The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse

-William Saroyan

SUMMARY

The summer of the beautiful white horse is a story of two tribal Armenian boys who belonged to the Garoghlanian tribe which was famous for its honesty and truthfulness. For their family, even at times of extreme poverty nothing could match the importance of honesty. They never did anything wrong and never lied or never even stole anything. The story talks about an incident that revolves around two cousins Aram who is nine years old and Mourad who is thirteen. The world, for Aram, at that time, seemed to be a delightful and extremely joyous yet mysterious dream. Mourad was considered to be crazy by everybody he knew.

The story opens with Mourad coming to Aram’s house at four in the morning one fine day. He tapped on the window of Aram’s room. When Aram looked out of the window, he was taken aback and startled to see Mourad riding a beautiful white horse. In fact, he was so dazed that Mourad had to say “Yes, it’s a horse. You are not dreaming.” All this was too unbelievable because Aram knew that they were too poor to be able to afford to buy a horse. The only way Mourad could possess it could be by stealing. They were too honest to lie and yet too crazy to ride a horse.

Thus, they kept the horse for two weeks, enjoying its ride in cool air and singing to their heart’s content on the country roads. They hid it from the rest of the world by keeping it in a barn of the deserted vineyard. Meanwhile, Aram came to know that the horse was stolen from John Byro. They planned not to return it to him so soon although it pricked their conscience to steal, which was completely their ethics and tribal norms.

One fine day they came across John, the farmer. Such was the boys’ family’s fame for their honesty that the thought of his horse being stolen by the boys never crossed John’s mind. He was just amazed at the resemblance and said: “I would swear it is my horse if I did not know your parents.” He thought that the horse must have been the twins of this horse.

This moving experience led the boys towards John’s vineyard the very next morning. They left the horse in the barn after patting it affectionately. Later that day, John seemed to be very pleased and shared the news of the return of his horse with Aram’s mother. He even shared that the horse is much better in health and behaviour. The story teaches us the importance and necessity of honesty even in the face of greed and passion.

Question Bank:

Short Answer Questions:-

1. Why was it difficult for Aram to believe the sight of his cousin Mourad with the beautiful white horse?

Ans: When Aram looked through the window, he saw his cousin Mourad with a beautiful white horse and it was a sight which was very difficult for him to believe for two reasons:

First, the whole of the Garoghlonian family to which the two boys belonged were extremely poor and therefore it was not possible for Mourad to buy that horse. Secondly, in that case, it would mean that Mourad had stolen that horse. But that was also not possible, because the Garoghlonian family was also very much famous for their honesty and therefore Mourad could not steal that horse either.

2. Where had Mourad been hiding the horse?

Answer: Mourad had been hiding the horse in the barn of a deserted vineyard which was owned by a farmer named Fetvajian.

3. What did the farmer John Byro tell the two boys when one day they accidentally met him with his horse in their custody?

Answer: The farmer examined the horse when one morning he found it with the two boys and he told them that he could swear that the horse was his very horse which had been stolen from him many weeks before if he did not know about their parents. He added that the fame of their

family for honesty was very well known to him and therefore he liked to say that the horse could be the twin of his stolen horse.

4. What did John Byro tell Aram’s mother and Uncle Khosrove when he got his horse back?

Answer: After John Byro got his horse back mysteriously one day, he came to Aram’s house and told Aram’s mother and Uncle Khosrove that he did not know what to think about the whole matter. It was because the horse was stronger that ever and was better tempered too and therefore he thanked God.

5. What were the two things for which the Garoghlonian family was famous?

Answer: The Garoghlonian family was famous for the following two things:

1. Their poverty

2. Their honesty

6. What points were put forward by Aram in defense of Mourad’s act of stealing the horse?

Answer: Aram argued to himself that stealing a horse for a ride was not the same thing as stealing something else, such as money. And then he went a little ahead by saying that if one was so much crazy about horses the way Mourad and he himself were, it was not stealing at all. It would

not become stealing until they offered to sell the horse and he was sure that last thing they would never be doing.

7. Which excuses were given by Aram to himself for taking a ride on the horse despite knowing fully the truth about the theft of the horse by Mourad?

Ans: Aram dismissed stealing a horse as much grave a crime as stealing money. Secondly, he believed that if it was something like a horse for which both he and his cousin were crazy then it couldn’t be stealing.

