SETH M.R.

JAIPURIA SCHOOL
COMREHENSIVE SHEET
THE SUMMER OF THE BEAUTIFUL WHITE HORSE
Question 1.
To which tribe did Mourad and Aram belong? Which traits of the tribe are highlighted in the story ‘The
Summer of the Beautiful White Horse’?
Answer:
Mourad and Aram belonged to the Garoghlanian tribe. The Garoghlanians were extremely poor but they were
known for honesty for centuries. They were proud first, honest next and believed in doing the right deeds. No
one of their tribe would ever steal. Everyone trusted them.
Question 2.
What are the unique traits of the Garoghlanian tribe?
Answer:
The unique traits of the Garoghlanian tribe were that they were extremely poor but still they were 1 famous
for their honesty for centuries. They were proud as well as honest; they believed in doing the right deeds. No
one o^ their tribe would ever steal. They were trustworthy.
Question 3.
Why did Aram find it hard to believe that Mourad had stolen the horse?
Answer:
Though Mourad was too poor to buy a horse, Aram found it difficult to believe that he had stolen it. This was
because Mourad came from a family that firmly upheld honesty as their special trait and were proud of it.
Question 4.
Why was Aram delighted and frightened at the same time when he saw his cousin Mourad on a beautiful
white horse?
Answer:
Aram was delighted because of the beautiful white horse. He wanted to ride. He was delighted and frightened
by ‘the pious stillness and humour’ in Mourad and the horse. This means that he was frightened because
Mourad was on a horse which he could never have bought.
Question 5.
How can we say that Aram and Mourad were very fond of riding?
Answer:
Mourad brought a horse which did not belong to him. Though he knew that their tribe was well- known for
honesty, but he could not help stealing John Byro’s horse for riding. They enjoyed riding at 4:00 a.m. when it
was still dark. They used to race the horse across fields, vineyards, orchards, irrigation ditches and country
roads. Thus we can say that Aram and Mourad were very fond of riding.
Question 6.
Mourad said, “I have a way with a horse”. Do you agree? Give an example to prove your point.
Answer:
Yes, we agree that Mourad had a way with a horse. When John Byro got the horse back, he found the horse
better tempered because Mourad was good at dealing with a wild white horse. The horse wanted to run wild
in the beginning but Mourad felt he could make the horse do anything he wanted.
Question 7.
What were the peculiarities in Uncle Khosrove’s behaviour?
Answer:
Uncle Khosrove, who had a furious temper was known to be crazy. He was so impatient and irritable that he
stopped anyone from talking by roaring, ‘It is no harm; pay no attention to it.’ His son came to him to tell him
that their house was on fire. He silenced him saying ‘enough’. ‘It is no harm, I say’. He was irritated and
snubbed when John Byro told him about his horse having been stolen.
Question 8.
What did John Byro say to the boys when he found them walking with it one morning?
Answer:
John Byro met the boys walking with his horse which had been stolen. He studied the horse, asked its name
and examined its teeth. He said if he did not know their parents’ honesty he would swear that it was his horse.
He only called it the ‘twin’ of his horse.
Question 9.
What do you think induced the boys to return the horse to its owner?
Answer:
The boys belonged to the Garoghlanian tribe which was well known for its honesty. When John Byro met the
boys walking with his horse which had been stolen, he studied the horse, asked its name and examined its
teeth. He said if he did not know their family’s honesty, he would swear that it was his horse. The boys
became conscience-stricken. They realized that what they did was wrong and this could bring disgrace to their
family. This made them return the horse.
Question 10.
Describe Mourad’s parting from the beautiful white horse.
Answer:
Mourad had spent some time looking after the horse. He loved it even though it was not his own. When he left
it in John Byro’s vineyard, he put his arms around his neck, pressed his nose into the horse’s nose and patted
it. The horse had grown stronger and better tempered in his care.
Question 11.
Why did John Byro visit Aram’s house in his surrey after getting his horse back?
Answer:
John Byro visited Aram’s house to show the horse that had been stolen and returned. He showed that the
horse was stronger than ever and better tempered.
Question 12.
How did little Aram define stealing when he had to decide whether or not to ride the horse?
