#I wish Tash was my good lady wife

[ashafriesen]

500 Plus Unique Indian Baby Names 2020

500 Plus Unique Indian Baby Names 2020

Your name is something you have have to live with the rest of your life so it becomes very important for the parent to choose a name for their baby carefully. I was called ‘Anamika'(one without a name) for the longest time because my  parents could not select a name. Since we believe in the power of names and since we don’t want you to live in this mystery we have again taken the pains to create a new list for unique Indian Baby Names 2020 for you guys with their meanings. Hope you make the best choice :);

 NAMES OF BOYS: UNIQUE INDIAN BABY NAMES 2020

AARAV: Peaceful.

 AARUSH: Calm, Brilliant, First Ray.

ADVIK: Unique.

AYAAN: Gift of God.

ANIRUDH: Boundless.

AAKESH: Lord of Sky.

ABHIK: Brave.

AKARSH: Divine.

ANISH: Sun God.

BHUVI: Earth.Heaven; Bliss. Land

BHAVIN: To exist, winner.

CAITYA: Pertaining to the mind

CHARVIK: Intelligent

CARTER: Carrier

CHINMAY: Lord Ganesha.

CHAYAN: Choose in preference to another.

DIYAN: Leader, lamp

DAKSH: Capable, Fire, Gold, Excellent, Talented.

DAAMAN: Self Controlled

DAARSHIK: Perceiver

DAARUK: Charioteer of Krishna

DAARUN: Strong male

DEVANSH: Demigod, Part of God.

DHIR: Perseverance.

DARSHIT: Pay respect.

DIVYANSH: Divine part.

DHRUV: Pole Star.

DABEET: Warrior

DAESHIM: Great Mind

DAISHIN: Great Truth

DIVIT: Someone who has conquered death

DYAB: One who preserves

DIV: Gentle

DISHT: Settled

DJAMEL: Beauty

EDHAS: Happiness

EHAN: Expectations.

EESHAN: Lord Shiva.

ERISH: To cherish.

EHIT: Ever Smiling.

EKANSH: Complete, Whole.

ESAIKO: Lord of music

EDI: A herb

EKA- Lord Vishnu

EKESA- The Sole God

EILA: Mother Earth

EKAVIR: Bravest 

EKRAM: Honour

ESHIT: Desired

EKACHIT- Possessing one’s mind

EKANA- Lord Vishnu

EKAYANA- Worldly Wisdon

EKISA- One God

EAHAAS- feeling

FALISH- Indian Tulip

FALAK- Heaven

FANEESH: Lord Shiva

FREY: Exalted One.

FRAVASH: Guardian Angel.

FUAD: Heart.

FAIYAZ: Artistic.

GADDIn- Lord Krishna

GUHAH- Garud

GIRIK- Lord Shiva

GRAHISH: Lord of Planets.

GARV: Pride.

HANUL- Haveing Strong Teeth

HANUSH- Happy

HREDHAAN: One with Great Heart.

HEMISH- Lord of the Earth

HIREN: Warrior, Unique, Priceless.

HARRY: Army Man

HANEESH: Ambition, Lord Shiva.

HANSIN- The Universal Soul

HARIN- Pure

HERAMB- A respected and calm person

HANSH: God alike.

IKSHAN: Sight

IJAY- Lord Ganesha

ISAM- Self Made

IRAVAN- King of the ocean

ISAIKO- King Of Music

INDVEER: Indian Lotus

IBHANAN- Lord Ganesha

IDHANT- Luminous

INU- Charming

IJAY- lord Vishnu

INAS- Capable

ILESH- Lord Of The Earth

INDUJ- Planet Mercury

ISHAN: The Lord Sun, Guardian of North East.

ISHANT: Cute Baby, Lord Shiva.

IRISH: Lord of the Earth.

ISHIR: Fire, Powerful, Refreshing.

JAGAT: World.

JAI: Victory.

JAIAN- Victorious

JYRAN: Lost Love

JIVAJ: Full Of Life

JAIVIN: Honest

JANAV: Lord Krishna

JANYA: Born

JAYAN: Victorious

JIVIN: To give life

KAHILL: Best friend

KAIF: Mood

KHASHI: Pious

KINAl: Extremes in fortune

KEYUR: Armlet

KANISH: Caring

KAIRAV: White Lotus

KANV: Name of a saint

KAVISH: King of poets

KUNSH: Shining

KVANH: Melodious sounds

KRISH: Compassionate, Harvest

KARTIK: Inspiring with Courage and Joy.

KAPIL: Another name of Lord Vishnu. Fair Complexioned.

KIAAN: King, Ancient, Generations.

KUVAM: Sun

LARAN: Psychic powers and abilities

LAVI: Lion

LOGU: Blessing of God

LAIHAN: glittering

LAHAR: Wave

LARRAJ: Sage

LAI: The Beloved One

LIKITH: Writer

LAKSH: Aim, Target, Goal.

LAVITRA: Lord Shiva

LAKSHT: Targeted.

LAKSHAY: Target.

LIYAN: Cute.

MADHI: Lord Shiva

MUNES: Saint

MUGILAN: Lord of Clouds

MUNA: Wish

MEER: chief

MIKUL: Comrade

MANAS: Wise.

MADHAV: Sweet like Honey, Another name of Lord Krishna.

MITUL: Limited Friend.

MAYUR: Peacock.

NOOH: A prophet

NRIP: King

NAEF: Surplus

NADISH: God of river

NAISHAl: Parvat

NIDHISH: Lord of treasure

NABHYA: Lord Shiva

NALIN: Lotus

NARYA: Powerful

NAKSH: Moon.

