CBSE Class 11 English The Summer Of The Beautiful White Horse William Saroyan Worksheet Set 02

Introduction

‘The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse’ is a story about two Armenian boys – Aram and Mourad. They belong to the Garoghlanian family, a tribe that is renowned for their honesty. The two boys long to ride a horse. Mourad the elder of the two, had stolen a horse from a farmer a month ago. They rode the horse for many days. One day the owner of the horse, John Byro, comes to their house and mentions about his missing horse to uncle Khosrove. The story unravels the honesty of the two boys.

THEME

There are two main themes in ‘The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse’ – conflict between feelings and reason, and the importance of character and reputation. Throughout the short story, Aram and Mourad are caught between what they feel and what they know. Though they live in extreme poverty, the Garoghlanians do not steal, valuing honesty over wealth and their reputation over whatever they might gain through stealing.

Summary

Aram and Mourad were two poor lads from the Armenian Garoghlanian family, who had a reputation for honesty dating back to the eleventh century. Mourad, Aram’s cousin, arrived at his window with a lovely white horse one early morning while Aram was sleeping and dreaming happily. Aram couldn’t believe what he was seeing and thought it was a dream. But because there was a sliver of light outside, he was certain that the horse was real. He couldn’t believe that the horse was theirs, given their financial situation. He was attempting to figure out if his cousin had taken the horse. Mourad had come to take him along for a trip. He asked him to come quickly before the rest of the world awoke. Aram leaped out of the window, dressed, and sat behind Mourad on the horse.

They rode along Walnut Avenue, which ran through the historic farmland of the area where they lived. Mourad asked him to dismount after a while since he wanted to ride the horse alone. Aram inquired if he could ride the horse alone like him, to which Mourad said that he will look into it because it was for his own protection. Mourad had kidnapped the horse a month ago and was riding it every morning, he discovered. When Aram was given the opportunity to ride, the horse took him to the vineyard, flung him off, and fled. Mourad finally found the horse after a thirty-minute search, and they concealed him in an abandoned vineyard with some oats and hay. Mourad had a way with animals, particularly horses. He knew how to deal with all kinds of animals, as well as humans. They would ride the horse every morning for two weeks and then hide it again.

Then one day, farmer John Byro came to Aram’s house to speak with his uncle Khosrove, who was ill-tempered and yelled at virtually everything. Byro informed him about his missing horse, which he had purchased for $60. He couldn’t find it for a month and had to trek 10 miles to get to their house. “It is no harm; pay no mind to it”, Khosrove screamed at him. Byro grew angered by his behaviour and left.

Aram went to Mourad and informed him of Byro’s missing horse, requesting that he not return it until he had learned to ride it. Mourad estimated that learning to ride a horse would take him a year. He went on to say that they couldn’t possibly be thieves because their tribe is known for its honesty and that they would return the horse in six months.

On their way back to the hiding site to hide the horse, they met John Byro, who was returning to town. He conversed with them and examined the horse with care. He admitted that the horse looked just like his, but he didn’t think that they had his missing horse because he knew their parents and their family’s honesty. He assumed it was a doppelganger. Mourad was able to convince Byro that it was not his horse, and they were able to flee. The horse was returned to Byro’s vineyard and put in the barn the next morning by both of them. The dogs silently followed them all the way out of the area.

John Byro returned home later that day to inform Aram’s mother of his horse’s return. He was overjoyed and amazed to observe the horse’s improved temperament and strength. Uncle Khosrove shouted at him again to be quiet and not keep talking about his horse now that he got it back.

About the Author

William Saroyan (born on 31 August 1908, in Fresno, California, United States & died on 18 May 1981, in Fresno, California, United States) was an Armenian-American novelist, playwright, and short story writer. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1940, and in 1943 won the Academy Award for Best Story for the film The Human Comedy.