Additionally, it was not going to become stealing until they offered to sell the horse.

8. Why was Aram unwilling to return the horse so soon?

Ans: Aram was crazy for horse and he wanted to learn horse riding at all costs. The horse would not let him to ride over it and hence he was unwilling to return the horse at least till he would learn to ride it.

Did the boys return the horse because they were conscience-stricken or because they were afraid? Ans: The most beautiful essence of this story is the fact that the boys were very innocent and meant no harm to anyone. They were just dreamy and wished to ride a horse. It pricked their conscience when they saw the clean heart of the farmer, John Byro, who didn’t suspect them even for once for stealing the horse. They were not afraid but were guilt-stricken when they met a pure-hearted soul like John, who couldn’t even think of people of their clan stealing, even after he said it was confirmed that the horse resembled his, just like twins. The children might have also been afraid of ruining the prestige and honour of their families.
When he met Mourad and Aram on the road, John Byro inspected the white horse. Why did he not take this horse from Mourad and Aram? Do you think he knew that it was his horse? Explain.

Ans: John Byro knew that it was his horse because as he inspected the horse’s teeth, it matched the teeth of the lost horse. But, he did not accuse the boys because he did not want to humiliate them and the tribe. Another thing is that he knew how ‘honesty’ matters for the family.
“This was that part that wouldn’t permit me to believe what saw”. What part does the narrator mean?Ans: Aram refers to their poverty. They lived in extreme poverty and it was difficult to understand how they got food to satisfy their hunger. He frankly admits that every branch of the family was living in the most amazing and comical poverty in the world.
How did Aram define stealing when he had to decide whether or not to ride the horse?Ans: It seemed to him that stealing a horse for a ride was not the same thing as stealing something else such as money. Since he and Mourad were quite crazy about horses it wasn’t stealing. He convinced himself with the thought that it would become stealing only when they offered to sell it.

What were the peculiarities in uncle?Ans: Uncle Khosrove’s crazy streak was famous. He was a big man with a powerful head of black hair and very large moustache. He was quite furious in temper, very irritable and impatient. He would stop anyone from talking by roaring his pet phrase. “It is no harm; pay no attention to it”.
What do you think induced the voice to return the horse to its owner?Ans: The boys were impressed by John Byro’s attitude towards their parents and families. He knew their parents very well and so believed whatever the boys said. Secondly the fame of their family for honesty was well-known to him. The boys returned the horse to him for the sake of family’s pride and dignity. Their conscience did not allow them to keep the horse any longer. They were afraid to lose a family reputation which was known for honesty and integrity.
Do you think John Byro recognized his horse? Why did he not accuse the boys of stealing the horse?Ans: Yes, John Byro did recognize his horse. He examined his teeth and knew for sure that the horse was his own. He did not accuse the boys and indirectly told them that it was wrong to steal. He talked about the family’s reputation for honesty and said that he would never suspect them of stealing.
Why did John Byro visit Aram‟s house in his surrey after getting his horse back?Ans: John Byro visited Aram‟s house in his surrey to show that the stolen horse had been returned. He just wanted to tell them the horse was stronger and better tempered now.

Describe Mourad’s parting from the beautiful white horse?Ans: Mourad looked at the horse for some time as he had grown fond of him. When he had gone to return it, in John Byro‟s vineyard, he had tried to put his arms around his neck, pressed his nose into the horse‟s nose and patted him. The horse was stronger now and better behaved after being with Mourad for some days.
Describe the incident which confirms that narrator’s Uncle Khosrove indeed was crazy?Ans: One day Uncle Khosrove was having the moustache trimmed at barber’s shop. His son Aram came running to him to tell him that their house was on fire. Khosrove roared at him saying “It is no harm; pay no attention to it.” The barber repeated what the boy had said. Khosrove roared again, “Enough, it is no harm I say.”
Describe narrator’s experience when he rode white horse alone?Ans: The narrator had a frightful experience when he rode the horse alone. He leapt to the back of the horse but he did not move, As advised by Mourad, he kicked into the muscles of the horse. It reared and snorted. Then it began to run. It ran down the road to a vineyard and begin to leap over the vines. As it leapt over the seventh vine the narrator fell. The horse continued running.
Give a brief account of Mourad’s joy ride?Ans: Mourad kicked his heels into the horse and shouted, “Vazire, run!” The horse stood on its hind legs, snorted and ran forward at full speed. Mourad raced the horse across the field of dry grass to an irrigation ditch. He crossed the ditch on the horse. When he returned five minutes later he was dripping wet.
How did Mourad tend the young robin with a hurt wing? What aspect of his character is revealed in this incident?Ans: Mourad repaired the hurt wing of the young robin and threw the bird into the air. After a few unsuccessful attempts, the robin flew away. This incidents shows that Mourad was a great lover of birds and animals. He was a kind hearted boy.

