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The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse
by William Saroyan
About the Author
William Saroyan was born in Fresno, California, on August 31, 1908, the son of Armenian immigrants. After his father's death in 1911, William spent four years in an orphanage. Selling newspapers at the age of eight, he attended public schools in Fresno until, as he said, "I had been kicked out of school so many times that I finally left for good when I was fifteen."
The skill of William Saroyan (1908-1981), American short-story writer, dramatist, and novelist, in evoking mood and atmosphere was noteworthy, and his imaginary world, peopled with common men, was warm and compelling.
In 1928 Saroyan decided to become a writer, but it was 1934 before his short stories began appearing consistently in major magazines. His first book was The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze and Other Stories (1934). At this time, he concentrated on short stories. Seven collections appeared, from Inhale and Exhale (1936) to My Name Is Aram (1940). The works centred on memories of San Francisco and Fresno and show his joy in living. My Name Is Aram was particularly lyrical.
From 1939 through 1943 Saroyan was among America's most active playwrights. In My Heart's in the Highlands (1939) he departed from the current dramatic practice, for he believed that "it is folly for emotionality to be prolonged as a means by which to achieve drama."
Introduction to Chapter
Summary in English
This story is about two poor boys. They belonged to an Armenian tribe which was famous for its honesty.
No one believed that a member of this tribe could do a dishonest act. Yet the narrator and his cousin
stole a horse. The narrator’s name is Aram. He tells the story of those days when he was nine years old.
One day, his cousin, Mourad came to his house at four in the morning and tapped at the window of his
room. When the narrator looked out of the window, he found that his cousin was sitting on a beautiful
white horse. He could not believe his eyes. He and his cousin were very poor. In fact, the whole of
their tribe was poor. They passed their days in utter poverty. Yet one thing was remarkable. They were
famous for their honesty. They believed in right and wrong. None of their tribe would take advantage of
another, what to say of stealing. So, it was strange that his cousin was with a beautiful horse. He
could not have bought it. He was shocked when his cousin told him that he had stolen it. His cousin said
that stealing a horse for riding was not the same thing as stealing some money. He said that they would
send the horse back to its owner after enjoying the horse riding for a few days. The narrator was also
fond of riding. So, he thought that perhaps his cousin was right. The narrator says that his cousin
Mourad was crazy like his uncle Khosrove, who was irritable and furious in temper. He was so impatient
that he stopped anyone from talking by roaring: “It is no harm; pay no attention to it.” One day
Khosrove was in a barber’s shop. His son Arak came running and told him that their house was on fire. At
this Khosrove roared, “It is no harm; pay no attention to it.” The narrator and his cousin enjoyed horse
riding. His cousin began to sing. After some time, the narrator rode alone. But he was not an
experienced rider. The horse leaped over vines, threw off the narrator and ran away. Mourad was not
worried about the narrator. He said that they had to find out the horse and hide it. After some time,
they found out the horse and hid it in the barn of a deserted vineyard. That afternoon his uncle
Khosrove came to his house. He sat in the parlor, sipping and smoking. Suddenly another visitor came
there. His name was John Byro. After some time, Byro said that somebody had stolen his white horse the
previous month. At this uncle Khosrove became irritated and roared, “It is no harm; pay no attention to
it.” After the visitor had gone, the narrator ran to Mourad’s house and told him about John Byro whose
horse he had stolen. He made his cousin promise that he would not return the horse until he (the
narrator) had not learnt horse riding properly. After that, every morning for two weeks the narrator and
his cousin took the horse out of the hiding place and rode it. Whenever it was the narrator’s turn, the
horse threw him off. One day, when they were taking the horse to the vineyard to hide it, they came
across John Byro whose horse it was. Byro looked at the horse carefully and said that it seemed like his
own horse. Then he examined the teeth of the horse. He said that he could swear it that it was his own
horse. But he told the boys that their family was famous for their honesty. So, they could not have
stolen the horse. He said that this horse was the twin of his own horse. Early the next morning, the
narrator and his cousin took the horse to Byro’s vineyard and put it in the barn. That afternoon, Byro
came to the narrator’s house with the horse. He was very happy. He showed the horse to the narrator’s
mother. He said that his horse that had been stolen, had been returned. The narrator’s uncle was also
there. He became irritated and shouted, “Pay no attention to it.”
