THE SUMMER OF THE BEAUTIFUL WHITE HORSE
CLASS-XI(ENGLISH)
The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse
- Describe the Garoghlanian family. Why and what were the members of the family proud of?
Ans: The Garoghlanian family was living in the most amazing poverty. Even they found it difficult to buy food for themselves. For the last eleven centuries they were famous for their integrity and honesty. They were proud of their honesty. None of them would take advantage of anybody in the world. Stealing was unimaginable to them.
- Why couldn’t the narrator believe that his cousin Mourad couldn’t have bought the horse?
Ans: One morning the narrator saw his cousin Mourad sitting on a beautiful horse. He was highly amazed. Like him Mourad also belonged to the Garoghlanian family. The family was living in the most amazing poverty. They found it difficult even to buy food for themselves. A member of such a family could not buy such a beautiful and costly horse.
- Why did Aram conclude that Mourad had stolen the horse?
Ans: Aram knew that he and his cousin Mourad belonged to a tribe that was poverty-stricken. He couldn’t have bought such a beautiful horse. It was certain that he had stolen the horse. It was hard to believe that a member of his family could ever do such a thing. There was no question about it that he had stolen the horse.
- Who had the crazy streak in the family and who was the natural descendant of that streak in the tribe?
Ans: Aram’s cousin Mourad was considered the natural descendant of the crazy streak in the tribe. He had a passion and craze for horses and riding. Before him was his uncle Khosrove. He was a man of very furious temper. He could stop anybody from talking by his roaring.
- Describe the narrator’s uncle Khosrove.
Ans: The narrator’s uncle was considered to be a crazy man. Actually, he was the natural descendant of the crazy streak in the family. He was a huge and powerful man. He had a big strong head with black hair. He was a man of furious nature. He was short tempered and of irritable nature. He would not let anybody talk before him. He would stop him shouting. “It is no harm; pay no attention to it.”
- Describe the first experience of the narrator when he rode the horse alone.
Ans: Mourad got off the horse and asked his cousin Aram to ride on it. The narrator kicked into the muscles of the horse. It snorted. Then it began to run. It ran down the road to the vineyard and began to leap over the vines. The horse leaped over seven vines before the narrator was thrown down.
- Why did the narrator insist on keeping the stolen horse for a year? What did Mourad think about it?
Ans: The narrator had his personal interest to keep the horse. He was not a perfect horse-rider like his cousin Mourad. He wanted to keep the horse until he became a good rider. But Mourad opposed the idea. He declared that the horse must be handed over to its rightful owner. After all, it was the question of Garoghlanian family’s honour and integrity.
- Who was John Byro? Why had he come to the narrator’s house?
Ans: John Byro was a farmer. He was an Assyrian. He had learnt to speak Armenian. He came to tell the narrator’s mother that his white horse had been stolen last month. It remained untraced yet.
- Why did John Byro think that the horse was the twin of his horse?
Ans: John Byro was surprised to see his white horse with Aram and Mourad. He studied the horse and looked into its mouth. He swore that it was his horse. However, he couldn’t doubt the honesty and integrity of the boys. No member of their family could be a thief. He convinced himself that the horse was the twin of his horse.
- Compare and contrast the two cousins Aram and Mourad.
Ans: ‘The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse’ is the story of two poor Armenian boys. They are Aram and Mourad. They are cousins. They belong to the same tribe. The family of Garoghlanian is known for its integrity and honesty. Aram is a foil of Mourad. He is calm and quiet. He suffers from a feeling of nostalgia. He remembers the good old days when he was nine. The world is full of romance and magnificence for him. It is delightful and dreamy. On the other hand, his cousin Mourad is considered to be crazy by everybody except by him.
Both the cousins shared a common heritage. They were living in the most amazing poverty. They didn’t even have enough money to buy their food. But the family was famous for its integrity and honesty. It was unimaginable that anyone of them could ever be a thief.
Mourad had a crazy streak in him. He was considered to be the natural descendant of the crazy streak in the family. Before him uncle Khosrove held that position. Aram was not dashing and dynamic like Mourad. But both of them had a passion for riding. Only difference was that Mourad had a wonderful understanding with a horse. Even horses understood him. Aram was rather a bad rider. Everytime he rode alone, the horse threw him ower.
Mourad was more daring. He stole a beautiful white horse for riding. Aram understood his cousin well. He could make a compromise and justify the stealing of the horse. After all, stealing the horse of riding was not the same as stealing. Mourad and Aram were conscience stricken. In the end, they returned the stolen horse to its true owner.
- Give a character-sketch of the narrator’s cousin Mourad. How was he considered to be the natural descendant of the crazy streak in the family?
Ans: Mourad was a poor Armenian boy. He was a cousin of Aram. Both of them belonged to the family of Garoghlanians. Mourad was proud of his family and its great and glorious traditions. For the last eleven centuries his tribe had been famous for its integrity and honesty. Mourad’s family was poverty-stricken. Sometimes it was even difficult for the members of their family to buy food for them. But nothing could shake their honesty and integrity.
Mourad was a dashing and bold young man. In this way, he resembled uncle Khosrove. Actually, he was considered to be the natural descendant of the ‘crazy streak’ in the family. Mourad was determined to achieve results. Once made a decision, he never wavered or hesitated in the middle.
Mourad had a passion for riding. He had ‘a way with a horse’. Even horse understood him. He would kick his heels into the horse’s muscles and shout : “Vazire run”. The horse would burst into a fury of speed. In this matter he was far ahead of Aram who was rather a bad rider.
Mourad loved his cousin Aram. He would come to invite him to ride. He would let him ride alone. He always cooperated with him and valued his advice.
In the end, Mourad was conscience-stricken. He didn’t want to bring a bad name to the family of Garoghlanians. Therefore, he and Aram decided to return the horse to its right full owner John Byro.