NIHIT: God Gift

NEHAN: Beautiful

NITYAN: Eternal

NAITIK: Good in nature

NADIN: Lord of Rivers

NAMAN: Good Fundamental Nature.

NAYAN: Eyes.

NACHIKET: Fire.

NEEL: Blue.

NAKIN: One who dwells in heaven

NAKUL: Mongoose.

OMKAR: derived from OM having religious sentiments.

ORMAN: A Seaman.

OHAS: Praise.

OGAAN: United.

OVI: A holy message for the saint

OVIYAN: Artist

ORIS: Gentle, tree

ONI: Shelter

OOJAM: Enthusiasm

PORAM: Being Supreme

PACHAI: Youthful

PANAV: Prince

PINAK: Bow of lord Shiva

PRABIR: Hero

PRANEEL: A Name of Lord Shiva.

PALAM: Fruit.

PARAM: The Best.

PRANAY: Romance.

PRIYANSH: Most valuable part of something.

PARTH: Son of Mother Earth.

PRANAV: Praise.

PRANEEL: Name of Lord Shiva.

PRATYUSH: Dawn

PURU: A legendary King

RAJIH: Respondent

RAGIL: Silvery

RAVISHU: Cupid

RISHIK: Lord Shiva

RAHAS: Delight

RAJIB: Sun God

RAGHAV: Descendant of Raghu, Lord Ram.

RANVIR: Hero of the Battle.

RYAN: Descendant of the King.

RATISH: Kamdev

RAAJ: Kingdom.

RACHIT: Invention.

RANBIR: Brave Warrior.

RAYAAN: Fragrant Herb.

REYANSH: Ray of Light.

RONITH: Charming.

RUSHIL: Charming.

SAIM: fasting

SACHISH: Lord Indra

SHULI: Lord Shiva

SHAAR: habit

SAUD: Fortunate

SAHAJ: Easy

SARAS: Moon

SAMIK: Peaceful

SANURAG: Affectionate

SAVIR: Leader

SAVIT: Sun

SHANAY: Power of lord Shani

SHALIN: Modest

SHEIL: Mountain

SOHIL: Beautiful

SOUMIL: Friend

SAKSHAM: Competent.

SATVIK: Calm.

SOUMIL: Friend

SHRESHT: Best of All.

SAMAKSH: Presence.

SAMAR: War.

SAMESH: Lord of Equality.

SAKET: A place close to Heaven.

TASH: King fo heart

TIRU: Holy

THEJU: Bright

TANESH: Lord Shiva

THAMIL: Beauty

THANSA: King of Earth

TAARANK: Part of a star

TAHIR: Holy

TAKSA: Son Of Bharatha

TAALISH: Lord Of Earth

TANAY: It means a Son.

TAVISH: Strong and Energetic.

USWA: Practice

UHUD: Commitment

UDIT: Rise.

UNAISA: Sweetheart

UJESH: One who bestows light

UCHIT: Correct.

UDAR: Generous.

VAIKO: Great Politician

VEDANT: Knower of the Vedas.

VEER: Heroic.

VIVAN: Full of Life.

VIHAAN: Dawn, Morning.

VIDHAAN: Creator.

VIRAJ: Resplendent.

WEDANT: The Scriptures, Knower of the Vedas.

WAMAN: Short, 5th Incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Xetrapati: Lord of the body

YUG: Era, Historic Period.

YAKSHITH: Permanent, Who is Made Forever.

YUVAN: Means Healthy and Young.

YAJVAN: Calm and Peaceful.

YASH: Reputation, Glory.

ZEV: Deer or Wolf

ZAYANT: Star, Victorious.

ZAYD: Abundance.

ZHYAN: Full of knowledge

ZAYAN: Beautifier.

  NAME OF GIRLS: UNIQUE INDIAN BABY NAMES 2020

AAMYA: Night rain, soft.

AAPU: Pure

ANCU: Grace

ASLESHA: Group Of stars

ARHSHEEYA: girl

AEZA: beautiful

AAKHI: Eyes

AANBI: Goddess Parvati

AANYA: Limitless, Inexhaustible.

AAROHI: Music Tune, Progressive.

AMOGHA: Fruitful

ATIKAH: Peace

ALINI: Life

AMAIRA: Forever Beautiful.

ANAISHA: Special.

AGHARTHA: Supernatural

AAKRUTHI: Structure

ADAH: Ornament, decorated.

ADARA: Purity

ADINA: God’s gift

AHANA: First rays of the sun.

ARDIKA: Beautiful Mountain

AKSHAINIE: Goddess parvati

AAKANKSHA: Wish or Desire.

ABHIDI: radiant

ABHINITHI: friendship

AARUSHI: First ray of Sun.

ADRISA: Lord of mountains

AKALKA: Pure

ALMAS: Diamond

ANAGA: Sinless

ANCHITHA: Honoured

ADYA: First.

AVANTIKA: Queen.

AMNA: Peace, Safety.

ANSHULA: Sunny

BIANCA: White

BINAL: The princess

BAGYA: Fortune

BILPA: Flower

BIJENDRI: Victory

BADANIKA: Wish

BHAROTI: Lovable

BHAGINI: Indra’s sister

BAIDEHI: Sita

BANDITA: blessed

BARUNI: Goddess Durga

BISHTI: Rain

BASABI: Wife of Lord Indira

BHARVI: Holy Plant

BARITE: Girl

BANDHULA:  charming

BASIMA: Ever smiling

BEEJA: origin of a soul

BINCE: Best among the rest

BHINI: Fragrance

BHRITHI: Strength

BIMBI: Glorius

BHANVI: rays of the sun

BENISHA: flashing

BHURVI: loyal

CANISA: Very dear

CHARA: Quiet

CHAYU: Shwoing respect

CHITI: Love

CETAKA: Thoughful

CHERLA: Love

CHALITH: Cute

CHERVI: Wife of Kuber

CHEKRIKA: Goddess lakshmi

CHARA: Quiet

CHARIL: Bright

CHAHAT: A girl longed and desired by many.

