent. The horses spoke as if old friends, both remembering favorite places in Narnia, and discovered they were distantly related. After a time, Bree, noticing the discomfort of the two humans, asked Aravis for her story.
CHAPTER III: At the Gates of Tashabaan
Aravis stated her family lineage, which, as with all Tarkaans, led directly back to the god Tash. Her mother had died and her father had remarried. Her stepmother hated her and convinced her father to marry her to Ahoshta Tarkaan, who although of base birth, had through evil counsel and flattery, found himself in high favor of the Tisroc. He is sixty years old, has a hump on his back, a face like an ape, and is likely to be Grand Vizier when the present one dies.
Unwilling to marry such a grotesque being, Aravis rode out alone to kill herself but was stopped in the action by the pleading of her horse, who until that moment had never spoken. Together they devised a plan by which Aravis and the horse could escape to Narnia. Aravis informed her father that she would, as tradition demanded, spend three days and nights alone in the woods to honor Zardeenah, Lady of the Night and of Maidens. She then had a scribe write a letter, supposing to be from Ahoshta himself, which would inform her father that Ahoshta had come upon her in the wood during her prayers, fallen immediately in love, and married her in that hour.
That evening, after giving her maid a sleeping draught, she donned her dead brother’s armor, mounted Hwin, and fled her father’s home. Three days after, she arranged to have the feigned letter sent, as its news would prevent her father from immediately seeking her. She and Hwin rode quickly and safely until they had met up with the lions, and thus with Shasta and Bree.
The following day, the four set out for Tashbaan. During the journey, Aravis and Bree, because they both knew the same people, spoke long of these people, various battles, and places of common interest. Hwin, being quite shy with the great war horse, said little, and Shasta, who knew nothing of the topic of conversation, said nothing at all. As they approached Tashbaan, it became necessary to formulate a plan to travel through it without revealing their identities. It was Hwin who came up with the only workable plan.
It was decided that the horses should roll in the dirt until they were dusty and have their tails raggedly cut. Aravis’ armor would be rolled into bundles to be put on the horses’ backs and the children would dress in rags and lead the horses through. Although it would be difficult to hide the fact that one was a warhorse and the other a fine thoroughbred, both horses felt that if they hung their heads and tried to look tired and old, it might just work. It was further decided that they should meet, together or separately, in case they encountered problems, at the old tombs situated across the river on the far side of Tashbaan.
CHAPTER IV: Shasta Falls in With the Narnians
The children and the horses entered the city at dawn, hidden among the crowd of peasants bringing their goods to sell. Despite a few small mishaps, (a soldier chided Shasta for using his father’s good horse) and crowded streets, the group began to make good progress through the city. Suddenly there was a blare of horns and the crowds shoved backwards to the edge of the street, causing Shasta to loose his grip on Bree. Aravis deftly grabbed Bree’s reins and pulled herself and the horses to the rear of the crowd. Shasta, however, found himself to the front of the impenetrable crowd and in direct view of the assemblage of Narnians passing by.
It was unlike any other assemblage they had seen that day. The men wore fine armor and both ladies and men wore bright, grand colors. All were fair skinned and many fair-haired. All together, they seemed a cheerful and friendly group. Suddenly, one of the fair-haired men reached out and grabbed Shasta from the edge of the crowd, exclaiming, “Here he is! Here is our runaway!” Shocked and dismayed, Shasta found himself drawn into the progress of the merry group.
Unsure of what to do, Shasta, despite many questions, remained silent. The party finally reached a beautiful courtyard and entered the house there. Believing Shasta to have a touch of sunstroke, the gentle people put him on a couch covered with soft pillows and fed him iced sherbet. As they kept referring to him as “Prince Corin” and sighing over what the King of Archenland would do if they had lost him, Shasta came to the conclusion that he had been mistaken for the Prince of Archenland, who must resemble him.
As Shasta lay in the dark corner of the room, he unabashedly listened to the discussion of the others. The tall man, who was in fact, King Edmund, was asking the fair-haired woman, who was his sister, Queen Susan, what her decision would be regarding the suit of Prince Rabadash. Susan admitted that while in Narnia, Rabadash had presented an entirely different personality. In Tashbaan, she had seen his true self, and it was very disagreeable to her. Edmund, with a great sigh of relief, expressed his happiness with Susan’s perception and admitted he found Rabadash to be a proud, cruel, self-pleasing tyrant.
