Essay Questions

How was the Botanist captured?

One day he was bathing in a river along with his other white companions. A group of crow native Americans captured him and killed off all his companions. At first, they let the man go and chased him to have their sport. Later, they captured him and made him look like an animal. They placed a leather collar around his neck and dragged him as if he was a horse. The native people took him back to their crow camp.

Why the narrator was unnamed in the story?

The narrator was never once named in the story. His name had so little significance regarding the plot line. The moment they captured him, he becomes a horse. At first, they treat him like an horse by putting a leather thong on his neck. Later, they treated him like an animal. He had to fight with dogs of the camp for a little food. As the time passed, he started to connect with the community. He was able to learn some of their words. He even tried to be a part of the community by naming himself 'Horse'. It finally became his name and he continued to do justice to the name till the last. So, to the readers, he is 'horse'.

What are the things that Horse learned during his stay in the crow community?

At first, everyone ignored him. He was treated like an animal and this made made him so worried. He was worried about what he was going to say to his friends about this abduction. With time, he tried to incorporate himself into the crow community. He was able to learn a lot of whole new things. He learned about a custom in which a man can steal another man's wife with true right. He got you know that the native man who kidnapped him was named Yellow Robe. Yellow Robe's mother was greasy hand. Some of natives had names that he had never heard of. He learned that shooting bow arrows were a matter of great amusement for crows. He became so attached to their lifestyle and customs that he did not want to return to his world anymore. He became a part of the native community and named himself 'Horse'.