Summary in Hindi
See Video for Explanation and Summary of the Chapter
यह कहानी दो गरीब लड़कों के बारे में है। वे आरमीनिया के एक कबीले से संबंध रखते थे जो अपनी ईमानदारी के लिए प्रसिद्ध था। कोई विश्वास नहीं करता था कि इस कबीले का कोई सदस्य कोई गैर-ईमानदारी का काम कर सकता है। फिर भी वर्णनकर्ता और उसके चचेरे भाई ने एक घोड़ा चुराया। वर्णनकर्ता का नाम अरम है। वह उन दिनों की कहानी बताता है जब वह नौ साल का था। एक दिन उसका चचेरा भाई, मुराद उसके घर सुबह चार बजे आया और उसके कमरे की खिड़की को खटखटाया। जब वर्णनकर्त्ता ने खिड़की से बाहर झांका उसने देखा कि उसका चचेरा भाई एक सुंदर सफेद घोड़े पर बैठा था। उसे अपनी आँखों पर विश्वास नहीं हुआ। वह और उसका चचेरा बहुत गरीब थे। वास्तव में, उनका सारा कबीला गरीब था वे अपना जीवन बहुत अधिक गरीबी में गुजारते थे। फिर भी एक बात शानदार थी। वे अपनी ईमानदारी के लिए प्रसिद्ध थे। वे सही और गलत में विश्वास करते थे। उनके कबीले का भी व्यक्ति किसी दूसरे का गलत फायदा नहीं उठाता था, चोरी करने की तो बात ही क्या थी। इसलिए, यह अजीब बात थी कि उसका चचेरा भाई एक सुंदर घोड़े के साथ था। उसने यह खरीदा नहीं होगा। जब उसके चचेरे भाई ने उसे बताया कि उसने घोड़ा चुराया है तो उसे धक्का लगा। उसके चचेरे भाई ने कहा कि घुड़सवारी करने के लिए घोड़ा चुराना वैसा नहीं है जैसे कि पैसा चुराना। उसने कहा कि कुछ दिनों तक घुड़सवारी का आनंद लेकर वे घोड़े को वापिस उसके मालिक के पास भेज देंगे। वर्णनकर्त्ता को भी घुड़सवारी का शौक था इसलिए उसने सोचा कि शायद उसका चचेरा भाई ठीक कहता था। वर्णनकर्त्ता कहता है कि उसका चचेरा भाई मुराद उसके चाचा खुसरोव की तरह सनकी था जो स्वभाव का चिड़चिड़ा और बड़ा गुस्सैल था। वह इतना अधीर था कि वह किसी को भी बात करने से यह गरजकर कहकर चुप करा देता था "कोई नुकसान की बात नहीं है, इस पर ध्यान मत दो।" एक दिन खुसरोव नाई की दुकान में था। उसका बेटा अरक भागता आया और उसे बताया कि उनके घर में आग लग गई है। इस पर खुसरोव गरजकर बोला, "कोई नुकसान की बात नहीं है, इस बात पर ध्यान मत दो।" वर्णनकर्त्ता और उसका चचेरा भाई घुड़सवारी का आनंद लेने लगे। उसके चचेरे भाई ने गाना आरंभ कर दिया। कुछ समय के बाद, वर्णनकर्त्ता ने अकेले ही घुड़सवारी की मगर वह अनुभवी घुड़सवार नहीं था। घोड़ा अंगूर की बेलों पर से कूदा, उसने वर्णनकर्ता को गिरा दिया और भाग गया। मुराद को वर्णनकर्त्ता की चिंता नहीं थी। उसने कहा कि उन्हें अवश्य ही घोड़े को खोजना एवं छिपाना है। कुछ समय के बाद, उन्होंने घोड़े को ढूंढ लिया और उसे एक सुनसान अंगूरों के खेत के खलिहान में छिपा दिया। उस दिन दोपहर के बाद उसका चाचा खुसरोव उसके घर आया। वह आंगन में बैठा चाय पीने लगा और धूम्रपान करने लगा। अचानक वहां कोई अन्य आगंतुक आया। उसका नाम जॉन बायरो था। कुछ समय के बाद, बायरो ने कहा कि किसी ने पिछले महीने उसका सफेद घोड़ा चुरा लिया था। इस पर चाचा खुसरोव चिढ़ गया और गरजकर बोला, “यह कोई नुकसान की बात नहीं