The Boy, the Horse, and the Fiddle A Story of Friendship in Chinese and English

On the vast Chahar grassland, a young shepherd boy named Su He lives a simple, peaceful life with his grandmother. One day, Su He rescues a weak foal while herding sheep. Under Su He’ s attentive care, the foal grows into a strong and beautiful white horse and becomes Su He’ s closest companion. The white horse not only accompanies Su He during the day, but also guards Su He and his grandmother at night, bravely repelling the attacking wild wolves. At the Naadam Festival, Su He participates in the horse race with his brave white horse and wins the championship. However, this attracts the attention of a greedy local ruler who forcibly takes away the white horse, but the horse tries to escape back to Su He’ s side with all his mighty. He falls into Su He’ s arms after being shot by several arrows. Su He is heartbroken. In his dream, he gets the guidance from the white horse on making a magical two-stringed instrument with the remains of the horse called Morin Khuur, the horsehead fiddle. Whenever Su He misses his white horse, he plays the horsehead fiddle. The pleasant sound of the instrument is like thousands of horses galloping. It not only comforts his soul but also resonates across the vast grassland. With delicate and gentle brushstrokes, the author depicts a picture of the profound friendship between a boy and his horse. It’ s more than just a story about the grassland; it’ s an ode to loyalty, courage, and everlasting love.

Shen Feiwen is a teacher, illustrator, and picture book author. Graduated from Guangxi Arts University, she has years of experience in illustration and picture book creation. Her work has been shortlisted in one of the prominent picture book competitions in China.