CHANDRAKA : Peacock

CHAYANA: Moon

CHESTA: Desire

CHARVI: Beautiful Lady.

DAMITA: Little princess

DAMSHI: powerful

DEBIKA: Like an angel

DEA: Kindness

DHAHIJA: daughter of milk

DRISHYA: Sight.

DHRITI: A girl with courage and determination.

DHWANI: The essence of sound and music.

DAARIKA: maiden

DEEBA: silk

DESHNA: gift

DEVIJA: Born in heaven

DALMATIA: Beautiful lamp

DHITA: beloved daughter

DEENAL: Sweet girl

DESIHA: happy

DHATRI: earth

DESHNA: valuable gift

DIPASHARI: Lamp

DRISANA: daughter of su

DAKSHATHA: skill

DALAJA: One produced from petals

DALIKA: Beautiful flower

DAIVI: Pious soul

ELAINA: bright and shining

ESTAA: Loving

EVA: Living.

EKANSHI: Pretty rare name of a girl who is a part of a whole.

ESHIKA: Dart

EVAAN: Beauty

ECCHITA: dewdrop

ELADEVI: brave

EKISHA: One Goddess

EASHI: happiness

ELAKSHI: Woman with sharp and bright eyes

ELILI: Beautiful

EBBANI: desire

ETASHI: Luminous

EVANI: The earth

EDNITA Evolved

EKAJA: Only child

FIRAKI: Fragrance

FANHA: Passing Away

FARA: Beauty of a Setting Sun.

FALGUNI: A traditional name for the beauty of the feminine.

FALEESHA: Indian Tulip.

FESHIKHA: Princess

FIROZA: Precious Gem.

GINA: Powerful Woman

GULIKA: pearl

GARGI: Strength and Serenity of Gooden Durga.

GHUSN: Twig

GITALI: Bringer of melodious songs and music.

GUL: Another name of a flower.

HANA: Happiness

HRISHITA: One who brings joys and satisfaction in her life.

HIMANI: Another name derived from Goddess Durga

HAMSA: Swan

HAVYA: Beautiful

IHITHA: desire

IKSHANA: sight

IKMANI: One with one heart and one soul

IHINAA: enthusiasm

ISHYA: Spring

IDHITRI: One who praises

ILISHA: Queen of earth

IKSHU: sweet as sugarcane

IKSHULA: Holy river

IKSHURA: fragrant grass

ILYASINI: Music

IMANI: trustworthy

ITEESHREE: Start

INDULALA: moonlight

INU: attractive

IPSA: Ambition

IYLA: moonlight

IPSITA: desired

IBHA: hope

IDITRI: complimentary

INIYA: Sweet.

JEEL: silent lake

JALEH: rain

JUI: flower

JALPA: discussion

JANAI: God has answered

JANYA: born

JIERA: Beautiful One

JOYEL: God

JASU: The one who is brainy

JILPA: life giving

JOVITHA: joy

JAANVI: As precious as your Life.

JAGRITI: One who awakens all the minds.

JANNAT: Someone who belongs to the paradise.

JIYA: Someone who is close to the heart.

JUANA: flower

JIVIKA: Source of life.

KOCHAI: nomad

KALYA: Pleasant

KAPARDINI: A Goddess 

KARABI: A flower

KAUSHEY: Silken

KECIA: Beautiful Rain

KEIYONA: Morning star

KODHAI: beautiful girl

KAASNI: flower

KALAPI: Peacock

KRUPALI: One filled with Forgiveness.

KAALIMA: Blackish

KALPITA: Creative

KANUSHI: Beloved of Lord Krishna

KARALIKA: Goddess Durga

KAUMADI: Full moon

KURANGI: deer

KUVAM: Sun

LIJA: devoted to God

LUMA: sunset

LUJA: Of great depth

LEKISHA: Life

LOLAKSI: A sakti of Ganesha

LUMBIKA: a musical instrument

LALANA: Beautiful woman

LOVYA: Piece of love

LABUKI: musical instrument

LAASYA: Dance performed by Parvati

LIYA: beautiful

LAVANYA: Beauty.

LAHARI: sweet

LALASA: Love

LATANGI: creeper

LIPI: Script.

LAVALI: clove

LAVENIA: purified

LAYA: rhythm

LEORA: light 

MOULI: Lord Shiva

MAIS: proud

MARVI: Beauty redefined

MAYIL: Full of grace

MADRI: Wife of Pandu

MIKULA: Beauty

MESHA: Long life

MANINI: self respect

NYRA: The beauty of Goddess Saraswati

NOSHI: Sweet

NOOR: Light.

NAINIKA: Pupil of the Eye.

NAVYA: Bringer of all that is new and fresh in the world.

NIHARIKA: Fragility of a dewdrop.

OMISHA: Goddess of Life and Death.

OISHI: Divine

OORVI: Earth

OJAL: Bright vision of tomorrow.

OJASWINI: Person of grace and beauty of the feminine form.

PARINA: Fairy

PRINA: Content

PIYALI: A tree.

PARINAAZ: Sweet fairy like daughters.

PANKHURI: Flower Petals.

PURUVI: magnificence of the East Sun.

PARUL: Graceful.

PALLAVI: New Leaves.

RAYA: Flow

REJI: rejoice

RAMRA: splendor

RUMA: Vedic Hymn

RUTWA: speech

SEEM: Flower

SHEZA: Good religious girl

SAAIQA: lightning

SUVI: summer

SRIA: Happy

SANEMA: perfect

SANSITHA: praise

TISHA: Excellent

TIYA: Gorgeous as a flying bird.