है, इस पर ध्यान मत दो। आगंतुक के जाने के बाद वर्णनकर्त्ता भागकर मुराद के घर गया और उसे जॉन बायरो के बारे में बताया जिसका घोड़ा उसने चुरा लिया था। उसने अपने चचेरे भाई से यह वायदा लिया कि वह तब तक घोड़ा वापिस नहीं करेगा जब तक कि वह (वर्णनकर्ता) अच्छी प्रकार घुड़सवारी नहीं सीख लेता। उसके बाद दो सप्ताह तक हर प्रातः वर्णनकर्त्ता और उसका चचेरा भाई घोड़े को छिपाई हुई जगह से निकालते और उसकी सवारी करते। जब भी वर्णनकर्त्ता की बारी आती, घोड़ा उसे गिरा देता। एक दिन, जब वे घोड़े को अंगूर के खेत में छिपाने के लिए ले जा रहे थे तो उनका सामना जॉन बायरो से हो गया, जिसका वह घोड़ा था। बायरो ने घोड़े को सावधानी से देखा और कहा कि यह उसका घोड़ा प्रतीत होता है। तब उसने घोड़े के दांतों को जांचा। उसने कहा कि वह कसम खाकर कह सकता है कि यह उसका घोड़ा है। मगर उसने लड़कों को बताया कि उनका परिवार ईमानदारी के लिए प्रसिद्ध है। इसलिए उन्होंने घोड़ा नहीं चुराया होगा। उसने कहा कि यह घोड़ा उसके घोड़े का जुड़वां था । अगली प्रातः बहुत सवेरे, वर्णनकर्त्ता और उसका चचेरा भाई घोड़े को बायरो के अंगूर के खेत में ले गए और उसे आंगन में छोड़ आए। उस दिन दोपहर के बाद, बायरो घोड़े के साथ वर्णनकर्त्ता के घर में आया। वह बहुत खुश था। उसने वर्णनकर्त्ता की मां को घोड़ा दिखाया। उसने कहा कि उसका घोड़ा, जो कि चोरी हो गया था, वापिस लौटा दिया गया है। वर्णनकर्त्ता का चाचा भी वहां था। वह गुस्से में आ गया और चिल्लाया, "इस बात पर ध्यान मत दो।"
Full Explanation with Word Meanings
ONE day back there in the good old days when I was nine and the world was full of every imaginable (supposable) kind of magnificence (grandeur) and life was still a delightful (cheerful) and mysterious (secret) dream, my cousin Mourad, who was considered crazy (eccentric) by everybody who knew him except me, came to my house at four in the morning and woke me up tapping (knocking) on the window of my room. Aram, he said. I jumped out of bed and looked out of the window. I couldn’t believe what I saw. It wasn’t morning yet, but it was summer and with daybreak not many minutes around the corner of the world it was light enough for me to know I wasn’t dreaming. My cousin Mourad was sitting on a beautiful white horse. I stuck my head out of the window and rubbed (to move one’s hands on an objects surface) my eyes. Yes, he said in Armenian. It’s a horse. You’re not dreaming. Make it quick if you want to ride.
I knew my cousin Mourad enjoyed being alive more than anybody else who had ever fallen into the world by
mistake, but this was more than even I could believe. In the first place, my earliest memories had been
memories of horses and my first longings (desire) had been longings to
ride. This was the wonderful part.
