The Horse and His Boy facts for kids
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First edition dustjacket
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| Author | C. S. Lewis |
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| Illustrator | Pauline Baynes |
| Cover artist | Pauline Baynes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Chronicles of Narnia |
| Genre | Children's fantasy novel, Christian literature |
| Publisher | Geoffrey Bles |
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Publication date
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6 September 1954 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 199 pp (first edition) 48,029 words (US) |
| ISBN | 978-0-00-671678-5 (Collins, 1998; full colour) |
| OCLC | 2801054 |
| LC Class | PZ7.L58474 Ho |
| Preceded by | The Silver Chair |
| Followed by | The Magician's Nephew |
The Horse and His Boy is an exciting fantasy novel for young readers. It was written by C. S. Lewis and first published in 1954. This book is one of the seven stories in The Chronicles of Narnia series. It was the fifth book in the series to be released.
The story takes place during the time when the four Pevensie children – Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy – are ruling as Kings and Queens of Narnia. While some of the Pevensies appear in the book, the main characters are two children and two talking horses. They are all trying to escape from a land called Calormen and travel north to Narnia. On their journey, they discover a secret plan. The Prince of Calormen wants to attack Archenland. The heroes must warn the King of Archenland about this danger.
Like all the Narnia books, The Horse and His Boy features beautiful drawings by Pauline Baynes. Her artwork is still used in many newer versions of the book.
Contents
Story Summary
A young boy named Shasta has always lived with a Calormene fisherman named Arsheesh. One evening, Shasta learns a shocking secret. He overhears Arsheesh talking to a rich Calormene lord. Shasta finds out that he is going to be sold. He is also relieved to learn that Arsheesh is not his real father.
While Shasta waits in the stable for his new master, something amazing happens. Bree, the lord's horse, starts talking to him! Bree is a Talking Horse from Narnia. He was captured when he was a foal and has pretended to be a normal horse ever since. Bree tells Shasta that his new master will be very mean. Shasta decides he must escape. Bree suggests they ride north together to the magical land of Narnia.
On their journey, Shasta and Bree meet another pair of runaways. They are Aravis, a young Calormene noble girl, and Hwin, another Talking Horse. Aravis is running away because she is being forced to marry Ahoshta. He is an old and unpleasant advisor to the Calormene king. Hwin's story is similar to Bree's.
Journey Through Tashbaan
The four friends travel through Tashbaan. This is the huge capital city of Calormen. There, they meet some visitors from Narnia. The Narnians mistake Shasta for Corin. Corin is the prince of Archenland, a peaceful kingdom south of Narnia. Prince Corin had gone exploring earlier that day.
Shasta has to go with the Narnians. He overhears their plans to escape from Calormen. They want to stop a forced marriage between Queen Susan of Narnia and Rabadash. Rabadash is the son of the Tisroc, who is the king of Calormen. Shasta manages to escape when the real Prince Corin returns.
Meanwhile, Aravis has been seen by her friend Lasaraleen. Aravis asks Lasaraleen to help her escape Tashbaan. Lasaraleen doesn't understand why Aravis would want to leave her rich life. But she still helps Aravis escape through the Tisroc's palace garden. On their way, they hide when the Tisroc, Rabadash, and Ahoshta come near. Aravis overhears them talking about the Narnians' escape. Rabadash wants to invade Narnia to capture Queen Susan. The Tisroc gives Rabadash permission to conquer Archenland first. Then he can quickly raid Narnia to kidnap Queen Susan. This plan is made while High King Peter is away fighting giants.
Warning Archenland
Aravis meets Shasta and the horses outside Tashbaan. She tells them about the evil plan. The four friends set off across the desert. They take a hidden valley route. They hope to outrun Rabadash's army. Shasta arrives in Archenland just in time. He warns Archenland and Narnia about the approaching Calormenes.
When Rabadash and his horsemen reach the castle of King Lune in Archenland, the defenders are ready. A battle begins. The fight is tough until help arrives from Narnia. Edmund and Lucy lead the Narnian reinforcements. The Calormenes are defeated, and Rabadash is captured.
Aslan's Justice
King Lune offers Rabadash a chance to be released if he agrees to certain conditions. But Rabadash refuses. Then, Aslan the Lion appears. Aslan is the King of Beasts and a powerful figure in Narnia. Rabadash insults Aslan, and Aslan transforms him into a donkey.
Aslan tells Rabadash that he will turn back into a human if he stands before the altar of Tash at the Autumn Feast. However, if he ever goes more than ten miles from the Temple of Tash after that, he will become a donkey forever. Because of this, Rabadash becomes a peaceful ruler when he becomes Tisroc. He never dares to go to war, as it would mean crossing the ten-mile boundary.
Shasta's True Identity
The victorious King Lune recognizes Shasta as his own son, Cor. Cor is the long-lost twin brother of Prince Corin. As the older twin, Cor is the true heir to the throne of Archenland. Prince Corin is very happy about this, as he never wanted to be king.
Cor had been kidnapped as a baby. This was an attempt to stop a prophecy. The prophecy said he would one day save Archenland from its greatest danger. Shasta's timely warning about the Calormene attack has now fulfilled this prophecy. Aravis and Shasta live in Archenland after this. They eventually marry. Their son, Ram, becomes a very famous king of Archenland. Corin grows up to be a strong warrior known as "Prince Corin Thunderfist." The book ends by saying that Bree and Hwin often visited Cor and Aravis. They were never apart for more than a month.
Main Characters
- Shasta (later known as Cor) is a boy who was kidnapped as a baby. He was forced to work in Calormen. Shasta escapes from his mean master with the Talking Horse Bree. At the end of the story, Shasta finds out he is actually Prince Cor. He is the older twin brother of Prince Corin of Archenland. Shasta saves Archenland from a big danger, fulfilling an old prophecy.
- Bree is a Talking Horse from Narnia. He was captured by the Calormenes when he was a foal. Bree warns Shasta that his master will not treat him well. So, Bree and Shasta decide to run away together.
- Aravis is a girl from a rich Calormene family. She runs away with Hwin to avoid being forced into a marriage she doesn't want.
- Hwin is a mare (female horse) and a friend of Aravis. Hwin was born a free talking animal in Narnia. But she was captured as a foal by the Calormenes. She has spent most of her life hiding her true identity as a Talking Horse.
Adaptations
The Horse and His Boy has been brought to life in different ways:
- Focus on the Family created an audio play of the book in 2000.
- Walden Media made movies based on other Narnia books. These include The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Walden Media also has the option to make The Chronicles of Narnia: The Horse and His Boy into a movie in the future.
- The BBC made a radio play series of The Chronicles of Narnia in 1998. This series included The Horse and His Boy. It was called "The Complete Chronicles of Narnia: The Classic BBC Radio 4 Full-Cast Dramatisations."
See also
In Spanish: The Horse and His Boy para niños