Questions

READING WITH INSIGHT

Question. You will probably agree that this story does not have breathless adventure and exciting action. Then what in your opinion makes it interesting?
Answer: It is true that the story does not consist of any exciting action or breathless adventures. But it certainly has an element of suspense, which makes it interesting for the readers. The story touches the core of the readers heart, as it unravels the secret rendezvous of the little boys with the stolen horse. It has been established in the story that their family was poor and they could not afford to own such a magnificent horse. Mourad had stolen it and the duo rode on it for quite some time. They returned the horse to its owner before their little secret was discovered by the family. A child nurtures several desires in his or her childhood. He achieves it sometimes, or is forced to discard it due to circumstances. The innocent attempt of the young boys at fulfilling their desire to learn horse-riding is what makes the lesson interesting.

Question. Did the boys return the horse because they were conscience-stricken or because they were afraid?
Answer: The boys returned the horse not because they were afraid but because of their conscience. Their family was known for its honesty yet they had stolen the horse months ago. When they met John Byro on his way to town, the horse was with them. He carefully examined it and said that it looked exactly like the one he had, just like a twin. It felt like it was his own horse but since he knew their parents, he didn’t believe that it was his horse they were carrying. This struck the boys and they decided to take the horse back to the farmer’s vineyard and put it in the barn.

Question. “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 incident from your childhood that might make an interesting story?
Answer: By reading these lines, no one can stop themselves from traveling down the memory lane. I remember that when I was twelve years old, I used to visit my grandparent’s home which was located at a hill station. I would spend my entire summer vacation with them. We would go to the market to eat delicious snacks, would go shopping, and watch TV together. I remember once going to a summer camp for a month. They would drop me off at the place and would come to pick me up after the classes got over. Sometimes, my grandmother would bring a packed lunch for me. I would eat it as fast as I could and we would go shopping after that. I always got sad whenever I had to go back to my home and to school.

Question. The story revolves around characters who 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, geographical and economic features as suggested in the story.
Answer: The Garoghlanian tribe is said to be a work of fiction by the author William Saroyan in his book ‘My Name is Aram’, published in the year 1940. They were Armenian. They were poor people who hardly managed to gather food to feed their stomachs every day but they were known for their honesty. Hospitality is one of the important aspects of the tribe. Most of the Armenian people followed Christianity. They have a huge variety of food at social gatherings. They focus on forgiveness of sins and on the spirit of tolerance.

Questions

Extract-based Questions

Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.

Will you let me ride alone? I asked.
That is up to the horse, my cousin said. Get down.
The horse will let me ride, I said.
We shall see, he said. Don’t forget that I have a way with a horse.
Well, I said, any way you have with a horse, I have also.
For the sake of your safety, he said, let us hope so. Get down.
All right, I said, but remember you’ve got to let me try to ride alone.
I got down and my cousin Mourad kicked his heels into the horse and shouted, Vazire, run.

Question. List any two sensory details present in this extract.
Answer: Two sensory details present in the extract are “kicked his heels into the horse” and “shouted, Vazire, run”.

Question. Identify the line from the text that bears evidence to the fact that the narrator was eager and curious to ride the horse alone.
Answer: The line from the text that bears evidence to the fact that the narrator was eager and curious to ride the horse alone is “but remember you’ve got to let me try to ride alone”.

Question. The narrator agreed to allow Mourad to have a solo ride on the horse on the condition that:
(a) Mourad will keep the horse for a year.
(b) Mourad will teach the horse to behave properly when it will be the narrator’s turn for the solo ride.
(c) Mourad will allow him to have a solo ride on the horse.
(d) None of the options
Answer: (c) Mourad will allow him to have a solo ride on the horse.

Question. Which of the following headlines best suggests the central idea of the extract?
(a) A Boy’s Challenge to his Cousin’s Skill
(b) A Boy’s Desire to Prove Himself to a Horse
(c) A Boy’s Dream of Riding a Horse Alone
(d) A Boy’s Adventure with his Crazy Cousin
Answer: (c) A Boy’s Dream of Riding a Horse Alone

We were poor. We had no money. Our whole tribe was poverty-stricken. Every branch of the Garoghlanian family was living in the most amazing and comical poverty in the world. Nobody could understand where we ever got money enough to keep us with food in our bellies, not even the old men of the family. Most important of all, though, we were famous for our honesty. We had been famous for our honesty for something like eleven centuries, even when we had been the wealthiest family in what we liked to think was the world. We were proud first, honest next, and after that we believed in right and wrong. None of us would take advantage of anybody in the world, let alone steal.

