Snapshots Supplementary Reader Chapter 1 The Summer Of The Beautiful White Horse

It is true that the story ‘The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse’ doesn’t have any breath taking adventure. Nor does it contain any exciting action. The story revolves round two poor Armenian boys Aram and Mourad. It describes their passion for horse-riding. Passion for riding makes Mourad steal a beautiful white horse. But trust and honesty are the hallmarks of their tribe. They maintain the fame and pride of their family. They return the horse to its rightful owner. The writer William Saroyan weaves a simple story into an interesting tale. The description is lucid and simple. The pace is relaxed but natural. The story keeps the readers engaged till the end.

Certainly, the storyline lacks puffs and punches. But the narrator holds the interest of the readers. He reveals the natural urge of children for fun and adventure. Garoghlanians are poor but proud and honest people. They consider that stealing a horse for fun and riding is not stealing. After all, they are not going to sell it. But ultimately, the pride and honesty of their tribe overpower their childish pranks. They decide to return the horse to its rightful owner John Byro.

Ultimately, Aram and Mourad returned the horse to its rightful owner, John Byro. It gives birth to two questions. Were they conscience-stricken or afraid? The answer is very simple. They were conscience-stricken. Both of them belonged to the Garoghlanian family. The family had earned name and fame for integrity and honesty. No member of the tribe could ever be accused of dishonesty or any shady deal. Aram and Mourad dared not break that glorious tradition. They had to maintain the good name and honesty of Garoghlanians. Hence, they overcame their childish passions and pranks. They decided to return the horse to Byro. Yes, they feared too. They feared to be considered as thieves. They feared lest they should put their tribe to shame by their action.

No doubt, there came moments when both Aram and Mourad justified the stealing of the horse. Stealing a horse for riding and fun was not the same as stealing and selling it for money. Hence, Mourad stole the horse and hid it in the barn. Pangs of conscience pricked them. Hence, they decided to return the horse to its rightful owner.

Nostalgia is a mixed feeling. This feeling comes to us when we think of happy times in the past. The story begins in a mood of nostalgia: ‘One day back there in the good old days ....’ Everyone is faced with such a mood now and then. And I am no exception.

I remember those good old days of my childhood. I was just a boy of nine, then. My family was the poorest family in the village. But we were proud of our family. Everyone respected us for our integrity and honesty. I was considered to be a worthy descendant of the family.

Our school was about a km away from the village. On the way, there was an apple orchard. My classfellows got the wind that the gardener was away on some job in the town. That was a sure signal for mischief. They sneaked into the orchard. They dragged me too with them. To tell you the truth, I too was tempted. I plucked some apples. I justified my action. I thought plucking apples for eating was not the same thing as stealing them. After all, I was not going to sell them.

Then came the pangs of conscience. I feared that it would bring a bad name to my family. I overcame my temptation. In the evening, I went to the gardener and returned all the apples.

Try it yourself with the help of your S.S. teacher.

Nostalgia is a feeling of sadness mixed with joy and affection. It is remembrance of some old and sweet memories. In the beginning the narrator remembers ‘the good old days’ when he was nine. At that time ‘the world was full of every imaginable kind of magnificence.’

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Aram’s cousin Mourad tapped on the window. He was sitting on a beautiful white horse. He invited Aram to ride. Aram couldn’t believe what he saw. He felt as if he were dreaming. He couldn’t understand how a poor boy like Mourad could own such a horse. Perhaps he had stolen it. The narrator even hated to imagine such a thing.

The Garoghlanian family was living in the most amazing poverty. Even they found it difficult to buy food for themselves. For the last eleven centuries they were famous for their integrity and honesty. They were proud of their honesty. None of them would take advantage of anybody in the world. Stealing was unimaginable to them.

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One morning the narrator saw his cousin Mourad sitting on a beautiful horse. He was highly amazed. Like him Mourad also belonged to the Garoghlanian family. The family was living in the most amazing poverty. They found it difficult even to buy food for themselves. A member of such a family could not buy such a beautiful and costly horse.

