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〃why do you keep talking to my horse instead of to me？〃 asked the girl。
〃excuse me； tarkheena；〃 said bree （with just the slightest backward tilt of his ears）； 〃but thats calormene talk。 were free narnians； hwin and i； and i suppose； if youre running away to narnia； you want to be one too。 in that case hwin isnt your horse any longer。
one might just as well say youre her human。鈥�
the girl opened her mouth to speak and then stopped。 obviously she had not quite seen it in that light before。
〃still；〃 she said after a moments pause； 〃i dont know that theres so much point in all going together。 arent we more likely to be noticed？鈥�
〃less；〃 said bree； and the mare said； 〃oh do lets。 i should feel much more fortable。
were not even certain of the way。 im sure a great charger like this knows far more than we do。鈥�
〃oh e on； bree；〃 said shasta； 〃and let them go their own way。 cant you see they dont want us？鈥�
〃we do；〃 said hwin。
〃look here；〃 said the girl。 〃i dont mind going with you； mr war…horse； but what about this boy？ how do i know hes not a spy？鈥�
〃why dont you say at once that you think im not good enough for you？〃 said shasta。
〃be quiet； shasta；〃 said bree。 〃the tarkheenas question is quite reasonable。 ill vouch for the boy； tarkheena。 hes been true to me and a good friend。 and hes certainly either a narnian or an archenlander。鈥�
〃all right； then。 lets go together。〃 but she didnt say anything to shasta and it was obvious that she wanted bree； not him。
〃splendid！〃 said bree。 〃and now that weve got the water between us and those dreadful animals； what about you two humans taking off our saddles and our all having a rest and hearing one anothers stories。鈥�
both the children unsaddled their horses and the horses had a little grass and aravis produced rather nice things to eat from her saddle…bag？ but shasta sulked and said no thanks； and that he wasnt hungry。 and he tried to put on what he thought very grand and stiff manners； but as a fishermans but is not usually a good place for learning grand
manners； the result was dreadful。 and he half knew that it wasnt a success and then became sulkier and more awkward than ever。 meanwhile the two horses were getting on splendidly。 they remembered the very same places in narnia … 〃the grasslands up above beaversdam〃 and found that they were some sort of second cousins once removed。 this made things more and more unfortable for the humans until at last bree said； 〃and now； tarkheena； tell us your story。 and dont hurry it … im feeling fortable now。鈥�
aravis immediately began； sitting quite still and using a rather different tone and style from her usual one。 for in calormen； story…telling （whether the stories are true or made up） is a thing youre taught； just as english boys and girls are taught essay…writing。 the difference is that people want to hear the stories； whereas i never heard of anyone who wanted to read the essays。
銆�
CHAPTER THREE
澶В诲锛岀敓锛屽皬锛岃'缃�
at the gates of tashbaan 〃mr name；〃 said the girl at once； 〃is aravis tarkheena and i am the only daughter of kidrash tarkaan； the son of rishti tarkaan； the son of kidrash tarkaan； the son of ilsombreh tisroc； the son of ardeeb tisroc who was descended in a right line from the god tash。 my father is the lord of the province of calavar and is one who has the right of standing on his feet in his shoes before the face of tisroc himself （may he live for ever）。
my mother （on whom be the peace of the gods） is dead and my father has married another wife。 one of my brothers has fallen in battle against the rebels in the far west and the other is a child。 now it came to pass that my fathers wife； my step… mother； hated me； and the sun appeared dark in her eyes as long as i lived in my fathers house。 and so she persuaded my father to promise me in marriage to ahoshta tarkaan。 now this ahoshta is of base birth； though in these latter years he has won the favour of the tisroc （may he live for ever） by flattery and evil counsels； and is now made a tarkaan and the lord of many cities and is likely to be chosen as the grand vizier when the present grand vizier dies。
moreover he is at least sixty years old and has a hump on his back and his face resembles that of an ape。 nevertheless my father； because of the wealth and power of this ahoshta； and being persuaded by his wife； sent messengers offering me in marriage； and the offer was favourably accepted and ahoshta sent word that he would marry me this very year at the time of high summer。
〃when this news was brought to me the sun appeared dark in my eyes and i laid myself on my bed and wept for a day。 but on the second day i rose up and washed my face and caused my mare hwin to be saddled and took with me a sharp dagger which my brother had carried in the western wars and rode out alone。 and when my fathers house was out of sight and i was e to a green open place in a certain wood where there were no dwellings of men； i dismounted from hwin my mare and took out the dagger。 then i parted my clothes where i thought the readiest way lay to my heart and i prayed to all the
gods that as soon as i was dead i might find myself with my brother。 after that i shut my eyes and my teeth and prepared to drive the dagger into my heart。 but before i had done so； this mare spoke with the voice of one of the daughters of men and said； 〃o my mistress； do not by any means destroy yourself； for if you live you may yet have good fortune but all the dead are dead alike。鈥�
〃i didnt say it half so well as that；〃 muttered the mare。
〃hush； maam； hush；〃 said bree； who was thoroughly enjoying the story。 〃shes telling it in the grand calormene manner and no story…teller in a tisrocs court could do it better。
pray go on； tarkheena。鈥�
〃when i heard the language of men uttered by my mare；〃 continued aravis； 〃i said to myself； the fear of death has disordered my reason and subjected me to delusions。 and i became full of shame for none of my lineage ought to fear death more than the biting of a gnat。 therefore i addressed myself a second time to the stabbing； bu