Question. What does the word ‘poverty-stricken’ mean in the given extract?
(a) Affected by a disease
(b) Lacking in education
(c) Suffering from hunger
(d) Lacking in money
Answer: (d) Lacking in money

Question. Identify the line from the extract that shows that the narrator’s family was poor for a long time.
Answer: The line from the extract that shows that the narrator’s family was poor for a long time is “Every branch of the Garoghlanian family was living in the most amazing and comical poverty in the world”.

Question. Explain any one possible inference that can be drawn from the line, “We were proud first, honest next, and after that we believed in right and wrong.”
Answer: One possible inference that can be drawn from this line is that the narrator’s family had a very high sense of self-esteem and dignity. They valued their reputation and honour more than anything else. They also had a clear moral code that guided their actions and decisions.

Question. How does the narrator’s tone suggest his attitude towards his family’s poverty?
(a) He is ashamed and embarrassed by it.
(b) He is angry and resentful about it.
(c) He is amused and optimistic about it.
(d) He is indifferent and detached from it.
Answer: (c) He is amused and optimistic about it.

I got down and my cousin Mourad kicked his heels into the horse and shouted, Vazire, run. The horse stood on its hind legs, snorted, and burst into a fury of speed that was the loveliest thing I had ever seen. My cousin Mourad raced the horse across a field of dry grass to an irrigation ditch, crossed the ditch on the horse, and five minutes later returned, dripping wet.
The sun was coming up.
Now it’s my turn to ride, I said.
My cousin Mourad got off the horse.
Ride, he said.
I leaped to the back of the horse and for a moment knew the most awful fear imaginable.

Question. What did the horse do when Mourad kicked and shouted at him?
Answer: The horse stood on its hind legs, snorted and burst into a fury of speed.

Question. The ‘loveliest thing I had ever seen’ was:
(a) the running of the horse in a fury of speed
(b) the walking of the horse
(c) the galloping of the horse
(d) the jumping of the horse
Answer: (a) the running of the horse in a fury of speed.

Question. The phrase ‘the most awful fear imaginable’ refers to:
(a) the immobility of the horse
(b) the running of the horse
(c) the galloping of the horse
(d) the jumping of the horse
Answer: (a) the immobility of the horse

Question. Where did Mourad race the horse?
Answer: Mourad raced the horse across a field of dry grass to an irrigation ditch.

No member of the Garoghlanian family could be a thief. I stared first at my cousin and then at the horse. There was a pious stillness and humour in each of them which on the one hand delighted me and on the other frightened me. Mourad, I said, where did you steal this horse? Leap out of the window, he said, if you want to ride. It was true, then. He had stolen the horse. There was no question about it. He had come to invite me to ride or not, as I chose.

Question. What does the phrase ‘there was no question about it’ suggest?
Answer: The phrase ‘there was no question about it’ suggests that the narrator was sure that his cousin had stolen the horse.

Question. What does the term ‘pious’ indicate about the cousin and the horse?
Answer: The term ‘pious’ indicates that the cousin and the horse had an expression of religious stillness.

Question. Why was it difficult to believe that the boys had stolen his horse?
(a) Because he didn’t examine the horse carefully
(b) Because their family was known for their honesty
(c) Because the horse did not recognise him
(d) Because his horse had a twin
Answer: (b) Because their family was known for their honesty

Question. Which of the following best suggests the central idea of the extract?
(a) A Boy’s Dilemma Between Family and Law
(b) A Cousin’s Generous Offer to Share a Horse
(c) A Family’s Tradition of Honour and Honesty
(d) A Horse’s Mysterious Appearance and Disappearance
Answer: (a) A Boy’s Dilemma Between Family and Law

I would swear it is my horse if I didn’t know your parents. The fame of your family for honesty is well known to me. Yet the horse is the twin of my horse. A suspicious man would believe his eyes instead of his heart. Good day, my young friends.
Good day, John Byro, my cousin Mourad said.
Early the following morning we took the horse to John Byro’s vineyard and put it in the barn.

