In this episode, Christin and the boys conclude their reading of The Horse and His Boy.
S5E53: “The Horse and His Boy (Part II)” (Download)
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Show Notes
Introduction
Quote-of-the-week
I was quite safe. That is why the Lion kept on my left. He was between me and the edge all the time.
C.S. Lewis, The Horse and His Boy (Chapter 13)
Chit-Chat
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Beverage and Toast
- Everyone was drinking the same drinks as before.
- We toasted Patreon supporter Deborah Burtaine.
Discussion
9. “Across the desert”
Lasaraleen is shaken from the experience of nearly being caught and wants to abandon their plan, but Aravis forces her to continue. They part ways at the river and Aravis heads to the tombs where she is reunited with the rest of her travelling companions. When she arrives, she tells them about Prince Rabadash’s plan. They leave immediately, following the path which Shasta heard described by the raven, Sallopad. After a gruelling journey, just after sunset on the second day, they find the valley and a river. They refresh themselves with the water and then fall asleep…
Summary of Chapter 9 of “The Horse and His Boy”
10. “The hermit of the Southern March”
The group cross the Arrow River into Archenland. Looking back, they see Rabadash’s army in the distance. The horses begin to gallop. A lion begins to chase them and they increase their speed even more than they thought possible. When the lion has nearly caught Aravais, Shasta jumps off Bree’s back and runs back to face it. After slashing her back, the lion runs away. All of them enter the home of the Hermit of the Southern March. He tells an exhausted Shasta where to run to find King Lune. In the meantime, the Hermit cares for the wounded Aravis and spent horses. The next day Aravis visits the horses. Bree is in low spirits, humiliated by the fact that he fled from the lion while Shasta ran and faced it. He says that he has lost everything and announces he will return to Calormen to be a slave. The Hermit tells him that the only thing he has lost is his own self-conceit.
Summary of Chapter 10 of “The Horse and His Boy”
11. “The unwelcome fellow traveller”
Shasta finds King Lune and his courtiers in a glade, and warns him of Rabadash’s attack. King Lune is puzzled by Shasta’s appearance, but gives him a horse and the party head back to Anvard. Unable to properly control his horse, Shasta soon falls behind and is lost in the mountain fog. At a fork in the road, he chooses the right-hand side and hears Prince Rabadash telling his men to kill all the males in Anvard and then head on to Narnia to abduct Queen Susan. The Calormen then take the other path. Shasta continues on the path he had chosen, but soon discovers that there is something moving alongside him. He asks who it is and only receives cryptic replies. The voice asks Shasta to tell Him his troubles and Shasta recounts the story so far. It is then that the Large Voice reveals that there was only one lion in all their adventures. The mist clears to reveal a shining Aslan. Shasta falls at His feet as the Lion disappears from before his eyes.
Summary of Chapter 11 of “The Horse and His Boy”
12. “Shasta in Narnia”
Shasta realizes that he’s arrived in Narnia. He drinks some water flowing from the footprint left by Aslan. He then heads downhill and meets a hedgehog, as well as other talking beasts. After much dithering, a stag runs off to Cair Paravel to warn the Kings and Queens of Narnia of the invasion. A group of dwarves take Shasta home for breakfast and, after a fine meal, he falls asleep. The next morning, a small Narnian army arrives, led by King Edmund and Queen Lucy, together with Prince Corin. Shasta apologises to Edmund for allowing him to think that he was Prince Corin. Prince Corin’s minder tells Corin that he is not allowed to participate in the battle and they get into a fist fight. Corin convinces Shasta to sneak into the battle with him.
Summary of Chapter 12 of “The Horse and His Boy”
13. “The fight at Anvard”
The Narnian army heads into Archenland. We learn that Queen Susan remained at Cair Paravel. They arrive at Anvard and see the Calormen army using a battering ram against Anvard’s gates. The Narnian army engages the Calormen and Shasta is knocked from his horse. The narrative perspective then shifts to the Hermit who is staring into his magical pool and describing the events of the battle to Aravis and the horses. We are told that the Narnians and Archenlanders are ultimately triumphant. We then return to Shasta who also discovers his side is victorious! He sees Prince Rabadash hanging by his chain mail from a hook in the castle wall. Rabadash is brought tied-up into the castle. King Lune embraces Shasta and brings him to Corin and then asks those present: “Now, gentlemen, look on them both. Has any man any doubts?”
Summary of Chapter 13 of “The Horse and His Boy”
14. “How Bree became a wiser horse”
The morning following the battle, the horses and Aravis talk about leaving the Hermit and continuing their journey into Narnia. During this conversation, Aravis asks Bree why he always swears ‘by the lion,’ and Bree tells her about Aslan, although he doesn’t believe He’s a real lion. While saying this, Aslan appears and scares Bree. He tells them that He has been with them throughout their journey and reveals that the scratches Aravis received mirrored the lashes given to the slave girl whom Aravis drugged. Afterwards, Shasta arrives, and we find out he is now known as Prince Cor, the brother of Corin, and long-lost son of King Lune. Aravis apologises for her earlier rudeness. Cor tells the story of how a centaur predicted that he would one day save Archenland and, as a result, was kidnapped by a traitor, and was ultimately found by Arsheesh. Aravis is invited to live with Cor’s family at Anvard and, after a final roll from Bree on the ground, our travellers head towards Anvard.
Summary of Chapter 14 of “The Horse and His Boy”
Can love be terrible, my Lord?
Can gentleness be stern?
Ah yes!-intense is love’s desire
To purify his loved-’tis fire,
A holy fire to burn.
For he must fully perfect thee
Till in thy likeness all may see
The beauty of thy Lord.Can holy love be jealous, Lord?
Yes, jealous as the grave;
Till every hurtful idol be
Uptorn and wrested out of thee
Love will be stern to save;
Will spare thee not a single pain
Till thou be freed and pure again
And perfect as thy Lord.Can love seem cruel, O my Lord?
Hannah Hurnard, Can love be terrible, my Lord?
Yes, like a sword the cure;
He will not spare thee, sin-sick soul,
Till he hath made they sickness whole,
Until thine heart is pure.
For oh! He loves thee far too well
To leave thee in thy self-made hell,
A Savior is thy Lord!
15. “Rabadash the Ridiculous”
After being greeted by King Lune at Anvard, Aravis tells him of Shasta’s bravery facing the Lion. After lunch, Prince Rabadash is brought out and although they are merciful, Rabadash curses them and refuses the conditions of his release. Aslan appears again and warns Rabadash, who continues to curse …until he is turned into a donkey. The donkey is sent back to Tashbaan and is told he will return to his human form in the temple of Tash at the Autumn Feast, but that if he strays further than ten miles from the city, he will remain a donkey forever. The narrator tells us that Rabadash became an extremely peaceful Tisroc, since he could never go to war himself and didn’t want his generals gaining any glory. Cor, being the older brother, eventually becomes the King of Archenland and marries Aravis. The horses also find mates and live long, happy lives in Narnia.
Summary of Chapter 15 of “The Horse and His Boy”
