| "Narnia," answered the Horse. "The happy land of Narnia - Narnia of the heathery mountains and the thymy downs, Narnia of the many rivers, the plashing glens, the mossy caverns and the deep forests ringing with the hammers of the Dwarfs. Oh the sweet air of Narnia! An hour's life there is better than a thousand years in Calormen." It ended with a whinny that sounded very like a sigh. "How did you get here?" said Shasta. | - В Нарнии, - отвечал конь. |
| "Kidnapped," said the Horse. "Or stolen, or captured whichever you like to call it. | - Меня украли, - рассказывал конь, когда оба они успокоились. |
| I was only a foal at the time. | - Если хочешь, взяли в плен. |
| My mother warned me not to range the Southern slopes, into Archenland and beyond, but I wouldn't heed her. | Я был тогда жеребенком, и мать запрещала мне убегать далеко к Югу, но я не слушался. |
| And by the Lion's Mane I have paid for my folly. | И поплатился же я за это, видит Лев! |
| All these years I have been a slave to humans, hiding my true nature and pretending to be dumb and witless like their horses." | Много лет я служу злым людям, притворяясь тупым и немым, как их кони. |
| "Why didn't you tell them who you were?" | - Почему же ты им не признаешься? |
| "Not such a fool, that's why. | - Не такой я дурак! |
| If they'd once found out I could talk they would have made a show of me at fairs and guarded me more carefully than ever. My last chance of escape would have been gone." "And why -" began Shasta, but the Horse interrupted him. | Они будут показывать меня на ярмарках и сторожить еще сильнее. |
| "Now look," it said, "we mustn't waste time on idle questions. | Но оставим пустые беседы. |
| You want to know about my master the Tarkaan Anradin. | Ты хочешь знать, каков мой хозяин Анрадин. |
| Well, he's bad. | Он жесток. |
| Not too bad to me, for a war horse costs too much to be treated very badly. But you'd better be lying dead tonight than go to be a human slave in his house tomorrow." | Со мной - не очень, кони дороги, а тебе, человеку, лучше умереть, чем быть рабом в его доме. |
| "Then I'd better run away," said Shasta, turning very pale. | - Тогда я убегу, - сказал Шаста, сильно побледнев. |
| "Yes, you had," said the Horse. | - Да, беги, - сказал конь. |
| "But why not run away with me?" | - Со мною вместе. |
| "Are you going to run away too?" said Shasta. | - Ты тоже убежишь? - спросил Шаста. |
| "Yes, if you'll come with me," answered the Horse. | - Да, если ты убежишь, - сказал конь. |
| "This is the chance for both of us. | - Тогда мы, может быть, и спасемся. |
| You see if I run away without a rider, everyone who sees me will say | Понимаешь, если я буду без всадника, люди увидят меня и скажут: |
