Summary of The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse

Aram and Mourad, two impoverished boys hailing from the Armenian Garoghlanian family, had earned a reputation for their integrity since the 11th century. One fine morning, while Aram lay asleep, immersed in pleasant dreams, his cousin Mourad appeared at his window with a magnificent white horse. Aram, initially disbelieving, questioned whether he was still in the realm of dreams. However, the faint light outside assured him of the horse’s reality. Given their dire financial situation, Aram couldn’t fathom how they could own such a splendid creature. Suspicion arose in his mind, pondering if his cousin had acquired the horse unlawfully. Nevertheless, Mourad had arrived to invite him for a ride, urging haste before the world awoke. Aram swiftly dressed, leaped out of the window, and joined Mourad on the horse, ready for their adventure.

They journeyed through the familiar countryside surrounding their home on Walnut Avenue. Eventually, Mourad suggested that Aram dismount so he could ride the horse alone. Curious, Aram inquired if he too could ride solo, but Mourad hesitated, citing concerns for safety. Aram soon discovered that Mourad had acquired the horse illicitly a month prior and had been riding it each morning. When Aram finally got his turn, the horse bolted, throwing him into the vineyard before fleeing. After a thirty-minute search, Mourad successfully located the horse and discreetly sheltered it in an abandoned vineyard, providing oats and alfalfa. Mourad’s skill with animals, particularly horses, was evident—he possessed a knack for managing both creatures and people alike. Every morning for two weeks, they would take the horse for a ride and then hide it again. One day, John Byro came to Aram’s house to talk to his uncle Khosrove who was an irritated and loud man who shouted at almost everything. Byro told him about his missing horse whom he bought at sixty dollars. For one month, he couldn’t find it and he walked for 10 miles to come to their house. Khosrove roared at him and told him, ‘It’s no harm, pay no attention to it.’ Byro became irritated by his attitude and he went away.
Aram went to Mourad and told him about the missing horse of Byro and asked him not to return the horse until he learns to ride it. Mourad told him that it would take one year for him to learn to ride the horse. He further angrily added that they could not be thieves as their tribe is known for honesty and said that they would return the horse after six months.
One day on their way back to hide the horse to the hidden spot, they met John Byro who was going back to the town. He talked to them and carefully examined the horse. He admitted that the horse looked exactly like the one he had but since he knew his parents and the honesty of their family, he didn’t believe that they had his missing horse. He assumed it was a twin horse. Mourad managed to let Byro assume that it was not his horse so they went away. The next morning, both of them took the horse back to Byro’s vineyard and put it in the barn. The dogs followed them all along quietly and they left the place.
The same afternoon, John Byro returned to his house to tell his mother about his horse who had returned. He was happy and was astonished to see the horse’s better temper and it was stronger than ever. Uncle Khosrove again roared, ‘Quiet, man, quiet. Your horse has been returned. Pay no attention to it.’

Conclusion

The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Summary portrays the innocence and inquisitiveness of childhood. Mourad and Aram, two Armenian boys, embody honesty and a reluctance to harm others. However, their curiosity and longing for adventure lead them astray, prompting them to engage in wrongful actions. Despite recognizing the gravity of Mourad’s misdeed, Aram becomes swept up in the exhilaration of riding the magnificent white horse, temporarily casting aside moral considerations. He attempts to rationalize their actions by justifying that their passion for riding horses exempts them from the label of theft. Nevertheless, upon discovering the hardships endured by John Byro in the absence of his horse, the boys are compelled to return the horse, acknowledging their wrongdoing.

Insight Reading Questions

Question 1.
You will probably agree that this story does not have breathless adventure and exciting action. Then what in your opinion makes it interesting?
Answer:
The eccentric tendencies within the Garoghlanian family add intrigue to the story. Uncle Khosrove’s consistent refrain of “Pay no attention to it. It’s no harm” in response to every setback, whether trivial or significant, further enhances the story’s appeal. Mourad’s innocence and his enigmatic approach to dealing with the “horse,” “dog,” and even the “farmer” contribute significantly to the story’s fascination.

Question 2.
Did the boys return the horse because they were conscience-stricken or because they were afraid?
Answer:
The boys brought back the horse out of fear. Upon learning that the horse belonged to Farmer John Byro, whose carriage had been rendered useless due to the absence of his horse for a month, the narrator decided to keep the horse temporarily to learn proper horse riding. However, their plan went awry when they encountered John Byro on their way, leaving them frightened. The following morning, they discreetly returned the horse to Byro’s barn.