CHAPTER 5: Prince Corin
Edmund went on to explain that that in turning down Rabadash’s suit, the Narnians would probably find it very difficult to leave the city. As long as Rabadash had hope of winning his suit, they had been honored guests. With Susan’s refusal, it was probable that they would be considered prisoners and all their actions suspect. As the group continued to reveal the small hints that they had heard (or overheard) regarding the consequences of a refusal, they all realized not only their personal danger, but also the danger to Narnia.
Edmund conveyed that the Tisroc had little to fear from small Narnia, but countered that it would be difficult for a large army to cross the vast desert that separated the two countries. Sallowpad the raven, an old and very wise bird, told them he knew the desert well as he had flown if far and wide in his younger days, and agreed that beyond the first oasis, there was no water for a large company. He then stated that there was another way.
From the corner, Shasta’s ears perked up. Sallowpad explained that if one started from the Tombs of the Ancient Kings, headed always northwest so that the double peaks of Mount Pire were always straight ahead, that one day’s ride would find one at the entrance of a narrow valley that led to a river. One could then follow the river to Archenland.
After a brief argument on whether or not the Calormens knew of this path, Tumnus the faun, whose presence had given Shasta quite a shock, laid out a plan by which the Narnians could safely exit the city. Advising Susan to continue to consider Rabadash’s suit, the Narnians would plan a grand party on their ship, the Splendor Hyaline. In this way, the ship could be provisioned, for it would seem they were merely preparing for the party, and in the night before the planned festivities, slip quickly out of the harbor and set sail for Narnia.
After Shasta had been put to bed, he was unable to sleep. It must be remembered that he had been raised by a cruel, ignorant, and self-serving fisherman. He told himself that the Narnians would accept Aravis, for she was nobility, and they would welcome the horses as long-lost countrymen. He could only think, however, that they would consider him a spy and an enemy. As he was thinking these sorrowful thoughts, he finally dozed off, only to be awakened by a great crash. Leaping from the bed, he found himself face to face with a very dirty boy sporting a quickly blackening eye. After a quick conversation where they both explained their circumstances, the real Prince Corin, for that, of course, was the boy, instructed Shasta on how to climb down from the window and find his way to the far gate of the city. Before Shasta left, Corin told him that if he ever came to Archenland, he should ask for King Lune and tell him he was a friend.
CHAPTER VI: Shasta Among the Tombs
Shasta made it out of the city, across the great bridge, and finally to the tombs. They were quite large and very quiet. After being startled by the horns signaling the closing of the gates of the city, Shasta began to wonder if Aravis had made it out of the city, and if she had, had she gone on without him. As the sun began to set, Shasta realized he would have to spend the night alone amongst the tombs and began to feel more than a little frightened.
Positioning himself a small distance away, he tried to sleep. Suddenly, he was startled by the brush of something next to him. It was only a cat that settled itself warmly by his side. Shasta slept.
In the night, Shasta was awakened by the cry of jackals. This was immediately followed by the roar of a lion. Terrified, Shasta remained motionless as the great beast turned towards him. When he finally opened his eyes, he realized it was only the cat. Thinking his imagination had gotten the best of him, he again went to sleep.
The following morning, Shasta went back to the river to bathe and raid a Tarkaan’s gardens for some fruit. He returned to the Tombs and waited throughout the day. Just before dusk, he spied a man leading Bree and Hwin, no longer disguised as packhorses, but fitted with fine tack. Believing it to be a trap—that the man was only waiting for him to run out from the Tombs and be captured—Shasta remained hiding and watching.
CHAPTER 7: Aravis in Tashbaan
As Shasta was taken away by the Narnians, Aravis quickly grabbed Bree’s reins and attempted to continue to the far gate. Unfortunately, another procession started through the crowds, and this time, Aravis was caught in front of the crowd. Matters became much worse when Aravis realized the procession was for her friend, the Tarkeena Lasaraleen. Lasaraleen, of course recognized Aravis and gaily cried out to her. Desperate not to attract attention, Aravis dropped the horse’s reins, climbed into the Tarkeena’s litter, and furiously whispered to Lasaraleen to have her people take up the horses. She then shut the curtains of the litter, demanded the girl’s attention and ordered her to quickly return home. Despite wanting to continue her procession through the city, Lasaraleen, who was a very foolish and silly girl, was curious to hear Aravis’ story.
After a bath, which Aravis enjoyed very much, and listening to Lasaraleen gossip and flutter, which drove Aravis to distraction, Aravis was finally able to convey to the Tarkeena her story and determined effort to escape Tashbaan. Lasaraleen agreed to take Aravis to the river by way of the Tisroc’s old palace as it was never used, but she was such a dear friend of the Tisroc’s he would not mind her enjoying his gardens.