TAAHIRA: Absolutely Pure.

UNAISA: Sweetheart

VARALI: RAAG In Carnatic Music

VANANI: Forest

VRUND: Radha

VAANI: Manifestation of the voice of the Goddess.

VANYA: Gift granted by Lord himself.

VIDHI: Bringer of destiny.

VRUSHTI: Beauty of the first rain.

VALERIA: Girls growing up to be a strong woman.

WAHIDA: Peerless, Unique.

YASHVI: Bringer of fame and fortune.

YUTI: Holy name for a holy union of the good in the world.

YUTIKA: Multitude

YAMINI: Nocturnal.

YUKTA: Skillful, Yoked, United and Absorbed.

YASHASHVI: Famous.

YUVIKA: A young woman, Young girl, Maid.

YASHIKA: Success.

YAMKA: Name resembling flower.

ZWALAKI: Firing Star

ZIL: Girl

ZARA: Name for a daughter who is a princess.

ZUHI: harbinger of light in everyone’s life.

ZISHYA: Scholar

ZORA: Daybreak

ZANISHA: Ruler of Humans.

So that’s the list of 500 plus unique Indian Baby Names 2020. We hope you make memories while picking up a name for your newborn. Do let me know which name you finally choose :).

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[readbookywooks]

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 father's wife, my step-mother, hated me, and the sun appeared dark in her eyes as long as I lived in my father's 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 father's house was out of sight and I was come 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." "I didn't say it half so well as that," muttered the mare. "Hush, Ma'am, hush," said Bree, who was thoroughly enjoying the story. "She's telling it in the grand Calormene manner and no story-teller in a Tisroc's court could do it better. Pray go on, Tarkheena." "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, but Hwin came near to me and put her head in between me and the dagger and discoursed to me most excellent reasons and rebuked me as a mother rebukes her daughter. And now my wonder was so great that I forgot about killing myself and about Ahoshta and said, 'O my mare, how have you learned to speak like one of the daughters of men?' And Hwin told me what is known to all this company, that in Narnia there are beasts that talk, and how she herself was stolen from thence when she was a little foal. She told me also of the woods and waters of Narnia and the castles and the great ships, till I said, 'In the name of Tash and Azaroth and Zardeenah Lady of the Night, I have a great wish to be in that country of Narnia.' 'O my mistress,' answered the mare, 'if you were in Narnia you would be happy, for in that land no maiden is forced to marry against her will.' "And when we had talked together for a great time hope returned to me and I rejoiced that I had not killed myself. Moreover it was agreed between Hwin and me that we should steal ourselves away together and we planned it in this fashion. We returned to my father's house and I put on my gayest clothes and sang and danced before my father and pretended to be delighted with the marriage which he had prepared for me. Also I said to him, 'O my father and O the delight of my eyes, give me your licence and permission to go with one of my maidens alone for three days into the woods to do secret sacrifices to Zardeenah, Lady of the Night and of Maidens, as is proper and customary for damsels when they must bid farewell to the service of Zardeenah and prepare themselves for marriage.' And he answered, 'O my daughter and O the delight of my eyes, so shall it be.' "But when I came out from the presence of my father I went immediately to the oldest of his slaves, his secretary, who had dandled me on his knees when I was a baby and loved me more than the air and the light. And I swore him to be secret and begged him to write a certain letter for me. And he wept and implored me to change my resolution but in the end he said, 'To hear is to obey,' and did all my will. And I sealed the letter and hid it in my bosom." "But what was in the letter?" asked Shasta. "Be quiet, youngster," said Bree. "You're spoiling the story. She'll tell us all about the letter in the right place. Go on, Tarkheena." "Then I called the maid who was to go with me to the woods and perform the rites of Zardeenah and told her to wake me very early in the morning. And I became merry with her and gave her wine to drink; but I had mixed such things in her cup that I knew she must sleep for a night and a day. As soon as the household of my father had committed themselves to sleep I arose and put on an armour of my brother's which I always kept in my chamber in his memory. I put into my girdle all the money I had and certain choice jewels and provided myself also with food, and saddled the mare with my own hands and rode away in the second watch of the night. I directed my course not to the woods where my father supposed that I would go but north and east to Tashbaan. "Now for three days and more I knew that my father would not seek me, being deceived by the words I had said to him. And on the fourth day we arrived at the city of Azim Balda. Now Azim Balda stands at the meeting of many roads and from it the posts of the Tisroc (may he live for ever) ride on swift horses to every part of the empire: and it is one of the rights and privileges of the greater Tarkaans to send messages by them. I therefore went to the Chief of the Messengers in the House of Imperial Posts in Azim Balda and said, 'O dispatcher of messages, here is a letter from my uncle Ahoshta Tarkaan to Kidrash Tarkaan lord of Calavar. Take now these five crescents and cause it to be sent to him.' And the Chief of the Messengers said, 'To hear is to obey.' "This letter was feigned to be written by Ahoshta and this was the signification of the writing: 'Ahoshta Tarkaan to Kidrash Tarkaan, salutation and peace. In the name of Tash the irresistible, the inexorable. Be it known to you that as I made my journey towards your house to perform the contract of marriage between me and your daughter Aravis Tarkheena, it pleased fortune and the gods that I fell in with her in the forest when she had ended the rites and sacrifices of Zardeenah according to the custom of maidens. And when I learned who she was, being delighted with her beauty and discretion, I became inflamed with love and it appeared to me that the sun would be dark to me if I did not marry her at once. Accordingly I prepared the necessary sacrifices and married your daughter the same hour that I met her and have returned with her to my own house. And we both pray and charge you to come hither as speedily as you may that we may be delighted with your face and speech; and also that you may bring with you the dowry of my wife, which, by reason of my great charges and expenses, I require without delay. And because thou and I are brothers I assure myself that you will not be angered by the haste of my marriage which is wholly occasioned by the great love I bear your daughter. And I commit you to the care of all the gods.' "As soon as I had done this I rode on in all haste from Azim Balda, fearing no pursuit and expecting that my father, having received such a letter, would send messages to Ahoshta or go to him himself, and that before the matter was discovered I should be beyond Tashbaan. And that is the pith of my story until this very night when I was chased by lions and met you at the swimming of the salt water." "And what happened to the girl - the one you drugged?" asked Shasta. "Doubtless she was beaten for sleeping late," said Aravis coolly. "But she was a tool and spy of my stepmother's. I am very glad they should beat her." "I say, that was hardly fair," said Shasta. "I did not do any of these things for the sake of pleasing you," said Aravis. "And there's another thing I don't understand about that story," said Shasta. "You're not grown up, I don't believe you're any older than I am. I don't believe you're as old. How could you be getting married at your age?" Aravis said nothing, but Bree at once said, "Shasta, don't display your ignorance. They're always married at that age in the great Tarkaan families." Shasta turned very red (though it was hardly light enough for the others to see this) and felt snubbed. Aravis asked Bree for his story. Bree told it, and Shasta thought that he put in a great deal more than he needed about the falls and the bad riding. Bree obviously thought it very funny, but Aravis did not laugh. When Bree had finished they all went to sleep. Next