Question 3.
‘One day back there in the good old days when I was nine and the world was full of every imaginable kind of magnificence, and life was still a delightful and mysterious dream. The story begins in a mood of nostalgia. Can you narrate some interesting incident from your childhood that might make an interesting story?
Answer:
Once when I was still a student of Class IV, I had gone to pick fruits including berries, guava, and pomegranates in the garden of villager Mr. Ramdhan Tyagi. We were a pack of eight children. We all had eaten fruits to our fill. After that, we all packed our pockets. As we were returning happily, Uncle Ramdhan returned from his home after a nap at noon. He naturally gave us a chase. I being the youngest in the group, lagged and was caught. He asked ‘whose daughter are you?’ ‘Sh. Lekh Ram’, I replied. In the evening we all heard the sounds of great row at the home of Sh. Lekh Ram. Romance at ‘short notice was my specialty then. To save my skin from my parents I had told the name of a neighbour as my father.

Question 4.
The story revolves around the characters that belong to a tribe in Armenia. Mourad and Aram are members of the Garoghlanian family. Now locate Armenia and Assyria on the atlas and prepare a write-up on the Garoghlanian tribes. You may write about people, their names, traits, and geographical and economic features as suggested in the story.
Answer:
The Garoghlanian tribes were scattered in the expanse of Assyria and Armenia in the Asia continent sometime between the period of 500 B.C. to 800 B.C. Their main occupation was farming. They were famous for their honesty and trust. They were great nature lovers. They never thought of stealing. They never bothered to attain more heights financially as well as physically. They were contented in their peaceful easy life. They never dreamt of taking advantage of others in the world.

 Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
To which tribe did Aram and Mourad belong? What was particular about their tribe?
Answer:
Aram and Mourad belonged to the Garoghlanian tribe. The tribe was well known for its honesty and trust. The people belonging to the tribe to neither be liars nor thieves.

Question 2.
Why and when did Mourad take John Byro’s horse?
Answer:
Mourad was known for a crazy streak in his character. He was fond of horse riding. But he belonged to a poor family, He could never afford to realize his long-cherished s dream of riding a horse. So one day he ‘stole’ John Byro’s horse. He kept it to his custody at * least a month, before he disclosed it to Aram.

Question 3.
Why did Mourad bring the wonderful white horse to Aram?
Answer:
Mourad brought this horse to Aram, his cousin’s brother. He knew quite well that Aram was equally fond of riding a horse. Mourad himself had been enjoying joy rides on the wonderful white horse for a month. Now he wanted his cousin and brother to enjoy the same.

Question 4.
How did Mourad manage to keep his ‘deed’ a ‘secret’?
Answer:
Mourad would enjoy the joy rides on the wonderful white horse only during the early morning hours. As soon as the day breaks, he would hide the horse in a deserted bam. There were some oats and dry alfalfa to satisfy the hunger of the horse.

Question 5.
How did the narrator come to know about the real owner of the horse? What was his reaction?
Answer:
The narrator returned to his home, after enjoying a ride on the wonderful white horse. An Assyrian visitor named John Byro came to his home and sighing sadly told that his white horse was stolen for a month. Now the narrator realized the horse Mourad was. having those days, was Byro’s. He felt panicky and went to Mourad to disclose the news. But he requested him not to return the horse so early.

Question 6.
Why did the boys not want to return the horse immediately? Did their wish fulfilled?
Answer:
The boys didn’t want to return the horse immediately as both wanted to learn properly how to ride a horse. Mourad told Aram that he would keep it at least six months. But alas! Their wish couldn’t be fulfilled.

Question 7.
Why did the boys return the horse so early?
Answer:
One morning the boys were taking the horse to its hiding place, after having a joy ride over it. They met John Byro; the real owner of the horse. John swore that the horse was the twin of his own one and some suspicious mind could take it to be his own as its teeth and everything were like those of his one. At this the boys got panicky. Due to fear of disclosure of their dare deed, they hack the horse the next day at its real owner’s bam.

Question 8.
Who was John Byro? Why had he come to the narrator’s house?
Answer:
John Byro was an Assyrian by birth. He was a farmer. But he had learned to speak Armenian also due to loneliness. Perhaps he had settled down somewhere in Armenia ten miles away from the narrator’s home. He had come to the narrator’s house to vent out his woes over the loss of his only horse. His horse was missing for a month.

Question 9.
What impression do you form about Khosrove?
Answer:
Khosrove was an uncle to Mourad and Aram. He had acquired the special characteristic of the family i.e. the crazy streak. He was an enormous man with a powerful head of black hair. He had the largest mustache in the entire San Joaquin Valley. He was quite an irritable fellow who lost his temper quite easily if somebody cried over his loss. His most repeated words (in such a situation) were. It is no harm; pay no attention to it.”