They could not go that night. The following day, Aravis arranged to have the horses led by a groom to the Tombs. He was to wait there until somebody showed up to take them as she assumed Shasta would do. Lasaraleen, however, would not attempt to go to the old palace until that night and Aravis spent a long and trying day in her company.
That evening they set out for the old palace. Lasaraleen initially was quite excited, viewing the entire thing as a grand adventure. Suddenly, they heard footsteps, and Lasaraleen, afraid to be found there, pulled Aravis into a dark room. As the door to the room opened, the two scrambled behind a couch, although Aravis could not pull her head far enough in and so saw and heard everything that occurred.
The people who had entered the room were the Tisroc, his son Rabadash, and none other than Aravis’ intended, Ahoshta Tarkaan. Two deaf mute slaves stood beside the door as the Tisroc seated himself on the very couch the girls hid behind.
CHAPTER VII: In the House of the Tisroc
Rabadash immediately began speaking of his great desire for the false, proud, black hearted daughter of a dog, Queen Susan. He claimed his life worthless if he could not have the barbarian queen. Ahoshta, groveling on the floor, spouted gratuitous poetry for which he received a well-aimed kick from the Prince. Demanding retribution for Susan’s faithlessness and her cowardly flight, Rabadash proposed a plan to his father.
Telling him he would take no more than a hundred men, he would ride through the desert by a secret path that would bring them to the borders of Archenland within a day. He and his men would take Archenland unaware and conquer it. With Archenland in the hands of Calormene, all of Narnia would be theirs.
The Tisroc, who while desiring Narnia, did not wish for open war with the country. He informed Rabadash that due to this secret meeting, nobody but the three of them would know of the plan. He countered, however, that should Rabadash fail, he would deny knowledge and refuse to revenge the Prince should he die. Agreeing to this caveat, Rabadash and Ahoshta (who had received many kicks during the discussion) left the room. Much to the girls dismay, it seemed as if the Tisroc would remain in order to nap, but he, too, eventually arose and left.
CHAPTER IX: Across the Desert
Despite Lasaraleen’s terrified desire to return to her home, Aravis cruelly forced her to continue to lead her to the gate to the river. Once there, Lasaraleen continued to plead with Aravis, telling her what a great man Ahoshta was. Aravis, having witnessed the man groveling and flattering through repeated kicks and insults, merely smiled at Lasaraleen, bid her a good life, and slipped through the gate where she found a punt to row across the river.
Approaching the Tombs, Aravis encountered the groom who handed her the reins and fled towards the city. When Shasta saw the groom leave, he came out from his hiding place and went to greet Aravis and the horses.
Aravis quickly explained Rabadash’s plan and urged that they leave immediately. Bree, confident of his battle experience, downplayed the rush by explaining the time it took to gather and prepare a force of men and horses. He also cautioned them about galloping night and day, saying it was impossible and advising a slow but deliberate pace. Shasta, who during the daylight had marked an arrow towards the direction of Mount Pire, told them of the shortcut he had overheard.
The group rode through the night, sometimes trotting, sometimes walking, and during the walks, the children slipped off to walk too. As the sun rose, Shasta corrected their direction but Mount Pire still looked as far away as it had the day before. Tashbaan was just a smudge in the distance, but refused to look any smaller the farther they went. In the late morning, as Shasta slid off Bree to walk, he quickly leaped back into the saddle. The sand had become so hot it was burning his bare feet.
On they traveled, walk, trot, walk, trot, with small rests for food and water. Finally, as the moon was rising, Shasta saw the opening to the narrow valley. The horses, nearly at the end of their endurance, followed its curves. First, they saw a tiny trickle, which soon turned into a stream, and finally a river. Walking into its cool water, everyone soon slaked their thirst and washed the dust of the journey away.
After Aravis and Shasta had eaten, and the horses had made a nice meal of the good green grass of the valley, Aravis tried to get them to continue, telling them they must stay ahead of Rabadash. Bree and Hwin asked for just a brief rest. Soon all four were asleep.
The sun was already high in the sky when Aravis awoke. Frantically, she woke the others while she berated herself for sleeping. Although she tried to rush, Bree would not continue without eating (although he should have known better) and Hwin felt that she, too, must have something to eat before they traveled. As such, it was nearly an hour before they were underway again.