In the second place, we were poor. This was the part that wouldn’t permit
(allow) me to believe what I
saw. We were poor. We had no money. Our whole tribe (a group of
people) was poverty (poorness)
stricken (pained). Every branch of the Garoghlanian family was living
in the most amazing (surprising)
and comical (humorous) poverty in the world. Nobody could understand
where we ever got money enough to
keep us with food in our bellies (stomach), 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 (feeling or showing pride) first, honest next, and after that we believed in right and wrong. None of us would take advantage (to get benefited) of anybody in the world, let alone steal. Consequently (as a result of), even though I could see the horse, so magnificent; even though I could smell it, so lovely; even though I could hear it breathing, so exciting (provoking); I couldn’t believe the horse had anything to do with my cousin Mourad or with me or with any of the other members of our family, asleep or awake, because I knew my cousin Mourad couldn’t have bought the horse, and if he couldn’t have bought it he must have stolen it, and I refused (deny) to believe he had stolen it. No member of the Garoghlanian family could be a thief (robber). I stared (see) first at my cousin and then at the horse. There was a pious (holy) stillness and humour in each of which on the one hand delighted (happy) me and on the other frightened (terrified) 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. Well, it seemed to me stealing (to steal) a horse for a ride was not the same thing as stealing something else, such as money. For all I knew, maybe it wasn’t stealing at all. If you were crazy about horses the way my cousin Mourad and I were, it wasn’t stealing. It wouldn’t become stealing until we offered to sell the horse, which of course, I knew we would never do. Let me put on some clothes, I said. All right, he said, but hurry. I leaped (jumped) into my clothes. I jumped down to the yard (courtyard) from the window and leaped up onto the horse behind my cousin Mourad. That year we lived at the edge (shore) of town, on Walnut Avenue. Behind our house was the country: vineyards (a field of vine), orchards (garden), irrigation (to water) ditches (a long narrow channel), and country roads. In less than three minutes we were on Olive Avenue, and then the horse began to trot (to move fast). The air was new and lovely to breathe. The feel of the horse running was wonderful.
My cousin Mourad who was considered one of the craziest members of our family began to sing. I mean, he began to roar (to make high sound). Every family has a crazy streak in it somewhere, and my cousin Mourad was considered the natural descendant of the crazy streak in our tribe. Before him was our uncle Khosrove, an enormous (huge) man with a powerful head of black hair and the largest moustache in the San Joaquin Valley2, a man so furious (in anger) in temper, so irritable (eccentric), so impatient (without patience) that he stopped anyone from talking by roaring, it is no harm; pay no attention to it. That was all, no matter what anybody happened to be talking about. Once it was his own son Arak running eight blocks to the barber’s shop where his father was having his moustache trimmed (to shorten) to tell him their house was on fire. This man Khosrove sat up in the chair and roared, it is no harm; pay no attention to it. The barber said, But the boy says your house is on fire. So Khosrove roared, Enough, it is no harm, I say. My cousin Mourad was considered the natural (normal) descendant of this man, although Mourad’s father was Zorab, who was practical and nothing else. That’s how it was in our tribe. A man could be the father of his son’s flesh, but that did not mean that he was also the father of his spirit (soul). The distribution of the various kinds of spirit of our tribe had been from the beginning capricious (eccentric) and vagrant (vagabond). We rode and my cousin Mourad sang. For all anybody knew we were still in the old country where, at least according to some of our neighbours, we belonged. We let the horse run as long as it felt like running. At last, my cousin Mourad said, Get down. I want to ride alone. 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 (protection), 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. The horse stood on its hind legs, snorted (to force air out loudly), and burst into a fury (anger) 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 (oozing) 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 (terrible) fear imaginable. The horse did not move. Kick into his muscles (a piece of elastic body tissue), my cousin Mourad said. What are you waiting for? We’ve got to take him back before everybody in the world is up and about. I kicked into the muscles of the horse. Once again it reared (moved back) and snorted. Then it began to run. I 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 I fell. Then it continued running. My cousin Mourad came running down the road. I’m not worried about you, he shouted. We’ve got to get that horse. You go this way and I’ll go this way. If you come upon him, be kindly. I’ll be near. I continued down the road and my cousin, Mourad went across the field toward the irrigation ditch. It took him half an hour to find the horse and bring him back. All right, he said, jump on. The whole world is awake now. What will we do? I said. Well, he said, we’ll either take him back or hide (conceal) him until tomorrow morning. He didn’t sound worried, and I knew he’d hide him and not take him back. Not for a while, at any rate. Where will we hide him? I said. I know a place, he said. How long ago did you steal this horse? I spoke. It suddenly dawned on me (I understand) that he had been taking these early morning rides for some time and had come for me this morning only because he knew how much I longed to ride. Who said anything about stealing a horse? he said. Anyhow, I said, how long ago did you begin riding every morning?