day all four of them, two horses and two humans, continued their journey together. Shasta thought it had been much pleasanter when he and Bree were on their own. For now it was Bree and Aravis who did nearly all the talking. Bree had lived a long time in Calormen and had always been among Tarkaans and Tarkaans' horses, and so of course he knew a great many of the same people and places that Aravis knew. She would always be saying things like, "But if you were at the fight of Zulindreh you would have seen my cousin Alimash," and Bree would answer, "Oh, yes, Alimash, he was only captain of the chariots, you know. I don't quite hold with chariots or the kind of horses who draw chariots. That's not real cavalry. But he is a worthy nobleman. He filled my nosebag with sugar after the taking of Teebeth." Or else Bree would say, "I was down at the lake of Mezreel that summer," and Aravis would say, "Oh, Mezreel! I had a friend there, Lasaraleen Tarkheena. What a delightful place it is. Those gardens, and the Valley of the Thousand Perfumes!" Bree was not in the least trying to leave Shasta out of things, though Shasta sometimes nearly thought he was. People who know a lot of the same things can hardly help talking about them, and if you're there you can hardly help feeling that you're out of it. Hwin the mare was rather shy before a great war-horse like Bree and said very little. And Aravis never spoke to Shasta at all if she could help it. Soon, however, they had more important things to think of. They were getting near Tashbaan. There were more, and larger, villages, and more people on the roads. They now did nearly all their travelling by night and hid as best they could during the day. And at every halt they argued and argued about what they were to do when they reached Tashbaan. Everyone had been putting off this difficulty, but now it could be put off no longer. During these discussions Aravis became a little, a very little, less unfriendly to Shasta; one usually gets on better with people when one is making plans than when one is talking about nothing in particular. Bree said the first thing now to do was to fix a place where they would all promise to meet on the far side of Tashbaan even if, by any ill luck, they got separated in passing the city. He said the best place would be the Tombs of the Ancient Kings on the very edge of the desert. "Things like great stone bee-hives," he said, "you can't possibly miss them. And the best of it is that none of the Calormenes will go near them because they think the place is haunted by ghouls and are afraid of it." Aravis asked if it wasn't really haunted by ghouls. But Bree said he was a free Narnian horse and didn't believe in these Calormene tales. And then Shasta said he wasn't a Calormene either and didn't care a straw about these old stories of ghouls. This wasn't quite true. But it rather impressed Aravis (though at the moment it annoyed her too) and of course she said she didn't mind any number of ghouls either. So it was settled that the Tombs should be their assembly place on the other side of Tashbaan, and everyone felt they were getting on very well till Hwin humbly pointed out that the real problem was not where they should go when they had got through Tashbaan but how they were to get through it. "We'll settle that tomorrow, Ma'am," said Bree. "Time for a little sleep now." But it wasn't easy to settle. Aravis's first suggestion was that they should swim across the river below the city during the night and not go into Tashbaan at all. But Bree had two reasons against this. One was that the river-mouth was very wide and it would be far too long a swim for Hwin to do, especially with a rider on her back. (He thought it would be too long for himself too, but he said much less about that). The other was that it would be full of shipping and of course anyone on the deck of a ship who saw two horses swimming past would be almost certain to be inquisitive. Shasta thought they should go up the river above Tashbaan and cross it where it was narrower. But Bree explained that there were gardens and pleasure houses on both banks of the river for miles and that there would be Tarkaans and Tarkheenas living in them and riding about the roads and having water parties on the river. In fact it would be the most likely place in the world for meeting someone who would recognize Aravis or even himself. "We'll have to have a disguise," said Shasta. Hwin said it looked to her as if the safest thing was to go right through the city itself from gate to gate because one was less likely to be noticed in the crowd. But she approved of the idea of disguise as well. She said, "Both the human will have to dress in rags and look like peasants or slaves And all Aravis's armour and our saddles and things must be made into bundles and put on our backs, and the children must pretend to drive us and people will think we're on pack-horses." "My dear Hwin!" said Aravis rather scornfully. "As anyone could mistake Bree for anything but a war-hors however you disguised him!" "I should think not, indeed," said Bree, snorting an letting his ears go ever so little back. "I know it's not a very good plan," said Hwin. "But I think it's our only chance. And we haven't been groomed for ages and we're not looking quite ourselves (at least, I'm sure I'm not). I do think if we get well plastered with mud and go along with our heads down as if we're tired and lazy - and don't lift our hooves hardly at all - we might not be noticed. And our tails ought to be cut shorter: not neatly, you know, but all ragged." "My dear Madam," said Bree. "Have you pictured to yourself how very disagreeable it would be to arrive in Narnia in that condition?" "Well," said Hwin humbly (she was a very sensible mare), "the main thing is to get there." Though nobody much liked it, it was Hwin's plan which had to be adopted in the end. It was a troublesome one and involved a certain amount of what Shasta called stealing, and Bree called "raiding". One farm lost a few sacks that evening and another lost a coil of rope the next: but some tattered old boy's clothes for Aravis to wear had to be fairly bought and paid for in a village. Shasta returned with them in triumph just as evening was closing in. The others were waiting for him among the trees at the foot of a low range of wooded hills which lay right across their path. Everyone was feeling excited because this was the last hill; when they reached the ridge at the top they would be looking down on Tashbaan. "I do wish we were safely past it," muttered Shasta to Hwin. "Oh I do, I do," said Hwin fervently. That night they wound their way through the woods up to the ridge by a wood-cutter's track. And when they came out of the woods at the top they could see thousands of lights in the valley down below them. Shasta had had no notion of what a great city would be like and it frightened him. They had their supper and the children got some sleep. But the horses woke them very early in the morning. The stars were still out and the grass was terribly cold and wet, but daybreak was just beginning, far to their right across the sea. Aravis went a few steps away into the wood and came back looking odd in her new, ragged clothes and carrying her real ones in a bundle. These, and her armour and shield and scimitar and the two saddles and the rest of the horses' fine furnishings were put into the sacks. Bree and Hwin had already got themselves as dirty and bedraggled as they could and it remained to shorten their tails. As the only tool for doing this was Aravis's scimitar, one of the packs had to be undone again in order to get it out. It was a longish job and rather hurt the horses. "My word!" said Bree, "if I wasn't a Talking Horse what a lovely kick in the face I could give you! I thought you were going to cut it, not pull it out. That's what it feels like." But in spite of semi-darkness and cold fingers all was done in the end, the big packs bound on the horses, the rope halters (which they were now wearing instead of bridles and reins) in the children's hands, and the journey began. "Remember," said Bree. "Keep together if we possibly can. If not, meet at the Tombs of the Ancient Kings, and whoever gets there first must wait for the others." "And remember," said Shasta. "Don't you two horses forget yourselves and start talking, whatever happens."