Question. Who was John Byro?
Answer: John Byro was an Assyrian farmer who lived in the neighbourhood and was a frequent visitor of Aram’s house.

Question. Who was the true owner of the horse?
(a) John Byro
(b) Fetvajian
(c) Dikran Halabian
(d) Zorab
Answer: (a) John Byro

Question. John Byro said, “A suspicious man would believe his eyes instead of his heart.” What does it tell about him?
Answer: It tells us that he believed in the honesty of the Garoghlanian family.

Question. Why did the boys return the white horse to its rightful owner?
(a) Because they were overcome by guilt
(b) Because they were afraid of getting caught
(c) Because they found it difficult to hide the horse
(d) Because they were accused of theft
Answer: (a) Because they were overcome by guilt

Short Answer Questions 

Question. Why was Aram surprised when he saw Mourad in the morning?
Answer: Aram was surprised to see Mourad because he had come early in the morning with a beautiful white horse. He could not believe that a boy of his tribe could buy or steal a horse.

Question. Who was uncle Khosrove? Why was he considered to be the craziest member of his tribe?
Answer: Uncle Khosrove was a relative of Aram who was an enormous man. A man so furious in temper, so irritable, so impatient that he stopped anyone from talking by roaring, “It is no harm; pay no attention to it.”

Question. What had led to John Byro’s sadness?
Answer: John Byro was sad because his horse was stolen and now, he had to go on foot for long distances as the surrey was useless without a horse.

Question. Why did Mourad return the horse?
Answer: Mourad belonged to a tribe which was known for its honesty. He realised that Byro had recognised his horse when he saw it. Mourad understood that it was not safe any longer for him to hold on to the horse and he did not want to be looked down by the community as a robber.

Question. Why did John Byro fail to recognise his horse and claim ownership?
Answer: Though John Byro knew on examination that the horse was his, he did not blame the boys of stealing, because he knew their parents well. He knew that their family and tribe were famous for being honest.

Question. What two character traits of Mourad are hinted at by the narrator in the initial part of the story?
Answer: Firstly, Mourad was considered crazy by everybody who knew him. It was believed that he was the natural descendent of Khosrove, who was a very crazy member of the family. He was quite crazy about horses. Secondly, he enjoyed being alive more than anybody else.

Question. “This was the part that wouldn’t permit me to believe what I saw.” What ‘part’ does the narrator hint at?
Answer: The narrator refers to their poverty. They had no money. They lived in extreme poverty and it was difficult to understand how they got food to satisfy their hunger. So, when he saw his cousin with a beautiful white horse, he was not able to understand what was going on.

Question. What traits of the Garoghlanian family are highlighted in this story?
Answer: The Garoghlanian family though now poor, were famous for their honesty even when they were wealthy. They were proud of their family first, honest next and after that they believed in right and wrong. None of them would take advantage of anybody in the world. They would not steal. No member of the Garoghlanian family could be a thief.

Question. “It was true, then. He had stolen the horse. There was no question about it. He had come to invite me to ride or not, as I chose.” How did the narrator convince himself to enjoy a horse ride with his cousin Mourad?
Answer: 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 their action could be considered stealing only if they offered to sell it.

Question. Give an example to illustrate how uncle Khosrove’s impatience sometimes worked to his own disadvantage.
Answer: Once uncle Khosrove was getting his moustache trimmed at a barber’s shop. At the same time, his house was on fire. His own son Arak ran eight blocks to the barber’s shop to inform him. Khosrove got impatient and roared at his son. When the barber reminded him that his house was on fire, Khosrove roared at him and stopped him from talking. His reply to both his son and the barber was: “Pay no attention to it, it’s no harm.”