Not until this morning, he said. Are you telling the truth? I said. Of course not, he said, but if we are found out, that’s what you’re to say. I don’t want both of us to be liars (persons who tell lies). All you know is that we started riding this morning. All right, I said. He walked the horse quietly (calmly) to the barn of a deserted (lonely) vineyard which at one time had been the pride of a farmer named Fetvajian. There were some oats (a kind of plant) and dry alfalfa in the barn. We began walking home. It wasn’t easy, he said, to get the horse to behave so nicely (very well). At first it wanted to run wild, but, as I’ve told you, I have a way with a horse. I can get it to want to do anything I want it to do. Horses understand me. How do you do it? I said. I have an understanding with a horse, he said. Yes, but what sort of an understanding? I said. A simple and honest one, he said. Well, I said, I wish I knew how to reach an understanding like that with a horse. You’re still a small boy, he said. When you get to be thirteen you’ll know how to do it. I went home and ate a hearty breakfast. That afternoon my uncle Khosrove came to our house for coffee and cigarettes. He sat in the parlour (courtyard), sipping (drinking) and smoking and remembering the old country. Then another visitor arrived, a farmer named John Byro, an Assyrian who, out of loneliness, had learned to speak Armenian. My mother brought the lonely visitor (a person who visits someone else) coffee and tobacco and he rolled a cigarette and sipped and smoked, and then at last, sighing (heaving) sadly, he said, my white horse which was stolen last month is still gone — I cannot understand it. My uncle Khosrove became very irritated and shouted, It’s no harm. What is the loss of a horse? Haven’t we all lost the homeland? What is this crying over a horse? That may be all right for you, a city dweller, to say, John Byro said, but what of my surrey (a cart)? What good is a surrey without a horse? Pay no attention to it, my uncle Khosrove roared. I walked ten miles to get here, John Byro said. You have legs, my uncle Khosrove shouted.
My left leg pains me, the farmer said. Pay no attention to it, my uncle Khosrove roared. That horse cost me sixty dollars, the farmer said. I spit on money, my uncle Khosrove said. He got up and stalked out of the house, slamming (to shut forcefully) the screen door. My mother explained. He has a gentle heart, she said. It is simply that he is homesick (nostalgic) and such a large man. The farmer went away, and I ran over to my cousin Mourad’s house. He was sitting under a peach (a fruit) tree, trying to repair the hurt wing of a young robin (a bird) which could not fly. He was talking to the bird. What is it? he said. The farmer, John Byro, I said. He visited our house. He wants his horse. You’ve had it a month. I want you to promise not to take it back until I learn to ride. It will take you a year to learn to ride, my cousin Mourad said. We could keep the horse a year, I said. My cousin Mourad leaped to his feet. What? he roared. Are you inviting a member of the Garoghlanian family to steal? The horse must go back to its true owner. When? I said. In six months at the latest, he said. He threw the bird into the air. The bird tried hard, almost fell twice, but at last flew away, high and straight (upright). Early every morning for two weeks my cousin Mourad and I took the horse out of the barn (a corn field) of the deserted vineyard where we were hiding it and rode it, and every morning the horse, when it was my turn to ride alone, leaped over grape vines and small trees and threw me and ran away. Nevertheless, I hoped in time to learn to ride the way my cousin Mourad rode. One morning on the way to Fetvajian’s deserted vineyard we ran into the farmer John Byro who was on his way to town. Let me do the talking, my cousin Mourad said. I have a way with farmers. Good morning, John Byro, my cousin Mourad said to the farmer. The farmer studied the horse eagerly (curiously).
Good morning, son of my friends, he said. What is the name of your horse? My Heart, my cousin Mourad said in Armenian. A lovely name, John Byro said, for a lovely horse. I could swear (to take oath) it is the horse that was stolen from me many weeks ago. May I look into his mouth? Of course (undoubtedly), Mourad said. The farmer looked into the mouth of the horse. Tooth for tooth, he said. I would swear it is my horse if I didn’t know your parents. The fame (famous) of your family for honesty is well known to me. Yet the horse is the twin (a pair of children born of the same mother at the same time) of my horse. A suspicious (doubtful) 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. The dogs followed us around without making a sound. The dogs, I whispered to my cousin Mourad. I thought they would bark. They would at somebody else, he said. I have a way with dogs. My cousin Mourad put his arms around the horse, pressed his nose into the horse’s nose, patted (to move hands on somebody’s head or body lovingly) it, and then we went away. That afternoon John Byro came to our house in his surrey and showed my mother the horse that had been stolen and returned. I do not know what to think, he said. The horse is stronger than ever. Better-tempered (good natured fellow), too. I thank God. My uncle Khosrove, who was in the parlour, became irritated and shouted, Quiet, man, quiet. Your horse has been returned. Pay no attention to it.
