"The Horse and His Boy" by C.S. Lewis, summary

This fairy tale by English writer C.S. Lewis was written in 1950 and published in 1954. This tale is the only book in the famous series whose main characters are not ordinary children from our world who find themselves in a magical land, but rather the indigenous inhabitants of the southern and northern lands of Narnia. The events of the tale unfold during the reign of High King Peter and his family, described in the early chapters of the series.

The book is part of the famous "Chronicles of Narnia" series, ranking fifth in publication date and third in chronological order. No major film adaptation of this book has been made, although the story itself has achieved worldwide fame and critical acclaim.

Escape from Tarkhistan

A boy named Shasta lives on the southern coast of the country of Tarkhistan with a stern fisherman named Arshish, whom he considers his father. Shasta does all the housework, and in his free time, he gazes longingly at the northern hills. One day, a wealthy nobleman, Anradin Tarkhan, arrives at the hut. The guest offers the fisherman fifteen coins to take the boy. From the conversation between the fisherman and the Tarkhan, Shasta accidentally learns that he is not Arshish’s biological son, but a foundling, washed up on the sea in a boat with a dead man.

While the adults bargain, Shasta goes out into the yard to the tarhan’s horse. The boy pets the animal and dreams of the kindness of its future owner. Suddenly, the horse begins to sing in a human voice and asks to be called Igogo. The intelligent animal explains that he was stolen as a foal from the northern land of Narnia. Igogo invites Shasta to flee north with him, as a lone horse will attract attention, and a rider will save him from pursuit. That night, the boy takes the harness from the stable, bids farewell to the donkey, and the fugitives set off along the seashore.

Meeting fellow travelers

Igogo teaches Shasta to stay in the saddle, to grip the horse’s flanks with his knees, and to fall correctly. After several days of travel, the night’s silence is broken by the roar of lions. The fugitives rush toward the forest and spot another rider fleeing from predators. Due to an attack by the beasts, the horses end up side by side in the bay. The second rider turns out to be a young tarkhina named Aravita, fleeing a forced marriage to the nasty old man Akhoshta-tarkhan. Riding with Aravita is the talking mare Winnie.

Aravita tells her story: after her mother’s death, her father, Kidrash-Tarkhan, decided to marry her to Akhoshta, who had become vizier. The girl wanted to stab herself with her brother’s dagger, but Winnie spoke to her and told her of a free Narnia. Aravita deceived her father, claiming to intend to sacrifice to the goddess Zardinah in the forest. With the help of an old slave, she sealed a forged letter about a sudden wedding with Akhoshta, drugged the servant with a wine potion, donned her brother’s armor, and escaped with Winnie.

The fugitives decide to continue their journey together. On Igo’s advice, they designate the old royal tombs on the edge of the desert as a meeting point in the capital of Tarkhistan, Tashbaan, in case they are separated. To pass through the city unnoticed, the travelers cut off their horses’ tails, smear them with mud, and change into simple clothes.

Events in Tashbaan

At the gates of Tashbaan, Shasta is struck down by a guard, but the companions enter the bustling streets of the city. Suddenly, a solemn procession of Narnian ambassadors blocks their path. Seeing Shasta, the Narnians mistake him for the escaped Prince Corin of Orlandia. The Narnian King Edmund and his companions take the stunned boy to the palace.

At the Narnian embassy, Shasta takes refuge on a soft sofa, where he is treated to sherbet and exquisite dishes. Queen Susan, King Edmund, and the faun Tumnus discuss the danger: Prince Rabadash, son of the Tisroc, will hold Susan by force if she refuses to marry him. Tumnus proposes a plan: hold a feast on a Narnian ship and secretly sail north at night.

Shasta learns the route through the desert to the Orlandia Mountains, as described by a raven. Soon, the real Prince Corin — a boy with a black eye who had gotten into a fight in the street — climbs through the window. After meeting a boy his own age, Shasta, on his advice, climbs out through the roof and runs beyond the city walls to the tombs.

Shasta spends the night alone among the gloomy stone tombs. The cries of jackals frighten him, but a huge cat comes to him, giving him warmth and protecting him from fear. During the day, the boy forages for oranges in the orchards by the river and waits for his companions, fearing he has been abandoned.