Question. “The distribution of the various kinds of spirit of our tribe had been from the beginning capricious and vagrant.” Elucidate.
Answer: The narrator explains that a man can be the father of his son biologically, but it is not necessary that he imbibe all his father’s attributes. He says that in his tribe the spirit, nature, characteristics, have all been distributed among generations in such a way that at times any of them could be possessing capricious (moody, erratic, inconsistent) or vagrant (tramp, migrant, homeless) characteristics.

Question. How does Aram describe Mourad’s horse-riding experience?
Answer: Mourad kicked his heels into the horse and shouted, “Vazire, run!” The horse stood on its hind legs, snorted, and burst into a fury of speed that was the loveliest thing Aram had ever seen. Mourad raced the horse across a field of dry grass to an irrigation ditch, crossed the ditch on the horse, and five minutes later returned, dripping wet.

Question. Describe the narrator’s first experience on horse back.
Answer: He kicked into the muscles of the horse and it reared and snorted. Then it began to run. Aram didn’t know what to do. Instead of running across the field to the irrigation ditch the horse ran down the road to the vineyard of Dikran Halabian where it began to leap over vines. The horse leaped over seven vines before he fell. Then the horse continued running.

Question. “We’ll either take him back or hide him until tomorrow morning”. Which course of action did the speaker take and why?
Answer: Mourad took the latter option. He hid the horse in the barn of a deserted vineyard which at one time had been the pride of a farmer named Fetvajian. There were some oats and dry alfalfa in the barn. So Mourad did not seem worried about the horse as it had its supply of food.

Question. “I have an understanding with a horse”, “Horses understand me”, “I have a way with a horse.” How do you think Mourad developed an understanding with the horse and what was the result?
Answer: Mourad had been quite tender and affectionate towards the horse. He would put his arms around it, press his nose into the horse’s nose and pat it. It was not easy to tame someone else’s horse and get it to behave nicely. At first, it wanted to run wild. Gradually, Mourad was able to control the horse and make him do what he wanted. Even John Byro, the rightful owner, admitted that the horse had become better-tempered and stronger than ever.

Question. What arguments did farmer John Byro advance to prove the usefulness of a horse to a city dweller?
Answer: First, his surrey was no good without a horse. Second, that he had to walk ten miles to get there and his left leg pained him. Thirdly, that the horse had cost him sixty dollars. All of which, he claimed, a city dweller like Khosrove may not understand.

Question. Why did farmer John Byro walk out of the house?
Answer: The farmer John Byro, visited the narrator’s house perhaps because he was homesick, sad and lonely. His horse had been stolen for over a month, and he could not use his surrey. Instead of showing any sympathy or concern for his loss, uncle Khosrove repeated his catchphrase: “It is no harm; pay no attention to it”. When John Byro talked about the cost of horse, uncle Khosrove commented, “I spit on money.” These words were too much for John Byro to bear, so he left the house in disgust.

Question. How did Mourad help the wounded robin to fly? What does this incident indicate?
Answer: The narrator noticed Mourad trying to heal the hurt wing of a young robin which could not fly. He was talking to the bird. After sometime, he threw the bird into the air. The bird tried hard and almost fell twice. However, at last it flew away, high and straight. This incident shows that in spite of having a crazy streak, Mourad was kind and gentle at heart and really did have a way with animals and birds.

Question. What request did Aram make? Did Mourad comply to the request?
Answer: Aram requested his cousin Mourad not to return the horse to farmer John Byro till he had learned to ride. Mourad observed that it might take him a year. The narrator suggested that they keep the horse for a year. Mourad shouted that he was inciting him to steal. He declared that the horse must go back to its true owner.

Question. What did John Byro say after observing the horse that the two boys had with them?
Answer: After examining the horse, Byro knew that it was the horse that was stolen from his stable. However, he says, “I would swear it is my horse if I didn’t know your parents. The fame of your family for honesty is well known to me. Yet the horse is the twin of my horse. A suspicious man would believe his eyes instead of his heart.”