[readbookywooks]

RABADASH THE RIDICULOUS

THE next turn of the road - brought them out from among the trees and there, across green lawns, sheltered from the north wind by the high wooded ridge at its back, they saw the castle of Anvard. It was very old and built of a warm, reddish-brown stone. Before they had reached the gate King Lune came out to meet them, not looking at all like Aravis's idea of a king and wearing the oldest of old clothes; for he had just come from making a round of the kennels with his Huntsman and had only stopped for a moment to wash his doggy hands. But the bow with which he greeted Aravis as he took her hand would have been stately enough for an Emperor. "Little lady," he said, "we bid you very heartily welcome. If my dear wife were still alive we could make you better cheer but could not do it with a better will. And I am sorry that you have had misfortunes and been driven from your father's house, which cannot but be a grief to you. My son Cor has told me about your adventures together and all your valour." "It was he who did all that, Sir," said Aravis. "Why, he rushed at a lion to save me." "Eh, what's that?" said King Lune, his face brightening. "I haven't heard that part of the story." Then Aravis told it. And Cor, who had very much wanted the story to be known, though he felt he couldn't tell it himself, didn't enjoy it so much as he had expected, and indeed felt rather foolish. But his father enjoyed it very much indeed and in the course of the next few weeks told it to so many people that Cor wished it had never happened. Then the King turned to Hwin and Bree and was just as polite to them as to Aravis, and asked them a lot of questions about their families and where they had lived in Narnia before they had been captured. The Horses were rather tongue-tied for they weren't yet used to being talked to as equals by Humans grown-up Humans, that is. They didn't mind Aravis and Cor. Presently Queen Lucy came out from the castle and joined them and King Lune said to Aravis, "My dear, here is a loving friend of our house, and she has been seeing that your apartments are put to rights for you better than I could have done it." "You'd like to come and see them, wouldn't you?" said Lucy, kissing Aravis. They liked each other at once and soon went away together to talk about Aravis's bedroom and Aravis's boudoir and about getting clothes for her, and all the sort of things girls do talk about on such an occasion. After lunch, which they had on the terrace (it was cold birds and cold game pie and wine and bread and cheese), King Lune ruffled up his brow and heaved a sigh and said, "Heigh-ho! We have still that sorry creature Rabadash on our hands, my friends, and must needs resolve what to do with him." Lucy was sitting on the King's right and Aravis on his left. King Edmund sat at one end of the table and the Lord Darrin faced him at the other. Dar and Peridan and Cor and Corin were on the same side as the King. "Your Majesty would have a perfect right to strike off his head," said Peridan. "Such an assault as he made puts him on a level with assassins." "It is very true," said Edmund. "But even a traitor may mend. I have known one that did." And he looked very thoughtful. "To kill this Rabadash would go near to raising war with the Tisroc," said Darrin. "A fig for the Tisroc," said King Lune. "His strength is in numbers and numbers will never cross the desert. But I have no stomach for killing men (even traitors) in cold blood. To have cut his throat in the battle would have eased my heart mightily, but this is a different thing." "By my counsel," said Lucy, "your Majesty shall give him another trial. Let him go free on strait promise of fair dealing in the future. It may be that he will keep his word." "Maybe Apes will grow honest, Sister," said Edmund. "But, by the Lion, if he breaks it again, may it be in such time and place that any of us could swap off his head in clean battle." "It shall be tried," said the King: and then to one of the attendants, "Send for the prisoner, friend." Rabadash was brought before them in chains. To look at him anyone would have supposed that he had passed the night in a noisome dungeon without food or water; but in reality he had been shut up in quite a comfortable room and provided with an excellent supper. But as he was sulking far too furiously to touch the supper and had spent the whole night stamping and roaring and cursing, he naturally did not now look his best. "Your royal Highness needs not to be told," said King Lune, "that by the law of nations as well as by all reasons of prudent policy, we have as good right to your head as ever one mortal man had against another. Nevertheless, in consideration of your youth and the ill nurture, devoid of all gentilesse and courtesy, which you have doubtless had in the land of slaves and tyrants, we are disposed to set you free, unharmed, on these conditions: first, that-" "Curse you for a barbarian dog!" spluttered Rabadash. "Do you think I will even hear your conditions? Faugh! You talk very largely of nurture and I know not what. It's easy, to a man in chains, ha! Take off these vile bonds, give me a sword, and let any of you who dares then debate with me." Nearly all the lords sprang to their feet, and Corin shouted: "Father! Can I box him? Please." "Peace! Your Majesties! My Lords!" said King Lune. "Have we no more gravity among us than to be so chafed by the taunt of a pajock? Sit down, Corin, or shaft leave the table. I ask your Highness again, to hear our conditions." "I hear no conditions from barbarians and sorcerers," said Rabadash. "Not one of you dare touch a hair of my head. Every insult you