CHAPTER X: The Hermit of the Southern March
Aravis, Shasta, Hwin, and Bree traveled on for several more hours, and finally crossed the river that was the southern border of Archenland. At the top of one particularly steep hill, Shasta turned to look south and asked the others if what he was seeing was dust or smoke. As they looked down over the desert, they realized that what Shasta had thought was smoke was actually Rabadash’s army and it was almost across the desert. Turning swiftly, Bree and Hwin began to gallop north. Quick! They are at the river. The two horses galloped even faster.
Although the horses thought they were running as fast as they could, they were not running as fast as they truly could. Suddenly, to everyone’s dismay, a lion roared behind them. The horses ran faster. Some distance away, they saw a wall with a gate, and once more hearing the lion’s roar, ran even faster to reach safety. Shasta turned in the saddle and saw the lion bounding and leaping quite close to Hwin and Aravis. Seeing the lion rear up to strike Aravis from the saddle, Shasta, quite without thinking, slipped off Bree and began to run towards Hwin. The lion, however, struck Aravis once, turned in mid leap, and retreated in the opposite direction. Shasta followed the stumbling Hwin, who still carried the now bleeding Aravis through the gate.
Standing beside the gate was a very old robed and bearded man. Panting, Shasta asked him if he was King Lune of Archenland. The old man told him he was the Hermit of the Southern March. He went on to tell Shasta that Aravis was gravely wounded, the horses were spent, and that Shasta would have to run on to warn the King, for Rabadash was at that very moment looking for a ford in the river. He then pointed to a second gate, situated directly across the grassy courtyard and told him to run through the gate and continue running straight ahead. Shasta ran through the gate and straight ahead.
The Hermit unsaddled and brushed down the horses, telling them to be comforted with fresh water and green grass. He then went to Aravis to tend to her wounds. When Aravis awoke, she was lying on her stomach and could feel the soothing balms and clean bandages on her back. The Hermit brought her goats milk, which she had never tasted, and told her she would heal for her wounds were no more than if they had been made by the lash of a whip.
The following day, Aravis arose and went out to speak with Hwin who told her that Bree had been acting strangely. After telling Bree that the Hermit was sure that Shasta had found King Lune in time, Bree announced he would never go to Narnia. He was ashamed of his cowardice before the lion and humiliated that it had been Shasta, an unarmed boy, who had turned to help Aravis during the attack. Aravis admitted that she had been very hard on Shasta by looking down on him for his upbringing and his manners.
The Hermit, who was nearby, explained to Bree that all he had lost was his self-conceit, grown out of proportion from being a talking beast living amongst dumb beasts. Of course he had been cleverer than the horses of Calormene, but he must not think he was to be anything special amongst the other talking beasts of Narnia. As long as he remembered that, he would live a full and contented life.
CHAPTER XI: The Unwelcome Fellow Traveler
Shasta ran. Shasta ran until his legs trembled and a stitch cramped in his side. He ran until his sweat ran into his eyes and blinded him. Still he ran straight, never turning and never slowing. As he entered a thick wood, he heard ahead of him the blowing of a horn. The next moment he ran into a glade that was filled with men and horses. The King, who was about to mount his horse, turned and cried, “Corin!”
Shasta shook his head and very briefly told the King it was not Corin, he only looked like his son and they must fly to Anvard for Rabadash and two hundred horse were almost upon it. Shasta was placed on a spare horse, and the hunting group rode swiftly to Anvard.
Shasta soon found himself trailing the others. In all his riding of Bree, he had never learned to use the reins. This horse, which was a dumb beast and not a talking horse, sensed his inexperience and slowed its pace. The procession of horses entered into a great bank of fog. Shasta continued to hear the horns but the gradually seemed to be more distant. Shasta could not see a thing in the fog and his horse was walking now despite his urging. Resigned to allowing the horse to go where it would, Shasta just sat, hoping the horse knew its way home.
Shasta came to a crossroads. Unsure of which way Rabadash went, or would go, he hesitated. In the distance he heard the sound of many horses and turned his horse back into the fog. Rabadash’s troop stopped at the crossroad and the Prince told his men that once in Narnia they were to shed as little blood as possible. On this venture in Archenland, however, he wanted no man left standing. With this directive, Rabadash and his men took the other road to Anvard.
Shasta, happy not to have been seen, prodded his horse to the opposite road hoping to find a cottage or shelter. As he rode, tired, hungry, and dispirited, Shasta began to feel quite sorry for himself. He argued that everything always came out right for everyone but him. The King and Queen of Narnia escaped Calormene; Aravis, Bree, and Hwin were safe with the Hermit; King Lune was safe in his castle—only he was left behind to fend for himself. Shasta felt so sorry for himself, tears were soon flowing from his eyes.