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Exercises
Question and Answers
Ans. The name of the narrator’s cousin was Mourad. He was very fond of horse riding. Because of this fondness, he stole a horse. He and the narrator daily rode this horse. The narrator says that everyone who knew Mourad considered him crazy. But the narrator did not think so.
Q.2. What did the narrator see when he looked out of the window? Why couldn’t he believe his eyes?
Ans. One day, the narrator’s cousin came to meet him at four in the morning. He tapped on the window of his room. When the narrator looked out of the window, he saw that his cousin was sitting on a beautiful white horse. He could not believe his eyes because he belonged to a poor family and could not afford to buy a horse.
Q.3. What does the narrator say about his tribe?
Ans. The narrator belonged to a poor tribe. Every branch of the narrator’s family lived in utter poverty. Yet, this tribe was famous for its honesty and trust. Every member of his tribe and his family was proud of the fact that they were true and honest inspite of their poverty.
Q.4. Why was the narrator shocked when he came to know that his cousin had stolen a horse?
Ans. The narrator saw his cousin sitting on a beautiful white horse. When he came to know that he had stolen the horse, the narrator was shocked. The narrator belonged to a tribe, which was very honest in spite of their poverty. None of his family would take advantage of anybody in the world, let alone steal.
Q.5. The narrator was proud of his tribe’s honesty. Then why did he agree to enjoy riding a stolen horse?
Ans. The narrator belonged to an honest tribe. So he was shocked when he found that his cousin had stolen a horse. Yet he consoled himself that stealing a horse for a ride was not the same thing as stealing something else. So, he agreed to enjoy riding the stolen horse.
Q.6. Describe the physical appearance of the narrator’s uncle Khosrove.
Ans. The narrator’s uncle Khosrove was a crazy man. He was a big man with a powerful head of black hair. He had the largest moustache in that area. He did not talk. He roared. He was impatient and furious in temper.
Q.7. What did the narrator’s uncle say when his son told him that their house was on fire?
Ans. The narrator’s uncle was impatient and furious in temper. One day, he was in the barber’s shop, getting his moustache trimmed. His son came running and told him that their house was on fire. Instead of rushing to his house, he kept sitting and roared, “It is no harm; pay no attention to it.”
Q.8. What happened when the narrator rode the horse alone?
Ans. The narrator requested his cousin to let him ride the horse alone. The narrator sat on the horse kicked into its muscles. The horse ran down the road. Then it began to leap over vines. The narrator could not control himself and fell. The horse kept running.
Q.9. What did the narrator and his cousin do after enjoying horse riding every morning?
Ans. The narrator and his cousin enjoyed horse riding every morning. After that they hid the horse in the barn of a deserted vineyard. There were some oats and dry alfalfa in the barn. The horse fed on these.
Q.10. How did the narrator’s uncle react when John Byro said that his horse had been stolen?
Ans. One day, a farmer named John Byro came to the narrator’s house. He told his mother that his beautiful white horse had been stolen. Uncle Khosrove was also there. He roared and asked him to pay no attention to it. John Byro got angry and left the house.
Q.11. What did the narrator do after John Byro had left?
Ans. The narrator’s cousin had stolen the white horse of John Byro. One day he visited the narrator’s house. He told his mother that his horse had been stolen. The narrator became alarmed. He ran to his cousin’s house and told him about it.
Q.12. John Byro found the narrator and his cousin with his stolen horse. Still, he did not suspect them of theft. Why?
Ans. The narrator and his cousin belonged to a very honest family. No one could believe that any member of that family could do a dishonest act. So even when he found the boys with his stolen horse, he did not suspect them of stealing the horse.
Q.13. How did John Byro make sure that it was his own stolen horse? What did he tell the boys?
