The Horse and His Boy - Chapter I - How Shasta Set Out on His Travels

Sep 20, 2026

A classic fantasy novel set in a world of kingdoms and mystery, following Shasta, a boy living under the care of a fisherman in Calormen. Chapter I opens with Shasta’s longing for the north, his sheltered life, and the rules that restrict his curiosity. A mysterious Tarkaan arrives, and Shasta overhears a plan that reframes his identity and future, beginning a journey toward Narnia.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages128

Reading Time3 h 17 min

AccessFree to download

Chapter I

How Shasta Set Out on His Travels

Chapter II

A Wayside Adventure

Chapter III

At the Gates of Tashbaan

Chapter IV

Shasta Falls in With the Narnians

Chapter V

Prince Corin

Chapter VI

Shasta Among the Tombs

Chapter VII

Aravis in Tashbaan

Chapter VIII

In the House of the Tisroc

Chapter IX

Across the Desert

Chapter X

The Hermit of the Southern March

Chapter XI

The Unwelcome Fellow Traveller

Chapter XII

Shasta in Narnia

Chapter XIII

The Fight at Anvard

Chapter XIV

How Bree Became a Wiser Horse

Chapter XV

Rabadash the Ridiculous

The Horse and his Boy C. S. L e w i s S a m i z d a t The Horse and His Boy. (first published 1954) by C.S. Lewis (1895- 1963) Edition used as base for this ebook: London: Geoffrey Bles, 1959 [third printing] Source: Project Gutenberg Canada, Ebook \#1153 Ebook text was produced by Al Haines Warning : this document is for free distribution only. Ebook Samizdat 2017 (public domain under Canadian copyright law) To David and Douglas Gresham Table Of Contents Chapter I How Shasta Set Out on His Travels 1 Chapter II A Wayside Adventure 10 Chapter III At the Gates of Tashbaan 19 Chapter IV Shasta Falls in With the Narnians 28 Chapter V Prince Corin 37 Chapter VI Shasta Among the Tombs 45 Chapter VII Aravis in Tashbaan 52 Chapter VIII In the House of the Tisroc 60 Chapter IX Across the Desert 67 THE HORSE AND HIS BOY iii Chapter X The Hermit of the Southern March 75 Chapter XI The Unwelcome Fellow Traveller 83 Chapter XII Shasta in Narnia 91 Chapter XIII The Fight at Anvard 99 Chapter XIV How Bree Became a Wiser Horse 107 Chapter XV Rabadash the Ridiculous 115 Chapter I How Shasta Set Out on His Travels 2 Clive Staples Lewis long, dirty robes, and wooden shoes turned up at the toe, and turbanson their heads, and beards, talking to one another very slowly about things that sounded dull. But he was very interested in everything that lay to the north because no-one ever went that way and he was never allowed to go there himself. When he was sitting out of doors mending the nets, and all alone, he would often look eagerly to the north. One could see nothing but a grassy slope running up to a level ridge and beyond that the sky with perhaps a few birds in it. Sometimes if Arsheesh was there Shasta would say, "O my Father, what is there beyond that hill?" And then if the fisherman was in a bad temper he would box Shasta's ears and tell him to attend to his work. Or if he was in a peaceable mood he would say, "O my son, do not allow your mind to be distracted by idle questions. For one of the poets has said, 'Application to business is the root of prosperity, but those who ask questions that do not concern them are steering the ship of folly towards the rock of indigence. '" Shasta thought that beyond the hill there must be some delightful secret which his father wished to hide from him. In reality, however, the fisherman talked like this because he didn't know what lay to the north. Neither did he care. He had a very practical mind. One day there came from the south a stranger who was unlike any man that Shasta had seen before. He rode upon a strong dappled horse with flowing mane and tail and his stirrups and bridle were inlaid with silver. The spike of a helmet projected from the middle of his silken turban and he wore a shirt of chain mail. By his side hung a curving scimitar, a round shield studded with bosses of brass hung athis back, and his right hand grasped a lance. His face was dark, but this did not surprise Shasta because all the people of Calormen are like that; what did surprise him was the man's beard which was dyed crimson, and curled and gleaming with scented oil. But Arsheesh knew by the gold ring on the stranger's bare arm that he was a Tarkaan or great lord, and he bowed kneeling before him till his beard touched the earth and made signs to Shasta to kneel also. The stranger demanded hospitality for the night which of course the fisherman dared not refuse. All the best they had was set before the Tarkaan for supper (and he didn't think much of it) and Shasta, as always happened when the fisherman had company, was given a hunk of bread and turned out of the cottage. On these occasions he usually THE HORSE AND HIS BOY 3 slept with the donkey in its little thatched stable. But it was much too early to go to sleep yet, and Shasta, who had never learned that it is wrong to listen behind doors, sat down with his ear to a crack

FAQs

Who is Shasta and where does he live at the start of Chapter I?

Shasta is a boy in Calormen living with his fisherman father. He spends time mending nets and watching toward the north, which he is not allowed to visit.

Why is Shasta curious about what lies beyond the hill to the north?

Shasta repeatedly asks about the north, believing there is a secret hidden from him. His father redirects him and emphasizes practical work, because he does not truly know what the north contains.

What changes after a Tarkaan arrives in the fisherman’s cottage?

A Tarkaan lord comes seeking hospitality, and Shasta is made to wait outside. When Shasta listens behind the wooden wall, he overhears the lord’s plan involving the boy, signaling that Shasta’s future may be forced into a new direction.

Sep 20, 2026

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