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"Narnia," answered the Horse "The happy land of Narnia - Narnia of the heathery mountains and the thylens, thewith the hammers of the Dwarfs Oh the sweet air of Narnia! An hour's life there is better than a thousand years in Calorh

"How did you get here?" said Shasta

"Kidnapped," said the Horse "Or stolen, or captured whichever you like to call it I was only a foal at the tie the Southern slopes, into Archenland and beyond, but I wouldn't heed her And by the Lion's Mane I have paid for my folly All these years I have been a slave to hu to be dumb and witless like their horses"

"Why didn't you tell them who you were?"

"Not such a fool, that's why If they'd once found out I could talk they would have uarded me more carefully than ever My last chance of escape would have been gone"

"And why -" began Shasta, but the Horse interrupted him

"Now look," it said, "we mustn't waste time on idle questions You want to know about my master the Tarkaan Anradin Well, he's bad Not too bad to me, for a war horse costs toodead tonight than go to be a human slave in his house tomorrow"

"Then I'd better run away," said Shasta, turning very pale

"Yes, you had," said the Horse "But why not run aith me?"

"Are you going to run away too?" said Shasta

"Yes, if you'll come with me," answered the Horse "This is the chance for both of us You see if I run aithout a rider, everyone who sees me will say "Stray horse" and be after et through That's where you can help et very far on those two silly legs of yours (what absurd legs hu overtaken But on me you can outdistance any other horse in this country That's where I can help you By the way, I suppose you kno to ride?"

"Oh yes, of course," said Shasta "At least, I've ridden the donkey"

"Ridden the what?" retorted the Horse with extreme contempt (At least, that is what he h - "Ridden the wha-ha-ha-ha-ha" Talking horses always becory)

"In other words," it continued, "you can't ride That's a drawback I'll have to teach you as we go along If you can't ride, can you fall?"

"I suppose anyone can fall," said Shasta

"1 ain and fall again and yet not be afraid of falling?"

"I - I'll try," said Shasta "Poor little beast," said the Horse in a gentler tone "I forget you're only a foal We'll make a fine rider of you in time And noe mustn't start until those two in the but are asleep Meantime we can reat city, to Tashbaan itself and the court of the Tisroc -"

"I say," put in Shasta in rather a shocked voice, "oughtn't you to say `May he live for ever'?"

"Why?" asked the Horse "I'm a free Narnian And why should I talk slaves' and fools' talk? I don't want hi to live for ever whether I want him to or not And I can see you're froon between you and me! And now, back to our plans As I said, my human was on his way North to Tashbaan"

"Does that o to the South?"

"I think not," said the Horse "You see, he thinks I'm dumb and witless like his other horses Now if I really were, the o back home to my stable and paddock; back to his palace which is two days' journey South That's where he'll look foron North on my own And anyway he will probably think that soh has followed us to here and stolen me"

"Oh hurrah!" said Shasta "Then we'll go North I've been longing to go to the North all my life"

"Of course you have," said the Horse "That's because of the blood that's in you I'm sure you're true Northern stock But not too loud I should think they'd be asleep soon now"

"I'd better creep back and see," suggested Shasta

"That's a good idea," said the Horse "But take care you're not caught"

It was a good deal darker now and very silent except for the sound of the waves on the beach, which Shasta hardly noticed because he had been hearing it day and night as long as he could reht When he listened at the front there was no noise When he went round to the only , he could hear, after a second or two, the familiar noise of the old fisherman's squeaky snore It was funny to think that if all ell he would never hear it again Holding his breath and feeling a little bit sorry, but lided away over the grass and went to the donkey's stable, groped along to a place he knehere the key was hidden, opened the door and found the Horse's saddle and bridle which had been locked up there for the night He bent forward and kissed the donkey's nose "I'm sorry we can't take you," he said

"There you are at last," said the Horse when he got back to it "I was beginning to wonder what had become of you"