King of the Wind: The Story of the Godolphin Arabian

by Marguerite Henry

Book Overview

He was named "Sham" for the sun, this golden-red stallion born in the Sultan of Morocco's stone stables. Upon his heel was a small white spot, the symbol of speed. But on his chest was the symbol of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0027436292
• ISBN13: 9780027436297
• Release Date: November 1990
• Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 7.2" x 9.6"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

King of the Wind

King of the Wind is composed by Marguerite Henry. I rate this book with five stars. This book is about the adventure and friendship of a spirited horse named Sham and his horse boy. Agba the horse boy is a mute. When Sham was born hewas a weak horse but grew strong thanks to Agba's careful care. Agba and Sham were part of the royal stables in Morocco. The sultan of Morocco wanted to send six of his finest horses and their horse boys to the king of France as a present. Sham and Agba were chosen and endured the rough, long journey to France. By the time the small group of fine horses got to France they were mere skin and bones. The little group was laughed at and sent away lickety split. Agba and Sham stayed to help carry food to and fro the market for the kitchen at the kingdom. Eventually things happened leading them to live in many different places each time with different experiences. They had many rough times and sometimes by themselves. In one of the events a cat joins the boy and his horse. These three are quite n sync with each other and are quiet. The three endure many hardships as the story continues and in the end the story unexpectedly twists leading to ahappy ending. King of the Wind was an awesome book. As you read this book you will come to realize you can not put it down. Whether you are a horse lover or not you will enjoy this book. This book is written for ages nine through twelve but yet peopleof various ages will probably enjoy this book.

Great historical fiction for kids

This book was given to me when I was barely eight years old, almost thirty years ago. I learned how to read books that took more than one sitting with "King of the Wind".The story is of a mute Morrocan stable boy, Agba, and a foal, Sham, who is born to one of the royal mares Agba cares for. Sham...and Agba...are selected to be part of a gift to the King of France. Their adventures in Europe are filled mostly with despair and cruelty, until Sham sires a foal that becomes the beginnings of the Thoroughbred breed we know today (this part is true; Sham was renamed "The Godolphin Arabian"; all Thoroughbreds must include in their pedigreeone of the three specific founding sires, and the Godolphin Arabian is one of them). There's a lot here: adventure, triumph over adversity, a respect for other cultures, the care of the creatures that share our lives, and a healthy dose of humor about the absurdities of the powerful or elite.As a kid, I eagerly devoured any Marguerite Henry book I could find. It's well worth it to get hard-cover editions that include the wonderful full-color illustrations by Wesley Dennis.

Emotional Aspects of King of the Wind

.... Marguerite Henry's novel King of the Wind is a beautiful story of a horse and his faithful groom. Throughout the novel the boy and the horse suffer through triumphs and tribulations. Their struggles are in silence, however, because the boy cannot speak. By making the boy a mute, Marguerite Henry makes the reader aware of the emotional aspect of the book. The audience is able to sympathize with the characters as the book progresses. The story begins in Morocco where Sham, the horse, is born in the Sultan's stable. Agba, the mute boy, is in charge of taking care of Sham. The Sultan decides to send the King of France a gift of six of his finest stallions, of which Sham is one. He commands the six grooms to remain with their mounts until the horses die, then return to Morocco. The trip is a disaster and five of the horses are returned to Morocco. Sham is kept to be used as a carthorse because of his fiery temper. He is sold many times and is forced to endure many hardships. Throughout all of his ordeals Agba is there taking care of him. The story ends when Sham is bought by the Earl of Godolphin and becomes the founding sire of the English racehorse. Nearly every Thoroughbred today can be traced back to the Godolphin Arabian. The story brings out feelings from the audience and Henry captures this emotion in Agba. Agba and Sham are the best of friends. No one can do anything with the horse if the boy is not around. Neither the boy or the horse can communicate verbally and this makes their emotions even more acute in the book. Their pain and suffering were made even worse by the fact that they couldn't explain to their tormentors what was happening. Henry does a wonderful job of putting the reader in the boy's position. It is very frustrating to want to tell someone something so bad, but not be able to. Portraying Agba as a normal speaking boy would have ruined the story. It forces the reader to feel the boy's pain and frustration rather than just reading about it. On page 169 the narrator states, "For the first time in his life, he was glad he could not talk. Words would have spoiled everything. They were shells that cracked and blew away in the wind. He and Sham were alike. That is why they understood each other so deeply". The bond between the horse and the boy would not have been nearly as strong and compelling if Agba communicated verbally. As mentioned in Dr. Allen's article some studies have suggested that people with speech disabilities can have bonds with animals that are as strong as past friendships with other people. These most frequently perceived aspects of animal-human relationships were described as companionship, emotional bond, usefulness, loyalty and the quality of needing no negotiation. Agba and Sham could communicate with each other even though they could not communicate with the rest of the world. This special bond between horse and boy brings the story to life. This story is a beautiful version of the story of the G

Great Horse Book

Have you ever wondered where the horses we call Arabians come from? Many people (including me) think that they are the most beautiful horses in the world.This is the story of one of the original Arabian stallions. This story begins when six Arabian stallions and their grooms are sent on a ship as gifts to the Prince of England. A dishonest sea captain does not feed them properly, and when they arrive in England,they are sick and thin. The prince is not impressed, and the Godolphin Arabian,Sham,is made into a cart horse. The horse is sold many times. Sham's groom,Agba, struggles to stay with him. Finally, after being sold and mistreated many times, Sham finally gets the respect he deserves. King of the Wind is a super book and I would recommend it to anyone, not just horse lovers.

Excellent book for kids who love horses

I am now 32 years old, and this book remains vivid in my mind as one of my all-time childhood favorites. The story of the mute stable boy Agba and his travels with 'his' beloved horse Sham exposes young readers to a variety of cultures and stressses the value of faithfulness and loyalty without being at all preachy. Sham, sent as a gift from the Sultan of Morocco to the King of France, is mistreated during the voyage and arrives looking like an old nag instead of the young, well-bred Arab stallion he is. The king's rejection of the horse is the beginning of a new journey as Sham -- with Agba always there to care for him -- passes from one owner to another, eventually becoming "The Godolphin Arabian" one of the three founders of the Thoroughbred bred. This book is worth buying in the hardback form, especially if that means getting Wesley Dennis' gorgeous illustrations in color