Chapter 14 Chapter Fourteen: How Bree Became a Wise Horse

Now we must come back to Aravis and the horses.The hermit watched his water and could tell them that Shasta had not been killed, or even badly wounded, for he had seen him rise, and had seen him received kindly by King Lunn.But since he could only see but not hear, he had no idea who was saying what, and it wasn't worth looking into the pool once the fighting stopped and the conversation started. The next morning, while the hermit was still in the house, the three of them discussed what to do next. "I think I've had enough of this life," Hwin said. "The hermit treated us well, and I really do appreciate him. But I eat and eat all day and get no exercise, and I'm fattening like a horse." There's a foal for the show. Let us go on to Narnia."

"Oh, not to-day, ma'am," said Bree, "I don't like to be in a hurry. What do you think of it in a few days?" "I had to see Shasta first and say goodbye to him—and—and apologize to him," said Aravis. "It should be!" said Bree with great enthusiasm. "That's exactly what I mean." "Oh, of course," said Hwin, "I suppose he's in Anwald, and of course we're going to see him and say good-bye to him. But that's what we can do on the way. Why don't we go at once What? All in all, I think Narnia is where we all want to be."

"I see so," said Aravis.She was beginning to think about what on earth she was going to do when she got to Narnia, and feeling a little lonely at the same time. "Of course, of course," said Bree hastily, "but there's no need to hurry, if you know what I mean." "No, I don't understand you," Hwin said. "Why don't you want to go?" "Mm-mm-mm, bro-huh," said Bree vaguely, "yeah, don't you understand, ma'am - it's an important time - to go back to one's own country - to enter society Junction—the noblest society—is very important to make a good impression—yet we don't look like we're back, do we?"

Hwin burst into a horsey laugh. "Brie, you're thinking about your tail! Now I totally understand. You want to wait until your tail grows back! And we don't even know if horses have long tails in Narnia. Bree, Indeed, you are very vain, just like that Tekshina from Tashbaan." "You're so silly, Bree," said Aravis. "By the lion's mane, I'm nothing like Tekshina," Bree said angrily, "I have a proper respect for myself, and for my fellow horse, and that's all. " "Brie," said Aravis, who wasn't too interested in bobbing, "I've been meaning to ask you something for a long time. Why do you keep swearing 'by a lion', 'by a lion's mane' Swear? I thought you hated lions."

"I hate lions," answered Bree, "but of course when I speak of lions I mean Aslan, the great savior of Narnia, who drove out the Witches and Winter. All Narnia By Aslan." "But is it a lion?" "No, no, of course not," said Bree in a rather alarmed tone. "All the stories in Tashbaan say it's a lion," said Aravis. "Why do you call him a lion if it's not a lion?" "It's hard to figure it out at your age," said Bree. "I was only a pony not a year old when I left Narnia, so I can't quite figure it out myself."

Bree said this with his back to the green wall, and the other two faced Bree.Bree closed his eyes half-closed and spoke in an elder tone, so he didn't see the change in the expression on Hwen and Aravis' faces.They had good reason to open their mouths and eyes wide open, for as Bree spoke they saw a gigantic lion jump up from the wall and land firmly on top of the green wall: more than any lion they had ever seen , it’s just that its yellow color is more radiant, its body is thicker, more beautiful, and more frightening.Immediately it jumped into the wall and started approaching Bree from behind.It made no sound at all.Hwen and Aravis were so frightened that they couldn't make any sound, as if they were frozen.

"No doubt," continued Bree, "when people speak of him as if he were a lion, they mean only that he was as strong as a lion, or (with our enemies, of course) as fierce as a lion. ;or something like that. Aravis, even a little girl like you must be careful, it is absurd to think it is a real lion. It would be disrespectful indeed. If it It's a lion, then it's got to be a beast like the rest of our horses. Ugh!" (Here Bree begins to laugh.) "If it's a lion, it's got to live Four paws, a tail, and a beard! . . . Aye, ho-ho-ho! Help!" For just as Bree said the word "beard," one of Aslan's beards tickled his ear.Bree shot like an arrow to the other side of the wall, and turned around: but the wall was too high for him to jump over, and he couldn't escape any farther.Both Aravis and Hwin recoiled in horror.For about a second there was a tense silence.

Then Hwin, trembling all over, uttered a strange low neigh, and walked towards the lion with small steps. "I'm sorry," said Hwin, "you're so beautiful. You might as well eat me if you want. I'd rather be eaten by you than be fed by someone else." "Dear daughter," said Aslan, imprinting a lion's kiss on its quivering velvet nose, "I know you will be with me soon. The joy will be yours." Then it raised its head and spoke in a louder voice. "Brie," he said, "you poor, pompous, startled horse, come nearer to me. Come closer, my son. Don't be bold, don't be bold. Touch me. Smell Smell me. Here are my paws, here is my tail, and these are my beards. I am a real beast."