Long Answer Questions:-

1. Why did the two boys ultimately return the horse all of a sudden although they had planned to keep it at least for six months?

Answer: Although the two boys had planned to keep the horse for at least six months, they returned it all of a sudden the morning after they accidentally met the farmer John Byro from whom Mourad had stolen the horse. The farmer examined the horse and told them that he could swear

that the horse was his very horse which had been stolen from him many weeks before if he did not know about their parents. He added that the fame of their family for honesty was very well known to him and therefore he liked to say that the horse could be the twin of his stolen horse. What John Byro told them served as an eye opener for the two boys especially Mourad and they became conscious how precious and strong their family’s fame for honesty was and therefore they did not

want to tarnish that name and prestige and immediately returned the horse.

2. Mourad was the natural descendant of the crazy streak of uncle Khosrove. Explain the statement giving instances from the story, ‘The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse’?

Ans: Uncle Khosrove was considered in the Garoghlanian tribe as one of the craziest persons. It was also believed that the tribe that Mourad was the natural descendant of the crazy streak in their tribe. Uncle Khosrove’s craziness was out of the world. He had the largest moustache in the surrounding. His talk was not less than roaring, which was but natural for him. Once when his son came running to tell him about his house on fire, he simply said, ‘It is no harm; pay no attention to it’. The barber who reminded him that it was his own house also got rebukes. Khosrove also

asked John Byro not to worry about the horse or the loss of money or even for his paining legs and answered in the same way.

Mourad was considered the natural descendant of this man though not a biological descendant mainly because of the crazy acts he was involved in. The act of stealing a horse because he was crazy about it is an example to prove the same. Like the punch line of uncle khosrove i.e. ‘It is no

harm; pay no attention to it’ Mourad used to say that he had a way with the things, animals and even people. Thus Mourad said that he had a way with the horse, with the dogs and with the farmers too.

3. Discuss the charactersketch of Mourad?

Ans: Mourad, the central character in the story „The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse is depicted as a young boy, who enjoyed being alive and having fun. He had a crazy streak in him which he had inherited from his family. He belonged to a tribe that was poor, had no money and lived in an acute form of poverty. As a young lad he upheld the family customs and traditions. He believed in all the values that his tribe and family had tried to inculcate in him. He could not resist the temptation to ride a horse and stole a horse from John Byro, hid it and then went for horse riding early in the morning at 4:00 am along with his nine year old cousin Aram. He justified his act by saying that it wasn’t stealing because they had no intention of selling it for money.

Mourad was crazy and fun loving. While riding the horse, he sang loudly and joyfully. He was confident about his riding abilities and said that he had a way with a horse. It was only when John Byro touched his conscience when he declared that if he had not trusted the honesty of their tribe, he would have sworn that the horse belonged to him. Mourad realised his mistake. His conscience pricked him and he returned the horse. The fun loving boy had had his fun and then his honesty urged him to uphold his family values and traditions.

Value based question:

Listening to the conscience helps one to do the right. Give your own view in context to the chapter, “Summer of the Beautiful White Horse’.Ans: Listening to the conscience undoubtedly helps one to do the right things, as we have seen in the chapter. Mourad stole the horse of John Byro just for the sake of riding it, he believed t that he did not have the intention of keeping it. After many days John Byro discovers his horse but keeping in view the reputation of the family he agreed that the horse was not his. It was the twin of his horse. This evokes the conscience of Mourad and he with his cousin Aram went and kept the horse from where it was taken. The voice of the conscience never motivates anyone to do wrong, therefore before doing anything if we listen to our conscience we will never do the wrong.