have heaped on me shall be paid with oceans of Narnian and Archenlandish blood. Terrible shall the vengeance of the Tisroc be: even now. But kill me, and the burnings and torturings in these northern lands shall become a tale to frighten the world a thousand years hence. Beware! Beware! Beware! The bolt of Tash falls from above!" "Does it ever get caught on a hook half-way?" asked Corin. "Shame, Corin," said the King. "Never taunt a man save when he is stronger than you: then, as you please." "Oh you foolish Rabadash," sighed Lucy. Next moment Cor wondered why everyone at the table had risen and was standing perfectly still. Of course he did the same himself. And then he saw the reason. Aslan was among them though no one had seen him coming. Rabadash started as the immense shape of the Lion paced softly in between him and his accusers. "Rabadash," said Aslan. "Take heed. Your doom is very near, but you may still avoid it. Forget your pride (what have you to be proud of?) and your anger (who has done you wrong?) and accept the mercy of these good kings." Then Rabadash rolled his eyes and spread out his mouth into a horrible, long mirthless grin like a shark, and wagged his ears up and down (anyone can learn how to do this if they take the trouble). He had always found this very effective in Calormen. The bravest had trembled when he made these faces, and ordinary people had fallen to the floor, and sensitive people had often fainted. But what Rabadash hadn't realized is that it is very easy to frighten people who know you can have them boiled alive the moment you give the word. The grimaces didn't look at all alarming in Archenland; indeed Lucy only thought Rabadash was going to be sick. "Demon! Demon! Demon!" shrieked the Prince. "I know you. You are the foul fiend of Narnia. You are the enemy of the gods. Learn who I am, horrible phantasm. I am descended from Tash, the inexorable, the irresistible. the curse of Tash is upon you. Lightning in the shape of scorpions shall be rained on you. The mountains of Narnia shall be ground into dust. The-" "Have a care, Rabadash," said Aslan quietly. "The doom is nearer now: it is at the door: it has lifted the latch." "Let the skies fall," shrieked Rabadash. "Let the earth gape! Let blood and fire obliterate the world! But be sure I will never desist till I have dragged to my palace by her hair the barbarian queen, the daughter of dogs, the  - " "The hour has struck," said Aslan: and Rabadash saw, to his supreme horror, that everyone had begun to laugh. They couldn't help it. Rabadash had been wagging his ears all the time and as soon as Aslan said, "The hour has struck!" the ears began to change. They grew longer and more pointed and soon were covered with grey hair. And while everyone was wondering where they had seen ears like that before, Rabadash's face began to change too. It grew longer, and thicker at the top and larger eyed, and the nose sank back into the face (or else the face swelled out and became all nose) and there was hair all over it. And his arms grew longer and came down in front of him till his hands were resting on the ground: only they weren't hands, now, they were hoofs. And he was standing on all fours, and his clothes disappeared, and everyone laughed louder and louder (because they couldn't help it) for now what had been Rabadash was, simply and unmistakably, a donkey. The terrible thing was that his human speech lasted just a moment longer than his human shape, so that when he realized the change that was coming over him, he screamed out: "Oh, not a Donkey! Mercy! If it were even a horse - e'en - a hor - eeh - auh, eeh-auh." And so the words died away into a donkey's bray. "Now hear me, Rabadash," said Aslan. "Justice shall be mixed with mercy. You shall not always be an Ass." At this of course the Donkey twitched its ears forward and that also was so funny that everybody laughed all the more. They tried not to, but they tried in vain. "You have appealed to Tash," said Aslan. "And in the temple of Tash you shall be healed. You must stand before the altar of Tash in Tashbaan at the great Autumn Feast this year and there, in the sight of all Tashbaan, your ass's shape will fall from you and all men will know you for Prince Rabadash. But as long as you live, if ever you go more than ten miles away from the great temple in Tashbaan you shall instantly become again as you now are. And from that second change there will be no return." There was a short silence and then they all stirred and looked at one another as if they were waking from sleep. Aslan was gone. But there was a brightness in the air and on the grass, and a joy in their hearts, which assured them that he had been no dream: and anyway, there was the donkey in front of them. King Lune was the kindest-hearted of men and on seeing his enemy in this regrettable condition he forgot all his anger. "Your royal Highness," he said. "I am most truly sorry that things have come to this extremity. Your Highness will bear witness that it was none of our doing. And of course we shall be delighted to provide your Highness with shipping back to Tashbaan for the - er - treatment which Aslan has prescribed. You shall have every comfort which your Highness's situation allows: the best of the cattleboats - the freshest carrots and thistles  - " But a deafening bray from the Donkey and a well-aimed kick at one of the guards made it clear that these kindly offers were ungratefully received. And here, to get him out of the way, I'd better finish off the story of Rabadash. He (or it) was duly sent back by boat to Tashbaan and brought into the temple of Tash at the great Autumn Festival, and then he became a man