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Aram and his cousin Mourad belonged to the Garoghlanian family. They were famous for their honesty and integrity. Mourad was a very poor boy. Buying a horse was out of question for him. He could only steal such a horse. But Aram refused to believe that Mourad could ever do such a thing. No member of the Garoghlanian family could ever be a thief.

Aram knew that he and his cousin Mourad belonged to a tribe that was poverty-stricken. He couldn’t have bought such a beautiful horse. It was certain that he had stolen the horse. It was hard to believe that a member of his family could ever do such a thing. There was no question about it that he had stolen the horse.

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The narrator tried to justify the action of his cousin. Mourad did not steal the horse in the real sense. Stealing a horse for a ride was not equivalent to stealing it for money. It wouldn’t become stealing until they offered to sell the horse for money.

Aram’s cousin Mourad was considered the natural descendant of the crazy streak in the tribe. He had a passion and craze for horses and riding. Before him was his Uncle Khosrove. He was a man of very furious temper. He could stop anybody from talking by his roaring.

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The narrator’s uncle was considered to be a crazy man. Actually, he was the natural descendant of the crazy streak in the family. He was a huge and powerful man. He had a big strong head with black hair. He was a man of furious nature. He was short tempered and of irritable nature. He would not let anybody talk before him. He would stop him shouting. “It is no harm ; pay no attention to it.”

Uncle Khosrove was the natural descendant of the crazy streak in the tribe before Mourad. He was a huge man with an irritating and furious temper. Once his own son came running to the barber shop. Khosrove was having his moustache trimmed there. He gave the news that his own house was on fire. Uncle Khosrove roared : “it is no harm”.

Mourad got off the horse and asked his cousin Aram to ride on it. The narrator kicked into the muscles of the horse. It snorted. Then it began to run. It ran down the road to the vineyard and began to leap over the vines. The horse leaped over seven vines before the narrator was thrown down.

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Aram and Mourad didn’t want to be caught with the stolen horse. They had to keep it away from the eyes of the people, particularly its owner. Mourad had found a deserted vineyard. He took the horse inside the house and tied it there. If caught, it could bring a bad name to the family, its integrity and honesty.

The narrator had his personal interest to keep the horse. He was not a perfect horse-rider like his cousin Mourad. He wanted to keep the horse until he became a good rider. But Mourad opposed the idea. He declared that the horse must be handed over to its rightful owner. After all, it was the question of Garoghlanian family’s honour and integrity.

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John Byro was a farmer. He was an Assyrian. He had learnt to speak Armenian. He came to tell the narrator’s mother that his white horse had been stolen last month. It remained untraced yet.

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John Byro told uncle Khosrove that someone had stolen his white horse. He couldn’t find it anywhere. Uncle Khosrove became very irritated. He shouted as usual: “It is no harm. What is the loss of a horse?” He shouldn’t pay any attention to it.

One day John Byro was on his way to the town. He saw Aram and Mourad with his stolen horse. He studied the horse carefully and looked into his mouth. Tooth for tooth it was the same horse. He asked its name. Mourad replied: “My Heart”. John Byro could never imagine that they could steal his horse. He convinced himself that perhaps the horse was the twin of his own horse.

‘The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse’ is the story of two poor Armenian boys. They are Aram and Mourad. They are cousins. They belong to the same tribe. The family of Garoghlanian is known for its integrity and honesty. Aram is a foil to Mourad. He is calm and quiet. He suffers from a feeling of nostalgia. He remembers the good old days when he was nine. The world is full of romance and magnificence for him. It is delightful and dreamy. On the other hand, his cousin Mourad is considered to be crazy by everybody except by him.

Both the cousins shared a common heritage. They were living in the most amazing poverty. They didn’t have even money enough to buy their food. But the family was famous for its integrity and honesty. It was unimaginable that anyone of them could ever be a thief.