"Aslan," said Bree, in a trembling tone, "I'm afraid I must be a complete fool." "Happy are horses who know this when they are still young. And so are men. Come close, my daughter Aravis, and behold! My feet are like velvet. You will not be scratched this time." "Sir, this time?" Aravis said. "I was the one who scratched you last time," said Aslan. "I was the only lion you met in the whole trip. Do you know why I scratched you?" "I don't know, sir." "The scars on your back, skin to skin, pain to pain, bloodstains to bloodstains, correspond to the welts on the back of your stepmother and slave, because you put her to sleep with sweat medicine and caused her to be beaten. "

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry—" "Ask again, my dear," said Aslan. "Because I made her fall asleep because I teased her, will she suffer any other harm?" "Son," said the Lion, "I want to tell you your own story, not the slave girl's. I tell no one but his own story." Then he shook his head, and changed to a lighter voice. speak in a tone of voice. "Cheer up, little one," it said, "we shall meet again soon. Before that, however, you will have another visitor." So it jumped up the wall and disappeared, out of sight it's gone.

Strange to say, neither of them had any intention of talking about it behind each other's backs when Aslan was gone.They all moved away slowly to different corners of the quiet lawn, where they wandered alone, brooding and brooding. Half an hour later the two horses were called to the back of the house to eat some good things the hermit had prepared for them, and while Aravis was still walking and thinking, she was startled by the sound of a horn outside the gate. "Who's at the door?" Aravis said. "His Royal Highness Keo, Prince of Archenland." A voice said from outside the door. Aravis unbolted the door, opened the gate, and stepped back a little to let the stranger in. Two soldiers with halberds came in first and stood guard on both sides of the entrance.A herald followed, and a trumpeter. "His Royal Highness Koo, Prince of Archenland, will receive Lady Aravis," said the herald.Then he and the trumpeter stepped aside, bowed, the soldiers saluted, and the prince himself entered.All his attendants withdrew and closed the gate behind them. The prince bowed, and it was an awkward bow for a prince.Aravis saluted in the Calormene way (it was not at all like our curtseys), although of course she did it in a respectable and respectable way, because her parents had taught her how to do so.Then she looked up and saw what the prince was like. , She saw that he was nothing but a furry child.He was bareheaded, and in his fair fair hair was bound a thin band of gold, no more thick than a piece of wire.His tunic was made of white linen, as fine and clean as a handkerchief, so that the bright red underwear under it was clearly reflected.His left hand, resting on the enamel hilt of the sword, was wrapped in a bandage. Aravis gazed into his face again, and then he let out a breath and said, "Ah! You are Shasta!" Shasta blushed at once, and said hastily, "Listen here, Aravis, I do hope you don't think that my attire (and the trumpeter and all) is to impress you. , or to look like I'm different, or something ostentatious like that. Because I'd rather come to you in my old clothes, but they've been burned now, and my father said—" "Your father?" Aravis said. "King Lunn is my father evidently," said Shasta, "and I should have guessed it. Colin is so like me. We are twins, you see. Oh, my name isn't Shasta, My name is Keo." "Keo is a better name than Shasta," said Aravis. "Brothers are called like this in Archenland," said Shasta (or Prince Khal, as we must call him now), "such as Dar and Daran, Kor and Krin, and so on. analogy." "Shasta—I was thinking of Coo," said Aravis. "No, you don't talk. There are things I have to say right away. I'm sorry I was a stupid pig. But knowing I've changed before you were a prince, and let's be honest: I really changed when you ran back against the lion." "That lion, it's not really trying to kill you at all," said Keough. "I know," Aravis said, nodding.When each saw that the other knew Aslan, there was a moment of silence and seriousness between the two of them. Aravis suddenly remembered Keough's bandaged hand. "Ah!," she cried, "I forgot! You fought. Is that a wound?" "It's just scratched a little bit." Ke Ao said, using the tone of a prince and minister for the first time.But after a while he laughed and said, "If you want to know the truth, it's not even a formal injury. I just scraped the skin off my knuckles, and any clumsy fool who hasn't been near a battlefield will Hurt like that." "But you did fight after all," Aravis said. "It must be great, great." "It's not at all what I thought it would be," said Keough. "But Sha--I was going to say Koo--you haven't told me anything about King Lunn and how he found out who you are." "Well, let's sit down and talk," said Keough, "because it's a long story. My father was an absolute good man, by the way. I would have found out he was my father, even if he wasn't a king." would be just as happy; though education and all the other dreadful things are coming at me. But you gotta hear the story. Oh, turns out Colin and I were twins. Apparently we were both born a week after , they took us to the house of an old and wise centaur in Narnia, to be blessed or something. Said the monster was a seer, like many good centaurs. There