Tammy’s Reviews > The Horse and His Boy > Status Update

They take great pains to cover their tracks, which requires them to move slowly and quietly. At the top of the ridge, Shasta sees open and grassy, endless, wild and lonely and free. “For Narnia and the North!” which was what Lewis wanted to call the book originally.

Bree tells Shasta to wrap the reins on the saddlehorn because Bree will determine where they go. He tells Shasta to squeeze his knees and sit up straight to hang on. Grabbing the mane is a no-go. He told Shasta put away the spurs because they can sell them in Tashbaan to buy food for the boy. Bree teases him about acting like the horse is a haystack. In that case, Shasta rides like sack of potatoes. LOL

Bree says the reason why Shasta has always longed to go North and asked his foster father about the North is because he’s from there. It’s like someone growing up in an atheist household being drawn to Christ anyway. Shasta checks to see that his father and the lord are sleeping. He sneaks the key to the donkey stable, kisses the donkey goodbye, and gets the tackle. Bree tells him how to strap it all on him.

The name of Aslan has not been said. Bree did say, “By the Lion’s made,” which sounds a lot like “by Merlin’s beard.” However, Bree refuses to say, “May he live forever” concerning the Tisroc because that is foolish slave talk. A Narnian does not care if the Tisroc lives forever. His lord is heading North to the Tisroc’s court in the city of Tashbaan, named for the Calormen god Tash which turned out to be a demon.

Bree says, “Oh the sweet air in Narnia! An hour's life there is better than a thousand years in Calormen” Psalm 84:10 implies that Calormen is where the wicked dwell. Bree tells Shasta that he is treated well because he is valuable as a warhorse. Lord Anradin treats human slaves horrible and Shasta is better off dead. Bree scoffs that at Shasta knowing how to ride because of having ridden a donkey.

Shasta strokes the horse and talks to it in the barn. “If only you could talk and tell me what kind of master you have!” Then, the horse talks! Bree lived on the border of Narnia and Calormen, ignored his mother’s warning not to graze there, and was captured in a raid. He has had to pretend to be a dumb horse in hopes of escaping. He suggests they run away: he can carry Shasta far and Bree won’t look like a runaway.

The influence of Mercury is strong! Shasta leaves because the men are going to haggle the price for the rest of the night. They will go back and forth (LOL) between 15 crescents and 70, He goes to the barn to ponder the meaning of it all. He’s relieved because he tried to love his father, but could not. Then he wonders who is really is. Can you say identity quest? He realizes he is a slave. The lord might be better.

On the night the Tisroc ascended to his throne--a full moon prevented him from sleeping. He heard some oars and went to see the source. He found a boat with a baby and a newly expired man. He plays up his role as a tender-hearted man and the lord checks him and points out he has extracted 10 times more out of the boy through free labor than he put in. He cuts to the chase and asks for the price of the boy.

However, the latter could be a red precious stone or a painful boil. I guess it depends on the day. The lord counters with if you try to deceive the judicious you might as well bare your back and he shocks the eavesdropper. The boy is not Arsheesh’s son because of the difference in skin color. He’s probably from the north. The fisherman quotes a proverb about wisdom. He admits he’s too poor to be married.

I wonder why the Tarkaan dyed his beard crimson. Even his father obeys the law of hospitality and gave the great tarkaan lord his best. Shasta is turned out with a hunk of bread so he drops some eaves (like Samwise). The lord asks to buy Shasta but the fisherman quotes a proverb saying that parental affection is stronger than soup (which is not strong) and offspring is more precious than carbuncles.