Question. “A suspicious man would believe his eyes instead of his heart.” In what context was this observation made and by whom?
Answer: After recognising his horse, John Byro chose to ignore the wrong committed by the boys. Respecting the honour of the family they belonged to, he said the above words. It means that if he were to suspect the children, he would go with what his eyes had proved to him, but alternately, he was choosing to listen to what his heart was telling him which was about the respectability of the family the children belonged to.

Question. What do you think induced the boys to return the horse to its owner?
Answer: The boys were impressed by John Byro’s attitude towards their parents and family. 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 their family pride and dignity.

Question. What is the main message of the story ‘The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse’?
Answer: The primary message of the story, ‘The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse’, is that despite social or economic challenges, there are some truths which are absolute and should be practised under all circumstances.

Question. What is the conflict in the story ‘The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse’?
Answer: The conflict is between feelings and reason throughout the short story. Aram and Mourad are caught between what they feel and what they know. When Aram first sees Mourad riding the white horse, he knows that Mourad must have stolen it, as his family was too poor to afford a horse. Yet, he reasons to himself that there is nothing wrong in what they have done, as long as they were not indulging in any business deals or making money. Byro feels that it is his horse, but reasons that the boys will not engage in any wrong activity because of the family they belong to.

Long Answer Questions 

Question. What characteristics of the Garoghlanian family does the narrator lay emphasis on?
Answer: The narrator says that he belongs to the Garoghlanian family, and that they were poor and had no money. Their whole tribe was poverty-stricken. Every branch of the Garoghlanian family was living in the most amazing and comical poverty in the world. Nobody could understand where we ever got money enough to keep ourselves with food in our bellies, not even the old men of the family. Most important of all, though, they were famous for their honesty. They had been famous for their honesty for something like eleven centuries, even when they had been the wealthiest family in what we liked to think was the world. They were proud first, honest next, and after that they believed in right and wrong. None of them would take advantage of anybody in the world, let alone steal.

Question. “Every family has a crazy streak in it somewhere.” Explain.
Answer: Aram felt that every family has a crazy element somewhere, and Mourad seemed to have inherited it from their uncle Khosrove, a man so furious in temper, so irritable, so impatient that he stopped anyone from talking by roaring, “It is no harm; pay no attention to it.” That was all he said no matter what anybody happened to be talking about. Even when his own son Arak came running to the barber’s shop where he was having his moustache trimmed to tell him that their house was on fire, Khosrove roared exactly the same thing. The barber repeated what the boy had said but Khosrove roared, “Enough, it is no harm, I say.” Mourad, was the one who had inherited the streak of madness from Khosrove, though he was the son of Zorab, who was practical and nothing else.

Question. Aram’s first experience with the horse. Elucidate.
Answer: Mourad called out to the narrator who leaped onto the horse’s back behind his cousin Mourad. In less than three minutes they were on Olive Avenue, and then the horse began to trot. The air was new and lovely to breathe. The feel of the horse running was wonderful. Mourad who was considered one of the craziest members of our family began to sing, which sounded more like a roar. They let the horse run for as long as it felt like running. Mourad then told Aram to get down as he wanted to ride alone. Aram said that he too wanted to ride the horse alone. Mourad assured him that he could if the horse allowed him to do so. When Mourad returned after his ride and told him to go on a ride, Aram leaped on to the back of the horse and for a moment knew the most awful fear imaginable. The horse did not move. Mourad told him to kick into his muscles. When Aram did so, the horse once again reared and snorted and began to run. But instead of running across the field to the irrigation ditch, the horse ran down the road to the vineyard of Dikran Halabian where it began to leap over vines. The horse leaped over seven vines before Aram fell, and then it galloped away.