were a few centaurs in yesterday's battle, indeed Most eminent men: but I am not quite at home with them. I say, Aravis, we have much to get used to in these northern countries." "Yes, there are miles," said Aravis, "but go on with the story!" "Oh, seeing Colin and me, the monster seemed to look at me and say: Someday this boy will save Archenland from a mortal danger it has never encountered. So, of course, my father and mother were very happy. Glad. But there was one person who was there who wasn't happy. It was a fellow called Lord Bhaer, who used to be my father's Lord Chancellor. Clearly he's made some mistakes—corruption or something like that— I don't quite understand the episode--the father had to relieve him, but did nothing else to punish him, and allowed him to go on living in Archenland. But he must have done as much as he could, because it was later found out that he had Accepted Tithrock's bribe, sent a lot of secret information to the city of Tashbaan. Therefore, as soon as he heard that I was going to save Archenland from great danger, he made up his mind to get rid of me. Then, He successfully kidnapped me (I don't know exactly how) and rode down the Arrow River to the beach. He got everything ready and there was a boat waiting for him commanded by his entourage, and he Took me aboard and set out to sea. But my father got wind of it, and, though not in time, did his best to catch up. When my father reached the beach, Lord Bhaer was already out to sea, but still in sight. My father was there in twenty minutes. Jumped aboard one of his battleships. "It must have been a great pursuit. Six days and six nights they chased Baal's galleon, and on the seventh they got him into battle. It was a great naval battle (I heard a great deal told last night ), and fought from ten o'clock in the morning till sunset. Our men at last took the galleon. But I was not on board. Lord Bhaer himself was killed in the battle. But one of his men says that that day Early in the morning, as soon as he saw that he was going to be overtaken, he handed me over to a warrior, and sent us both off in a boat that was never seen again. But, of course , Aslan (it seems that Aslan is behind all the stories) pushed it to the right place on the beach so that Ashish picked me up, it was this boat. I hope I know the name of this warrior, because he starved himself to save my life, and left me everything to eat."; "I think Aslan would say this part is another man's story," said Aravis. "I've forgotten that," said Keough. "I should like to know how this prophecy came to pass," said Aravis. "What danger has Archenland encountered that requires you to save it?" "Oh, oh," said Keough, rather embarrassed, "they seem to think I've saved Archenland." Aravis clapped his hands. "Oh, of course!" she said, "how stupid I am. How great you are! Rabadash crossed the Arrow River with his two hundred men, and you hadn't sent the message yet, when Archin Ran is in extreme danger. Don't you feel proud?" "I think I feel a little bit intimidated," Keough said. "Now you will live in Anwad." Aravis said thoughtfully. "Ah!" said Keough, "I've almost forgotten what I came here to do. Father wants you to come and live with us. He says he's in the court (they call it the court, I don't know why) since There hasn't been a lady since Mother died. Come on, Aravis. You'll like Father--and Colin. They're not like me: they're all decently brought up. You needn't be afraid..." "Oh, stop it," Aravis said, "or we'll really fight. Of course I'll come." "Now let's go and see the horses," said Keough. The meeting between Bree and Keao was very wonderful and very happy. Bree was still in a state of depression, but he agreed to set off for Anwad immediately: he and Hwin will enter Narnia via Anwad the next day .The four of them bid farewell to the hermit Yiyi and promised to visit him again soon.In the middle of the morning, they were on their way.The horses expected Aravis and Coro to go on horseback, but Coro explained that unless there was a war where everyone had to do the best they could, neither in Narnia nor in Archenland One will dream of riding a horse that speaks the human language. This reminded Bree once more that he knew so little of Narnia's customs and customs, and was liable to make terrible mistakes.So, as Hwin walked along dreaming sweet dreams, Bree became more and more uneasy and self-conscious with every step. "Cheer up, Bree," said Keough, "I'm in a far worse position than you are. I'm going to get an education, I'm going to learn to read, write, arms, dance, history, music, etc., and you You can gallop and roll on the hills of Narnia, and play to your heart's content." "But that's just the question," grumbled Bree. "Do human-speaking horses roll? What if they don't? I can't bear to give up rolling. What do you think, Hwin?" "I'm going to roll anyway," said Hwin, "I don't think any of them would mind if you rolled." "Are we near the castle?" Bree said to Keao. "Just turn the next corner." Wang Zi said. " "Okay," Bree said, "now I'm going to have a good roll, maybe for the last time. Just wait a minute." Five minutes later Bree rolled over and stood up, snorting violently and covered in fern. "Now I am ready," said Bree in a deep, brooding tone, "Prince Khoal, lead the way. To Narnia and the North." Bree, however, had the look of a horse going to its burial, rather than that of a long-term exile captive returning to his home and freedom.