The Horse and His Boy | Chapter 12: Shasta in Narnia

Chapter Summary:

This chapter begins with Shasta stopping to drink some water after his conversation with the lion. He looks around him, and realizes that he has made it through the pass and into Narnia. As he goes downhill into Narnia, Shasta meets a hedgehog, and tells him that a Calormen army is currently besieging Anvard. The hedgehog spreads the word, without much actual action being taken, until a dwarf (Duffle) and a stag hear the news. The stag runs off into the woods to go to Cair Paravel to warn the Kings and Queens of Narnia.

Duffle, meanwhile, learns that Shasta hasn't eaten in over a day, and takes Shasta to his home, where two other dwarfs help prepare breakfast. They eat, and then Shasta sleeps until dinner, and then he sleeps some more.

The next morning, the sound of trumpets is heard, announcing the arrival of King Edmund and Queen Lucy, along with all types of Narnian creatures--they are off to fight at Anvard. Prince Corin is with them. King Edmund forgives Shasta for pretending to be Prince Corin.

A dwarf tells Prince Corin that he is not supposed to fight in the war, and that he has orders from King Edmund to ensure this. But Prince Corin plans to disguise himself so that he can fight in the war, and he convinces Shasta to do so as well, despite Shasta's reservations.

Reflection:

I have a few thoughts about this chapter. The first harkens back to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. If you recall, a large part of Edmund's issue in that novel is his disdain for forgiveness--he is neither good at asking for forgiveness or at forgiving others. Take a look at that change that has occurred within Edmund, and see how he responds when he realizes that Shasta had deceived him when they were in Tashbaan:

"'please, your Majesty,' said Shasta to King Edmund, 'I was no traitor, really I wasn't. And I couldn't help hearing your plans. But I'd never have dreamed of telling them to your enemies.' 

'I know now that you were no traitor, boy,' said King Edmund, laying his hand on Shasta's head. 'But if you would not be taken for one, another time try not to hear what's meant for other ears. But all's well'" (p. 195). 

What an incredible change from the Edmund we knew in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. This Edmund has learned his lesson, and he forgives, because forgiveness is due. (Perhaps Edmund realizes, like the reader does, that if not for Shasta's deception, they would have no warning regarding the Calormen attack at Anvard.)

A second observation I have about this chapter is also connected in many ways with the preceding novel(s). In many ways, Shasta's entrance into Narnia parallels that of Lucy's entrance into Narnia years earlier. Upon entering Narnia, both Shasta and Lucy meet Narnia's mythological creatures (Duffle the Dwarf and Mr. Tumnus the Faun) and Talking Beasts (hedgehog; beavers), and then are hastily taken away to a meal (at the Dwarf house and at Mr. Tumnus's house), where a war is discussed. In a lot of ways, the parallels don't line up, but Shasta really does have a similar introduction to Narnia--a Narnia at war. More than ever, the reader should see that Narnia is by no means a utopia or a peaceful land. It is one that experiences war and hardship, even during its Golden Age.

Other than that, this is a fairly B- chapter, especially following the previous one. It primarily serves as a plot point to set up the following chapter, similar in a way to the releasing of the frozen statues in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. This chapter is the gathering of the army for the great battle, located (as a cliched construct) approximately 5/6ths of the way into the story. Now, on to war.