Answer:
Little Aram was crazy about horses and was longing for a joyride on the horse. When he guessed that Mourad
had stolen the horse, he defined that stealing a horse for a ride was not like stealing money. It would become
stealing if he and Mourad wanted to sell the horse.
Question 13.
Why did Mourad steal the horse and then return it?
Answer:
Mourad stole the horse because he had passion to ride but was too poor to buy one. He returned the horse
because he had no intention of stealing it. Besides farmer, John Byro, reminded him of the high reputation of
his family for honesty.
Long Answer Type
Question 1.
Aram did not think they had stolen the white horse even though they kept it with them for a long time. Why
did Mourad steal the horse? Why did they return it?
Answer:
Aram did not think they had stolen the white horse even though they kept it with them for a longtime because
in his opinion it would become stealing only when they had the intention to sell the horse for money or keep it
with them forever. Therefore, they did not think they had stolen the horse.
Mourad stole the horse because he had passion for riding; but he was too poor to buy a horse. They returned
the horse back because their conscience instructed them to do so. The meeting with John Byro changed
Mourad’s mind and heart. John Byro did not claim the horse, though he felt that it was his lost horse. He only
spoke about the honesty of their family which prompted them to return the horse to its rightful owner.
Question 2.
What impression do you form of the narrator (Aram) after reading the story?
Answer:
Aram is a nine years Armenian boy who narrates the story. He is longing for a joyride on a horse. He is the only
character in the story who not only narrates incidents and actions but also gives useful information about
other characters and their traits as well. He also provides the description of the Garoghlanian, tribe, their
traits, etc.
He finds it hard to believe that Mourad has stolen a horse because he comes from a family that firmly upholds
honesty as their special trait and are proud of it. In his opinion, stealing a horse for a ride is not the something
as stealing something else, such as money. He convinces himself by saying this that it would become stealing
when they offer to sell it. Aram enjoys riding the horse.
The temptation to ride a beautiful horse cannot be resisted by him. Aram loves adventure that’s why he
decides not to talk about the stolen horse.
Question 3.
The narrator mentioned ‘a crazy streak’ running in his family. Which two characters showed this streak in their
behaviour and words? Write briefly about them showing how they could be called crazy.
Answer:
Mourad and Uncle Khosrove were the two characters who showed a crazy streak in their behaviour. Mourad
was a thirteen-year old Armenian boy. He belonged to Garoghlanian tribe. He was fond of riding to the point
of craziness. He sang out of joy when riding a stolen horse. He said confidently that he had a way with horses.
He was crazy like his uncle Khosrove and was considered the natural descendent of his crazy uncle. Uncle
Khosrove had a furious temper1 and was known to be crazy. He was so impatient and irritable that he stopped
anyone from talking by roaring, ‘It is no harm; pay no attention to it’. He said this even when his son came
running to tell him that their house was on fire. He got irritated and snubbed John Byro when he told him
about his horse having been stolen.
Question 4.
Do you think John Byro recognised his horse? Why did he not accuse the boys of stealing his horse?
Answer:
Yes, John Byro recognized his horse. When he met the boys, walking with his horse which had been stolen,
asked its name and examined its teeth. He said it must be the twin of his stolen horse. He said that he trusted
their family’s honesty, so he was not willing to create a fuss and did not have any intention to call them
thieves.
Though he recognized his horse but he told them that he would not even suspect them of stealing a horse.
John Byro did not blame the boys nor made any formal complaint regarding the theft of his horse. He merely
touched upon their family honour. This had the desired effect on the children and they returned the horse.
Question 5.
We had been famous for our honesty for something like eleven centuries,” the narrator describes his family in
these words. Do you think it is possible to remain honest in modern times?
Answer:
Yes. It is possible to be honest in modern times too as seen in the story. Mourad and Aram were honest too.
Mourad took the horse because he loved to ride but could not afford to buy one – he had all the intention of
returning the horse. There are many examples of honest behaviour – Gandhiji inspired truthfulness by his
example Satyameva Jayate (Truth alone triumphs) was adopted as national motto of India on 26th January,
1950.
Even today, honest people such as Anna Hazare are ready to fast unto death for upholding honesty. Many
such activists have put their lives at stake to fight for and uphold truth. Some of them have even laid down
their lives. Young people are very idealistic and wish to eliminate corruption and dishonesty.