again. But of course four or five thousand people had seen the transformation and the affair could not possibly be hushed up. And after the old Tisroc's death when Rabadash became Tisroc in his place he turned out the most peaceable Tisroc Calormen had ever known. This was because, not daring to go more than ten miles from Tashbaan, he could never go on a war himself: and he didn't want his Tarkaans to win fame in the wars at his expense, for that is the way Tisrocs get overthrown. But though his reasons were selfish, it made things much more comfortable for all the smaller countries round Calormen. His own people never forgot that he had been a donkey. During his reign, and to his face, he was called Rabadash the Peacemaker, but after his death and behind his back he was called Rabadash the Ridiculous, and if you look him up in a good History of Calormen (try the local library) you will find him under that name. And to this day in Calormene schools, if you do anything unusually stupid, you are very likely to be called "a second Rabadash". Meanwhile at Anvard everyone was very glad that he had been disposed of before the real fun began, which was a grand feast held that evening on the lawn before the castle, with dozens of lanterns to help the moonlight. And the wine flowed and tales were told and jokes were cracked, and then silence was made and the King's poet with two fiddlers stepped out into the middle of the circle. Aravis and Cor prepared themselves to be bored, for the only poetry they knew was the Calormene kind, and you know now what that was like. But at the very first scrape of the fiddles a rocket seemed to go up inside their heads, and the poet sang the great old lay of Fair Olvin and how he fought the Giant Pire and turned him into stone (and that is the origin of Mount Pire - it was a two-headed Giant) and won the Lady Liln for his bride; and when it was over they wished it was going to begin again. And though Bree couldn't sing he told the story of the fight at Zalindreh. And Lucy told again (they had all, except Aravis and Cor, heard it many times but they all wanted it again) the tale of the Wardrobe and how she and King Edmund and Queen Susan and Peter the High King had first come into Narnia. And presently, as was certain to happen sooner or later, King Lune said if was time for young people to be in bed. "And tomorrow, Cor," he added, "shalt come over all the castle with me and see the estres and mark all its strength and weakness: for it will be thine to guard when I'm gone." "But Corin will be the King then, Father," said Cor. "Nay, lad," said King Lune, "thou art my heir. The crown comes to thee." "But I don't want it," said Cor. "I'd far rather-" "'Tis no question what thou wantest, Cor, nor I either. 'Tis in the course of law." "But if we're twins we must be the same age." "Nay," said the King with a laugh. "One must come first. Art Corin's elder by full twenty minutes. And his better too, let's hope, though that's no great mastery." And he looked at Corin with a twinkle in his eyes. "But, Father, couldn't you make whichever you like to be the next King?" "No. The king's under the law, for it's the law makes him a king. Hast no more power to start away from thy crown than any sentry from his post." "Oh dear," said Cor. "I don't want to at all. And Corin - I am most dreadfully sorry. I never dreamed my turning up was going to chisel you out of your kingdom." "Hurrah! Hurrah!" said Corin. "I shan't have to be King. I shan't have to be King. I'll always be a prince. It's princes have all the fun." "And that's truer than thy brother knows, Cor," said King Lune. "For this is what it means to be a king: to be first in every desperate attack and last in every desperate retreat, and when there's hunger in the land (as must be now and then in bad years) to wear finer clothes and laugh louder over a scantier meal than any man in your land." When the two boys were going upstairs to bed Cor again asked Corin if nothing could be done about it. And Corin said: "If you say another word about it, I'll - I'll knock you down." It would be nice to end the story by saying that after that the two brothers never disagreed about anything again, but I am afraid it would not be true. In reality they quarrelled and fought just about as often as any other two boys would, and all their fights ended (if they didn't begin) with Cor getting knocked down. For though, when they had both grown up and become swordsmen, Cor was the more dangerous man in battle, neither he nor anyone else in the North Countries could ever equal Corin as a boxer. That was how he got his name of Corin Thunder-Fist; and how he performed his great exploit against the Lapsed Bear of Stormness, which was really a Talking Bear but had gone back to Wild Bear habits. Corm climbed up to its lair on the Narnian side of Stormness one winter day when the snow was on the hills and boxed it without a time-keeper for thirty-three rounds. And at the end it couldn't see out of its eyes and became a reformed character. Aravis also had many quarrels (and, I'm afraid, even fights) with Cor, but they always made it up again: so that years later, when they were grown up, they were so used to quarrelling and making it up again that they got married so as to go on doing it more conveniently. And after King Lune's death they made a good King and Queen of Archenland and Ram the Great, the most famous of all the kings of Archenland, was their son. Bree and Hwin lived happily to a great age in Narnia and both got married but not to one another. And there weren't many months in which one or both of them didn't come trotting over the pass to visit their friends at Anvard.