Mourad had a crazy streak in him. He was considered to be the natural descendant of the crazy streak in the family. Before him uncle Khosrove held that position. Aram was not dashing and dynamic like Mourad. But both of them had a passion for riding. Only difference was that Mourad had a wonderful understanding with a horse. Even horses understood him. Aram was rather a bad rider. Everytime he rode alone, the horse threw him down.

Mourad was more daring. He stole a beautiful white horse for riding. Aram understood his cousin well. He could make a compromise and justify the stealing of the horse. After all, stealing the horse for riding was not the same as stealing. Mourad and Aram were conscience-stricken. In the end, they returned the stolen horse to its true owner.

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Mourad was a poor Armenian boy. He was a cousin of Aram. Both of them belonged to the family of Garoghlanians. Mourad was proud of his family and its great and glorious traditions. For the last eleven centuries his tribe had been famous for its integrity and honesty. Mourad’s family was poverty-stricken. Sometimes it was even difficult for the members of their family to buy food for them. But nothing could shake their honesty and integrity.

Mourad was a dashing and bold young man. In this way, he resembled uncle Khosrove. Actually, he was considered to be the natural descendant of the ‘crazy streak’ in the family. Mourad was determined to achieve results. Once made a decision, he never wavered or hesitated in the middle.

Mourad had a passion for riding. He had ‘a way with a horse’. Even horses understood him. He would kick his heels into the horse’s muscles and shout: “Vazire run”. The horse would burst into a fury of speed. In this matter he was far ahead of Aram who was rather a bad rider.

Mourad loved his cousin Aram. He would come to invite him to ride. He knew Aram’s passion for riding. He would let him ride alone. He always cooperated with him and valued his advice.

In the end, Mourad was conscience-stricken. He didn’t want to bring a bad name to the family of Garoghlanians. Therefore, he and Aram decided to return the horse to its rightful owner John Byro.

The story ‘The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse’ revolves round stealing the horse and returning it to its true owner. Mourad was considered to be the natural descendant of the crazy streak in the Garoghlanian family. He had a passion for riding. He had ‘a way with a horse’. It was Mourad who stole a beautiful white horse. It belonged to a farmer John Byro. In this respect Mourad went against the much respected values and traits of the Garoghlanians. The tribe to which they belonged was famous for its integrity and honesty. Their dire poverty didn’t allow Mourad to buy a horse. Hence, he resorted to stealing. Naturally, he stole it for riding and not for money. The narrator himself justified his act. He thought that stealing a horse for riding was not the same thing as stealing for money.

Mourad used to take out the horse for early morning rides. He was a wonderful rider. He would kick the heels into its muscles and make the horse burst into a fury of speed within no time. Aram was rather a bad rider. He always fell off the horse when he rode alone.

After all, Aram and Mourad were the descendants of the Garoghlanians. In the end, the pangs of conscience overpowered their boyish passions. They didn’t want to bring a bad name to their proud family. Hence, they returned the horse to its true owner.

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20 Baglenia Square

Risikburg

Armenia

20th March, 2008

Dear Rasool

Life is full of many surprises. One day someone woke me up tapping on the window of my room. I found my cousin Mourad sitting on a beautiful white horse. I couldn’t believe my eyes. We were a poor family. How did the horse come? Naturally, Mourad must have stolen it. A member of our family and stealing ! Impossible ! But stealing a horse for riding was not the same as stealing it for money. So we convinced ourselves.

Everyday Mourad would come riding on the horse. He had a passion for riding. I requested him for a ride alone. The horse proved quite unmanageable. It jumped over vines and threw me down. I was certainly not as seasoned a rider as Mourad was. It continued for some days. Then we started feeling the pangs of conscience. The horse must be returned to its rightful owner. I agreed with Mourad. The owner himself met us while we were on the way. He recognised his horse. But he couldn’t imagine that any of our family could ever steal a horse. He thought that the horse must be the twin of his horse. In this way, we were saved. But we couldn’t keep the horse anymore. We took the horse to John Byro’s vineyard and put it in the barn.

Yours truly

Aram