King of the Wind

King of the Wind

First edition
Author	Marguerite Henry
Illustrator	Wesley Dennis
Country	United States
Language	English
Publisher	Rand McNally
Publication date	1948
Media type	Print (hardback & paperback)
ISBN	0-7862-2848-2 (reissue)

King of the Wind is a novel by Marguerite Henry that won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1949.^[1] It was made into a film of the same name in 1990.^[2]

Plot

The novel is a fictionalised biography of the Godolphin Arabian, an ancestor of the modern Thoroughbred. The story starts with Man o' War's victory over Sir Barton in a race. The fans expect Man o' War to race at Newmarket, but his owner, Samuel Riddle, chooses to end his racing career early. When questioned about his decision, he tells the story of the Godolphin Arabian.

The story starts in Morocco, as the fast of Ramadan is ending. Agba, a mute orphan, tends to his favorite Arabian mare. The Chief Groom realizes that tonight is her birthing hour. Agba, sleeping in the mare's stall, wakes to find a new foal in the stable. He notices a white spot on the colt's hind heel, considered the emblem of swiftness and good luck. The Chief Groom spots a wheat ear on the foal's chest: a sign of bad luck. He attempts to kill the colt, but Agba points out the white spot. The Chief Groom leaves, prophesying that the mare will die. Agba, undaunted, names the colt Sham because of his golden coat.

Within a few days, the prophecy is fulfilled when the mare dies. Agba feeds Sham on camel's milk and wild honey, promising that someday he will be King of The Wind.

Sham matures into a promising racehorse, beating all of the other horses in the stable. One day, the Sultan summons six horseboys to his palace, including Agba, and charges them to accompany six horses that are to be given as gifts to the French king. Sham fits the requirements and accompanies Agba to France. The horseboy is to remain with that horse until death, then return to Morocco.

However, the supposedly great racehorses are frowned upon by the French, who believe that they are not 'lusty' enough to be racehorses. Sham becomes a kitchen horse but causes such a mess that the cook sells him. Agba becomes a slave to Sham's owner and meets Grimalkin the cat along the way.

Sham is bought by a Quaker man and taken to England. He refuses to let the Quaker's nephew ride him and is sold to an inn. When Agba is caught sneaking in to see the horse, he goes to jail. The jailer destroys Sham's pedigree. Fortunately, Agba is bailed out by the Quaker's housekeeper, and Sham is released from his cruel treatment at the inn. The housekeeper finds him a job with the Earl of Godolphin.

The Earl treats Sham as a workhorse, albeit kindly. The true celebrity in the Godolphin stables is the stallion Hobgoblin, whom Sham detests. Lady Roxana, a mate meant for Hobgoblin, arrives, and Sham successfully fights Hobgoblin for her. Lady Roxana enjoys Sham's company, but the Earl is embarrassed by the incident. He sentences Sham, Agba, and Grimalkin to life in Wicken Fen, and they depart.

Two years later, the Earl's Chief Groom comes to see Agba and reveals that Lady Roxana gave birth to Sham's son Lath, who was left untrained. Lath, however, one day jumped a fence and outran some of the colts that the Earl was training, proving his worth.

The trio come back to Godolphin, and Sham is named the Godolphin Arabian. After the Earl reveals that he is near bankruptcy, they race Sham's sons at Newmarket. They win the races and the Queen's purse, and Agba contemplates his life with Sham.

As a footnote, it is revealed the Godolphin Arabian lived long and had many successful descendants. The Earl left his grave blank, and Agba returned to Morocco. After the Earl's death, the dates and name of the Godolphin Arabian are put on the grave, but time is slowly erasing the words.

Reception

Reviewed by the New York Times.

References

1. Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-Present
2. King of the Wind at IMDb