Suddenly, Shasta realized he was not alone. Something or somebody was walking beside the horse, and that something was being very very quiet. All Shasta could hear was it breathing. Finally, after a time, and when he could bear it no longer, Shasta asked, “Who are you?” A voice spoke in the darkness, telling Shasta he had waited long for him to speak. After being assured that the voice was not a ghost, Shasta told the voice his story. He told of his escape and how lions chased him. He told of meeting Aravis, the dangers of Tashbaan, the horrors of the Tombs, of the desert, and Aravis being wounded by a lion. The voice told him he did not think him an unfortunate boy. Shasta asked the voice if it did not think meeting so many lions was unfortunate and the voice told him there had been only one lion.
The voice said he was the lion. He was the lion that forced the two horses together so they would travel together. He was the cat who had comforted him at the Tombs and drove the jackals away. He was the lion who gave the strength of fear so that they might reach the Hermit in time; and although Shasta would not remember, he was the lion who pushed a boat containing a dying baby to a shore where a man, wakened at midnight, would receive it.
Shasta again asked, “Who are you?” and the voice replied, “Myself.” Shasta found he was no longer frightened and when the sun rose, he saw beside him the Great Lion, who was Aslan. As the sun rose higher, the golden light of the lion mixed in with the brightness of the dawn, and Shasta, looking down once again, found he was alone with the horse.
CHAPTER XII: Shasta in Narnia
Shasta wondered if it had all been a dream, but when he looked down, he saw the imprint of a giant paw. As he looked, the print began to fill with water until it became a small stream of clean water that ran through the grass. Shasta dismounted and he and the horse drank deeply of the water, which was very cold and very refreshing. He then unsaddled the horse, set it to graze, and began walking down the hill toward the wood below. As he entered the wood, a voice called good morning and Shasta came face to face with a hedgehog.
Shasta told the hedgehog he had just come from Archenland where Prince Rabadash of Calormene had begun his attack. The hedgehog agreed that something should be done, but he was on his way home for a good day’s sleep. A large rabbit hopped along and the Hedgehog repeated what Shasta had told him. The rabbit agreed that something should be done. This continued through several of the small creatures of the wood and while all agreed that something should be done, none felt the slightest urgency to do it.
Presently two who were more practical arrived. One was a dwarf named Duffle and the other a beautiful and lordly stag. Upon hearing the news of Rabadash and his assault on Anvard, the stag bounded away to deliver the news to the Kings and Queens of Narnia at Cair Paravel. Duffle, noticing Shasta’s white face and obvious fatigue, walked him further into the wood until they came upon a little house with a smoking chimney. Yelling to his brothers (for this where Duffle lived) to quickly bring breakfast, he settled Shasta onto a small stool before a small table and served him porridge. After the porridge, Shasta was given bacon and eggs and mushrooms along with hot coffee laced with hot milk. Shasta thoroughly stuffing himself with the best breakfast he had eaten in his life, and went outside with Duffle. Duffle began to describe the lay of the land, but was interrupted by a snore from Shasta. Exhausted, Shasta had fallen asleep in the warm sunshine.
Shasta slept for most of the day but awoke in time to eat supper, which was even better than breakfast had been. He slept on the floor of the cottage that night, for dwarves’ beds were too small for him. The following morning, just after breakfast, they heard trumpets and soon King Edmund, Queen Lucy, and Prince Corin on a small pony entered the clearing. They were followed by an army of many men on horses, centaurs, bears, great Talking dogs, and six giants.
Corin dismounted as soon as he saw Shasta and began talking to him of the attack on Anvard and how they were on their way to aid his father, King Lune. When Edmund inquired to Shasta’s identity, Corin explained Shasta was the boy Edmund had mistaken for him in Calormene. Lucy, looking at both the boys, stated they were identical.
A short time later, Shasta heard Edmund bellow, and creeping through the crowd saw Edmund, looking very angry, Corin, looking slightly ashamed, and a dwarf who was being helped out of his armor by two fauns. Evidently, the dwarf had been put in charge of Corin to assure he would remain safely behind the battle. Corin, unhappy with that prospect, engaged the dwarf in a fight. The dwarf had slipped and badly sprained his ankle during the encounter. Edmund admonished Corin for depriving them of a proved warrior on the eve of battle.
Corin, however, had plans. Grabbing Shasta he explained that there was now spare armor (the dwarf’s) and a spare pony (also the dwarf’s) for Shasta to use. He helped Shasta into the armor. Shasta’s heart sank when Corin gleefully told him that now they could both fight in the battle.