Ans. John Byro examined the teeth of the horse. He became sure that it was own stolen horse. Still, he did not suspect the boys as they belonged to a family famous for their honesty. He said that this horse must be the twin of his own horse.
Q.14. What did the narrator and his cousin do with the horse after their meeting with its owner?
Or
Why did Mourad return the horse?
Ans. The owner of the horse did not suspect the narrator and his cousin stealing his horse. But the boys became alarmed. The next day they took the horse to John Byro’s vineyard and put it in the barn.
Q.15. Write a brief character-sketch of the narrator’s Uncle Khosrove.
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Ans. The narrator’s uncle Khosrove is an interesting person. The narrator says that he was a crazy man. He was a big man with a powerful head of black hair. He had the largest moustache in that area. He did not talk, he roared. He was impatient and furious in temper. He stopped anyone from talking by roaring, “It is no harm; pay no attention to it.” One day, uncle Khosrove was in the barber’s shop, getting his moustache trimmed. His son came running and told him that their house was on fire. Instead of rushing to his house, he kept sitting and roared, “It is no harm; pay no attention to it.” On another occasion, a farmer named John Byro came to the narrator’s house. He told his mother that his beautiful white horse had been stolen. Uncle Khosrove again roared and asked him to pay no attention to it. John Byro got angry and left the house. In this way, the narrator’s uncle Khosrove is a strange person.
Q:16. Give a character-sketch of Mourad.
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Ans. Mourad was the cousin of narrator. One day, he came to his house at four in the morning. He was sitting on a beautiful white horse. The narrator found that his cousin had stolen that horse. He asked the narrator to come with him if he wanted to ride. The narrator and his cousin enjoyed horse riding. His cousin began to sing. After some time, the narrator rode alone. But he was not an experienced rider. The horse leaped over vines, threw off the narrator and ran away. Mourad was not worried about the narrator. He said that they had to find out the horse and hide it. After some time, they found out the horse and hid it in the barn of a deserted vineyard. This continued for a number of days. One day however, the owner of the horse recognised his horse. The next morning the narrator and his cousin put the horse back into the barn of its owner.
Multiple Choice Questions:
