[Discussion 3/3] The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis - Chapters 10 - The End
Welcome back for our final check in of The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis!
For a place to note your thoughts (and to keep track of events - this series spans many years!), head over to our marginalia post here -- but beware of spoilers! The marginalia post also contains links to the other discussions for this series.
Speaking of spoilers: while Narnia is an older series, that does not mean everyone has read it! Please use spoiler tags when referencing any later events in this series. When in doubt, err on the side of caution and use a tag!
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Chapter 10:
Finally in the greener land of Archenland, our group spots Prince Rabadash’s army quickly approaching across the desert. The horses run as fast as they can but their journey has taken a toll on them and they quickly tire. As Bree pulls ahead of Hwin, Shasta turns around to see a giant lion closing in on the girls, and he begs Bree to turn around. When Bree doesn’t respond, Shasta throws himself off and stumbles back to help as the lion strikes at Aravis. To Shasta’s (and our) surprise, the lion is fended off by a shout. Both Aravis and Hwin are injured, but as the lion leaves, the Hermit of the Southern Marsh approaches to help.
Shasta continues on to find King Lune on his own while Aravis and the horses stay behind with the hermit to recuperate. Aravis believes that Shasta will be successful, but Bree declares that he will enter back into slavery as he is ashamed that he didn’t help fend off the lion. The Hermit chastises the warhorse and tells him to being humbled isn’t a bad thing.
Chapter 11:
Shasta does find King Lune. After clarifying that he is not Prince Corin, Shasta relays the message about the approaching Prince Rabadash. The King quickly agrees with him and provides him with a horse. However, Shasta struggles with his horse and is quickly left behind, having to hide from Prince Rabadash’s group. He overhears Rabadash’s plans for assaulting King Lune’s castle and attacking Narnia.
After Rabadash’s 200 men move on, Shasta is alone with his horse. Lost and cold, he cries about how exhausted and unfortunate he is when suddenly a Large Voice speaks to him. Using its warm breath to assure Shasta that it is not a ghost, the voice explains to Shasta that there was only ever one lion on this journey – Aslan has been by his side the whole time. When Aslan reveals himself to Shasta, we learn that Shasta has never heard of Aslan; but even he can tell that he is in the presence of a true High King. When Aslan departs, Shasta again finds himself alone with his horse.
Chapter 12:
In the morning, Shasta wonders if his entire encounter with Aslan was a dream before he realizes that he has somehow crossed the mountains into Narnia.
In Narnia, Shasta is quickly swept up into the lives of the talking animals. First a hedgehog, then Rabbit, then more creatures appear and Shasta tells them all of the incoming threat. Finally, it is the dwarf Duffle who agrees to send the message. After having lunch with the dwarf and his kin, Shasta falls asleep only to awaken later to the sound of trumpets. Lord Peridan of Narnia had arrived at the home of the dwarfs along with King Edmund, Queen Lucy, and Corin. Shasta is finally able to relay his message to Narnian loyalty. Corin is eager to fight but has been forbidden by Edmund. However, after the dwarf Thornbut is injured, Edmund declares that Shasta can wear the dwarf’s armor for battle.
Chapter 13:
Shasta and the Narnian army arrive at King Lune’s castle, Anvard, to see Prince Rabadash’s men battering the walls.
From afar, the Hermit observes the battle and relays everything to Aravis, Bree, and Hwin. Once the battle is over, an exhausted Shasta falls from his horse. The remaining Calormenes have been taken prisoner, and Rabadash has gotten himself stuck to a wall thanks to a hole in his mail. Rabadash insists on fighting but the Narnians take his sword and carry him off.
Corin brings Shasta to King Lune. With the boys finally side by side, most are surprised. King Lune takes Shasta and kisses him on the cheeks to cheers from the crowd.
Chapter 14:
Learning that Shasta has survived battle, Hwin is eager to continue into Narnia, but Bree would rather wait until he is more presentable. When asked why he always says expressions such as, “By the Lion”, Bree begins to explain about Aslan and how he isn’t really a lion, but he is interrupted by the very lion Himself leaping into the wall.
Aslan promises Hwin that she will find joy and invites Bree to touch him to prove that he is actually a lion before declaring that there is another visitor coming.
Prince Cor arrives but is quickly revealed by his clumsy bow to by Shasta. He explains the story of what happened after his birth: Born a twin, there was a rumor that Prince Cor would one day save Archenland from great danger. Lord Bar, a spy of the Tistorc, kidnapped Cor and attempted to bring him to Calormen. King Lune gave chase and killed Lord Bar but Cor had been sent with a single knight on a smaller boat. Eventually, he was found by Arsheesh and renamed Shasta.
His role in stopping Prince Rabadash fulfilled the prophecy. Cor also says that King Lune would like Aravis to live with them as they had had no ladies at court since the death of the queen. Cor and Aravis, walking with Hwin and Bree (as you don’t ride talking horses in Narnia or Archenland, except in times of great need), head north.
Chapter 15:
Arriving at court, Aravis tells King Lune how Cor had saved her from the lion. At lunch later with Edmund and Lucy, the group agree not to kill Rabadash. Once at trial, Rabadash is defiant and continues to threaten the others. Aslan arrives and foretells Rabadash’s doom unless he changes his ways. When Rabadash accuses Aslan of being a demon, the lion changes him into a donkey. His small mercy is that if he goes to the temple of Tash and remains within a ten-mile radius, he can change back into a man. If he strays beyond that limit, he will forever be a donkey.
Rabadash later becomes the most peaceful Tisroc in Calormen history, as it is very hard to wage war when you can’t go beyond 10 miles of a temple. However, he is forever known as Rabadash the Ridiculous due to his time as a donkey.
After Rabadash is sent off, there is a feast to celebrate. King Lune then tells Cor that he is next in line for the throne due to being 20 minutes older than Corin. Cor tries to say no, but Corin is glad to be free of the responsibility.
In the future, Cor and Corin will quarrel like brothers, but Cor is stronger in battle. Cor also quarrels with Aravis, but not too badly: they end up married and become King and Queen of Archenland upon King Lune’s death. Both Bree and Hwin also get married in Narnia, but not to each other. They often visit Anvard to see their old friends.
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Fun Fact: The Horse and His Boy was written before The Silver Chair, despite being published after. As such, there is a bit of a spoiler! (As we have already read The Silver Chair, it is not considered a spoiler for us). Did you catch it?
>And when all the serious eating and drinking was over, a blind poet came forward and struck up the grand old tale of Prince Cor and Aravis and the horse Bree, which is called The Horse and His Boy and tells an adventure that happened in Narnia and Calormen and the lands between in the Golden Age when Peter was High King in Cair Paravel. (I haven’t time to tell it now although it is worth hearing.)
Another fun fact? This is our first Narnian read that did not take place in multiple worlds: we remained in Narnia the whole time!
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Next week, we will be starting our next book, The Magician's Nephew. See you there!