Meanwhile, Aravita meets her idle friend Lazoreline in Tashbaan. Lazoreline covers her in her palanquin and takes her to a luxurious palace. Aravita arranges for horses and a servant to be sent to the tombs. She herself makes her way through the Old Palace of Tisroc with Lazoreline to exit through the garden gate to the river.

The girls are forced to hide under a sofa in a room in the Old Palace. The Tisroc, Prince Rabadash, and Vizier Akhoshta enter. Rabadash is furious at Queen Susan’s flight and asks permission to take two hundred horsemen, capture Anvard Castle in Orland, and capture Susan. The Tisroc authorizes the raid, but warns that if Rabadash fails, the ruler will disown his son.

Crossing the desert and pursuit

Aravita climbs out through the gate, swims across the river, and finds Shasta at the tombs. The girl relays the news of Rabadash’s impending attack. The companions hastily set out across the scorching desert, guided by the twin mountain peaks. They suffer from thirst and the scorching sun, but continue moving day and night.

After crossing the desert, the fugitives find a gorge with a spring and reach the Orlyanka River on the border of Orlandia. Suddenly, a plume of dust appears behind them — Rabadash’s two hundred horsemen are already close. Winnie and Igogo race up the hills. Another lion appears in the fugitives’ path, catching up with Winnie.

Shasta shows courage: she leaps from her horse and rushes empty-handed at the predator, screaming at it. The lion claws at Aravis’s back and escapes. The fugitives take refuge behind the gates of the 19-year-old Hermit’s hut. The Hermit treats Aravis’s wounds with balm and sends Shasta fleeing directly north to warn King Lum.

Meeting Aslan and saving Orlandia

The running Shasta encounters King Lum and his hunting party in the forest. The boy manages to convey news of Rabadash’s approaching force. The king races to Anvard Castle. On the way back, in thick fog, Shasta falls behind, allowing Rabadash’s enemy army to pass, and loses his way.

On a narrow mountain road, a lonely and weeping Shasta is joined by an invisible companion. Amid the dark fog, Shasta hears a deep breathing and tells his companion of all his troubles. The voice replies that he was the only lion who protected the boy at the tombs, guided the boat with the infant to the shore, and gave strength to the horses.

When the mist clears, Shasta sees the Great Lion Aslan — dazzling, terrifying, and beautiful. Aslan touches his nose to the boy’s forehead and disappears, leaving a trail that fills with clear water. Descending into green Narnia, Shasta meets a hedgehog, a rabbit, and Duffle the Dwarf, who feed him a hearty breakfast of porridge, mushrooms, and scrambled eggs.

Soon, the Narnian army arrives, led by King Edmund, Queen Lucy, and Prince Corin. Corin secretly dresses Shasta in the armor of the bruised dwarf Thorn and takes the boy with him to the battle at the walls of Anvard Castle.

A battle rages at the walls of Anvard. Across the Hermit’s magical pool, Aravis and the horses watch the battle: the Narnians, centaurs, war cats, and giants defeat Rabadash’s army. Prince Rabadash himself catches his torn chainmail on a hook on the castle wall and hangs helplessly. Victory remains with the Narnians and Orlanders.

The denouement and the fates of the heroes

King Lum joyfully recognizes Shasta as his eldest twin son, Cor, kidnapped as an infant. A centaur prophet prophesied that Cor would save Orlandia, and the evil Lord Bar stole the infant but died in a naval battle with Lum’s ships. Cor was born twenty minutes before Corin, making him the rightful heir to the throne of Orlandia.

Aslan appears in the Hermit’s abode before Igogo, Winnie, and Aravita. The lion shames Igogo for his pride and explains to Aravita that the scratches on her back correspond to the dozens of lashes her servant received after falling asleep due to a sleeping potion.

The captive Rabadash is brought before King Lum and Edmund. For his pride and curses, Aslan transforms the prince into a donkey. Aslan declares that Rabadash will return to human form on an autumn day in the temple of the goddess Tash in Tashbaan, but if he travels more than ten miles (sixteen kilometers) from the temple, he will remain a donkey forever.

Cor and Aravita settle in Anvard Castle. When they grow up, they marry and rule Orlandia, and their son, Ram, becomes a renowned ruler. The talking horses, Igogo and Winnie, return to Narnia, start families of their own, and regularly visit their royal friends in Anvard.