(A) Khushwant Singh
(B) M.V. Iyengar
(C) William Saroyan
(D) Marga Minco
Ans. (C) William Saroyan
2. What is the name of the narrator’s cousin?
(A) Arom
(B) Mourad
C) Sourad
(D) Arak
Ans. (B) Mourad
3. Everybody considered Mourad
(A) a crazy boy
(B) a genius
(C) a scientist
(D) a player
Ans. (A) a crazy boy
4. How old was the narrator when the story begins?
(A) nineteen years
(B) ninety years
(C) twenty-nine years
(D) nine years
Ans. (D) nine years
5. When the narrator looked out of the window, he found that Mourad was
(A) dancing on one leg
(B) eating an apple
(C) sitting on a beautiful white horse
(D) sitting on a new scooter
Ans. (C) sitting on a beautiful white horse
6. The narrator’s family was famous in that region for its
(A) honesty
(B) power
(C) dishonesty
(D) big farms
Ans. (A) honesty
7. The narrator guessed that his cousin Mourad had _____ the horse.
(A) purchased
(B) borrowed
(C) hired
(D) stolen
Ans. (D) stolen
8. That year, the narrator’s family lived
(A) in the middle of the town
(B) in a suburb of the town
(C) on the edge of the town
(D) on a hill
Ans. (C) on the edge of the town
9. What was the name of the narrator’s uncle?
(A) Khrushchev
(B) Khosrove
(C) Khusro
(D) Khushi Ram
Ans. (B) Khosrove
10. Which of the following traits define the narrator’s uncle?
(A) patient, helpful
(B) furious, irritable, impatient
(C) kind, gentle
(D) goodlooking, handsome
Ans. (B) furious, irritable, impatient
11. What was the most famous comment of uncle Khosrove?
(A) I love; I’ll help you
(B) You are the best boy
(C) God is great
(D) It is no harm; pay no attention to it
Ans. (D) It is no harm; pay no attention to it
12. What did Khosrove’s son tell him when he was in the barber’s shop?
(A) the house is on fire
(B) some guests have arrived
(C) we have won a lottery
(D) come and have lunch
Ans. (A) the house is on fire
13. What was the name of Mourad’s father?
(A) John Byro
(B) Khosrove
(C) Zorab
(D) Aram
Ans. (C) Zorab
14. What happened when the narrator tried to have a horse-ride?
(A) he had a wonderful time
(B) the horse threw him down
(C) he controlled the horse
(D) he did not like the horse
Ans. (B) the horse threw him down
15. How long did it take his cousin to find the horse and bring him back?
(A) half an hour
(B) two hours
(C) the whole day
(D) two days
Ans. (A) half an hour Snapshots
16. What was the narrator to say if he was found with the horse by his owner?
(A) that they do know the horse
(B) that they have started riding only that morning
(C) that they have stolen the horse
(D) that they have been riding for one year
Ans. (B) that they have started riding only that morning
17. Where did the narrator and his cousin hide the horse?
(A) in a rich man’s stable
(B) in the narrator’s house
(C) in his cousin’s house
(D) in the barn of a deserted vineyard
Ans. (D) in the barn of a deserted vineyard
18. Who came to the narrator’s house when his uncle Khosrove was also there?>
(A) John Byro, an Assyrian
(B) the narrator’s father
(C) the cousin’s father
(D) the narrator’s grandfather Ans. (A) John Byro, an Assyrian
19. What did Khosrove say when John Byro told him that he had lost his horse?
(A) he said he would give him for
(B) he promised to find out his horse another horse
(C) he became irritated and shouted
(D) he sympathised with John Byro
Ans. (C) he became irritated and shouted
20. What did John Byro do when the narrator’s uncle shouted at him?
(A) he shouted back
(B) he apologised
(C) he hit him with a stick
(D) he got up and went out of the house
Ans. (D) he got up and went out of the house
21. What did the narrator do when the farmer had gone away?
(A) he ran after the farmer and brought him
(B) he ran to his cousin’s house back
(C) he rebuked his uncle for insulting the
(D) he sent his uncle to call him back farmer
Ans. (B) he ran to his cousin’s house
22. What was his cousin was doing when the narrator went to meet him?
(A) taking his breakfast
(B) writing a letter
(C) singing a song
(D) trying to repair the hurt wing of a bird
Ans. (D) trying to repair the hurt wing of a bird
23. What happened every morning when the narrator tried to ride the horse?
(A) the horse threw him
(B) he enjoyed the ride
(C) he rode for a long time
(D) he rode for a few minutes only
Ans. (A) the horse threw him
24. Whom did they come across one morning when they were on the way to the deserted
vineyard?
(A) a police constable
(B) the cousin’s father
(C) the owner of the horse
(D) the narrator’s mother
Ans. (C) the owner of the horse
25. What did John Byro say on seeing his horse?
(A) he did not recognise the horse
(B) he recognised the horse
(C) he rebuked the boys for stealing the horse
(D) he threatened to report the matter to the police
Ans. (B) he recognised the horse
26. How did John make sure that it was his stolen horse?
(A) he asked the horse whether he recognized
(B) he asked the horse his name him
(C) he recognized it by its colour
(D) he recognised the horse by counted its teeth
Ans. (D) he recognised the horse by counted its teeth
27. Although John Byro recognised his horse, he did not suspect the boys of stealing
it. Why?
(A) he took pity on the boys
(B) he was not sure
(C) he did not suspect them because their
(D) the boys looked innocent family was known for their honesty
Ans. (C) he did not suspect them because their family was known for their honesty
28. What did the narrator and his cousin do early the next morning?
(A) they sold the horse
(B) they killed the horse
(C) they told the facts to the narrator’s father
(D) they returned the horse to John Byro’s vineyard
Ans. (D) they returned the horse to John Byro’s vineyard
29. What did John Byro do when he came to the narrator’s house?
(A) he complained against the boys uncle
(B) he quarrelled with the narrator’s
(C) he showed the narrator’s mother the
(D) he said that he wanted to sell the house horse that had been stolen and returned
Ans. (C) he showed the narrator’s mother the horse that had been stolen and returned
30. What did the narrator’s uncle say when John Byro said that his house had been found?
(A) he became irritated and shouted at him
(B) he congratulated John Byro
(C) he offered to buy the horse
(D) he asked him to lend him the horse
Ans. (A) he became irritated and shouted at him
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