Comprehension Questions – The Chronicles of Narnia #3 The Horse and His Boy

The Horse and His Boy

By C. S. Lewis

Grades 3-7; Genre – Fantasy; GRL T; AR pts: 8.0

Shasta and Bree set out for an adventure trying to escape their homeland, in hopes of reaching Narnia.  They run into another set of travelers on their way and  join together with them.  The travelers learn of an evil plan to conquer Narnia as well as kidnap Queen Susan and know they are the only ones to prevent it from happening.  Together they rush to Narnia in hopes of saving the free land they are escaping to.

Comprehension Questions

Chapter 1

  1. Tell me about Shasta.  A boy who lived with a poor fisherman, did all of the work around the house, would get beaten if his father were in a bad mood, mended & washed the nets, cooked, cleaned   p. 4
  2. How did Shasta come under the care of the fisherman?  He was traveling with a man on a ship when he was a baby and the ship wrecked.  The man brought Shasta on a small boat keeping him alive, while the man died just before reaching shore.   P. 8
  3. How did the talking horse get to be in Calormen, owned by the rich Tarkaan?  He was a foal and wandered to far grazing against his mother’s warnings and was kidnapped or stolen     p. 12

Chapter 2

  1. What was chasing Shasta and Bree?  Lions   p. 26
  2. What was the result of the lions chasing Shasta and Bree?  Another horse and rider   p. 28
  3. Tell me about the other horse and rider Shasta and Bree ran into when the lions chased them.The horse’ name is Hwin and can talk like Bree, the rider’s a girl named Aravis   p. 31

Chapter 3

  1. What’s Aravis’ story?  Her father promised her to marry an evil man who is 60 years older, has a hump on his back and looks like an ape.  She was going to kill herself with a dagger when her horse, Hwin, spoke to her and saved her life by helping her escape so she wouldn’t have to marry him.   p.  36
  2. What happened to Aravis’ maiden whom she tricked and gave wine to drink?  She was beaten for sleeping in late      p. 43
  3. What was the plan to get the companions through Tashbaan?  Disguise the horses as pack horses and the children as slaves/peasants   p. 47
  4. Where were the companions to meet if they get separated in Tashbaan?   Tombs of the Ancient Kings   p. 50

Chapter 4

  1. How did Shasta get separated from his companions in Tashbaan?Narnian Lords came through the streets and took him thinking he was their lost prince   p. 58
  2. Why were the Narnians in Tashbaan?  Queen Susan wanted to spend some time there to see if she wanted to marry Prince Rabadash.   p. 64
  3. How does Susan feel about Rabadash?  Now that she has seen him in his own city, she doesn’t like him   p.  65

Chapter 5

  1. Why did the Narnians feel it would be difficult to leave Tashbaan peacefully?  Since Susan didn’t want to marry the prince, they felt he would use force to make her marry him   p. 68
  2. What was the plan to get supplies on board the Narnian’s boat so they could escape?  Pretend to have a party and invite the Calormenes, then before the party sneak off without telling anyone   p. 72
  3. Where had the real Prince Corin been off to while he was missing?  A boy in the street made a rude remark about Queen Susan and he got into multiple fights defending her and himself, got caught by guards, escaped and slowly found his way back.  P. 79
  4. How did Shasta escape the Narnians so he could rejoin his friends?  Out through the window, the same way Corin came in   p.81

Chapter 6

  1. Describe the Tombs of the Ancient Kings.  Stones shaped like beehives, black and grim, 12 tombs, scary at night   p. 84
  2. What kept Shasta company during the night while he waited for his companions at the Tombs?  A cat   p. 86
  3. What did the cat do for him during the night?  Was a lion that protected him from other animals during the night   p.89

Chapter 7

  1. Who did Aravis meet right after Shasta was taken away by the Narnians?  A friend, Lasaraleen   p. 95
  2. Who was looking for Aravis in Tashbaan?  Her father   p. 97
  3. Tell me about Lasaraleen.  Rich, likes to get attention and show off her clothes, interested in clothes, parties and gossip   p. 99

Chapter 8

  1. Who came into the room Lasaraleen and Aravis were hiding in?  Prince Rabadash, the Tisroc and the Grand Vizier   p. 109
  2. What were they discussing?  The prince wanted to go through the desert into Archenland and overpower Narnia to get Queen Susan   p. 114
  3. Why did the Tisroc, Prince Rabadash and the Grand Vizier meet in the old part of the palace?  So no one would hear what they were talking about   p. 120

Chapter 9

  1. Why were Shasta and his companions anxious to get started through the desert?  They needed to beat the prince to Archenland and Narnia to warn the king   p. 127

Chapter 10

  1. When the children looked back at the desert after reaching Archenland, what was the dust storm they could see?  Prince Rabadash and his army   p. 140
  2. What did the lion do to Aravis when she was riding on Hwin?  Scratched up her back   p. 144
  3. What’s a hermit?  Someone who lives away from society in seclusion.
  4. When Aravis, Hwin and Bree were staying with the Herm, why was Bree ashamed?  He ran for his own safety when the lion was chasing them and didn’t go help Hwin and Aravis   p. 151

Chapter 11

  1. Why did Shasta have a difficult time directing the horse King Lune gave him?  it wasn’t a talking horse and Shasta only knew how to ride Bree, not a regular horse   p. 157
  2. Who walked with Shasta when he thought he was lost in the mist?  Aslan   p. 166
  3. How many lions did Aslan tell Shasta he saw on his journey?  One   p. 164

Chapter 12

  1. What animal finally took the message of the besiege of Anvard to Cair Paravel?  A stag   p. 172
  2. Who fed Shasta breakfast the morning he arrived to Narnia?  Three dwarves   p. 174
  3. What did Corin disguise Shasta in so they could go into battle?  Dwarven armor   p. 181

Chapter 13

  1. Tell me some of the creatures that were part of the Narnian’s army?  Giants, panthers, leopards   p. 184
  2. How was the Hermit able to know what was happening in the battle at Anvard?  By looking into a pool of water    p. 186
  3. How was Prince Rabadash captured at the castle?  He got hung up on a hook on the wall when he was trying to jump down to Edward   p. 194

Chapter 14

  1. Why did Bree want to wait before going to Narnia?  His tail was cut short and he was worried that wouldn’t be acceptable to other Talking Horses    p. 198
  2. Why did Aslan give Aravis the scratches on her back?  To let her know what the stripes her stepmother’s slave went through when Aravis gave her the sleeping drug   p. 201
  3. Who is Prince Cor?  Shasta   p. 204
  4. How did Prince Cor come to being Shasta?  He was kidnapped by Lord Bar and taken out to sea.  His father chased him down and went to battle with Lord Bar, but a knight had taken Cor in the boat.  The knight died, Aslan guided the boat, Arsheesh found Cor.    P. 207

Chapter 15

  1. Where was Aravis going to live?  With King Lune and Cor in Anvard   p. 212
  2. How did Rabadash react when he spoke with Aslan?  Called him a demon,  he was upset   p. 217
  3. What did Aslan turn Rabadash into?  A donkey   p. 218
  4. How can Rabadash be turned back into a man?  By going into the temple and praying to his god Tash   p. 219
  5. Who does Prince Cor marry when he grows up?  Aravis   p. 224