Question. How did Uncle Khosrove react to John Byro’s complaint?
Answer: Uncle Khosrove came to Aram’s house for coffee and cigarettes. Soon another visitor arrived, a farmer named John Byro. The farmer, while having his coffee and cigarette, said with a sigh, that his white horse that had been stolen the previous month was still untraceable. Uncle Khosrove became very annoyed and shouted that it was no harm since they had all lost their homeland. Hence, it was no use crying over a horse. John Byro said that without a horse his carriage could not be put to use. “Pay no attention to it,” roared Uncle Khosrove. When John said that he had walked ten miles to get there, Uncle Khosrove shouted that he had legs. The farmer said that his left leg pained but Uncle Khosrove roared again, “Pay no attention to it.” The farmer said that the horse had cost him sixty dollars. Uncle Khosrove said, “I spit on money”. John Byro got up and walked out of the house, slamming the door.

Question. How does John Byro behave when he sees the horse?
Answer: One morning, on the way to Fetvajian’s deserted vineyard, where they would hide the white horse, the boys met John Byro who was on his way to town. They wished each other and the farmer studied the horse eagerly. He asked the boys the name of the horse. Mourad said it was called ‘My Heart’ in Armenian. John Byro said that he could swear it was his horse that was stolen many weeks ago. The farmer then looked into the mouth of the horse. He was even more certain that the horse was a replica of his. He said had he not known their family’s fame for honesty, he would have claimed the horse to be his, and suggested that the horse was the twin of his horse. The next morning, the boys took the horse to John Byro’s vineyard and left it in the barn, as they were affected by the attitude of the farmer.

Question. What impression do you form of cousin Mourad?
Answer: Mourad is a young boy of thirteen. He belongs to the Garoghlanian family of Armenia. Their whole tribe was poverty-stricken. In spite of abject poverty, their family was famous for their honesty. Mourad was quite adventurous and had a crazy streak in him. He enjoyed being alive more than anybody else. Mourad loved horse riding. He had a way with horses. He had tamed the horse with patience and affection. John Byro vouches that the horse was no longer wild. It obeyed Mourad faithfully. His love for the horse is evident in the last scene. While parting, he put his arms around the horse, pressed his nose into the horse’s nose and patted it. He also had a way with dogs. The dogs of John Byro followed them around without making a sound. He was kind. He treated a young robin which had hurt its wing. He was worldly-wise and knew how to talk to farmers. Though he loved horse-riding he was averse to keeping the horse for a long time, as he did not want to come across as a thief. He is proud of his family which is well known for their honesty and trust. In short, he is a lovable young lad.

Question. Compare and contrast uncle Khosrove and cousin Mourad.
Answer: Uncle Khosrove and cousin Mourad have one very important point in common—their craziness. Mourad was considered the natural descendant of uncle Khosrove in this respect. The second similarity is their ability to command and dominate over the people around them. Both use pet words and phrases and roar aloud to quieten the listener. While uncle Khosrove says, “It is no harm; pay no attention to it,” Mourad boasts, “I have a way with horses/dogs/farmers.” Khosrove shouts at his son Arak, the barber and farmer John Byro. The narrator is a patient listener of Mourad’s assertions. The difference lies in their age groups and physical built. Uncle Khosrove, a middle-aged person is an enormous man with a powerful head of black hair and a very large moustache. Mourad is an athletic young boy of thirteen. Khosrove is irritable, impatient and furious in temper. Mourad is reasonable, witty and mature.

Question. Comment on the role of Aram, the narrator, in the story.
Answer: Aram plays an important role in the story. Besides being the narrator, he is also a commentator. He not only narrates the various adventures, incidents and actions, but also provides useful information regarding the main characters and their behaviour. We see the story through his eyes. He gives a graphic description of the Garoghlanian tribe, its members, their traits and their economic conditions. Mourad’s father Zorab is described as a practical person, whereas Mourad and uncle Khosrove represent the crazy members of the tribe. Abject poverty of the family does not diminish their pride in being a part of a family which is famous for its honesty. He says, “No member of the Garoghlanian family could be a thief.” He makes a fine distinction between stealing a horse for a ride and stealing a horse to sell it off. He gives a fine description of the horse ride and the country side with its vineyards, orchards, irrigation ditches and country roads. He brings out the adventurous and curious nature of children of his age with precision.