The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse;NCERT Solutions and Summary for Class 11

    The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse 

                                                         -William Saroyan

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Summary:

'The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse' by William Saroyan revolves around two poor Armenian boys and a horse they had stolen.One fine day,when the author was asleep,his cousin came toh his place at 4 in the morning and woke him up.He(the narrator) peeped through his window and saw a magnificent bwhite horse.The sight was unbelievable for the narrator.Their tribe wasn't rich enough to afford a horse.Their tribe was known for their integrity and honesty.Their tribe was called as Garoghlanian tribe.However,he knew that Mourad,his cousin, couldn't have stolen it.Mourad was calling him so that they could go for a ride.But,he eventually realised that the horse was stolen.However,he went for the ride as he had always longed for a similar one.

They were soon in the countryside.When they neared a large open area,Mourad decided to ride alone.He raced the across the field of dry grass to an irrigation ditch.Next,he also allowed the author to ride the horse.This time the horse behaved a little more wildlyand instead of taking the desired path,the horse ran down the road into a vineyard,leaping over vines.However,it also threw the narrator away and went away.They eventually found the horse but it was too late by then as the Sun had already risen.They didn't wanted anyone to see the horse.

They resorted to hiding the creature in a dilapidated barn.That afternoon, Uncle Khosrove and a farmer named John Byro came to the narrator's house.The farmer expressed his dilemma telling how he had lost his horse for the last one month and the troubles he is facing due to its sudden disappearance.One day,after their routine rides,while returning to the deserted barn to hide the horse,their paths crossed with John Byro.

The farmer studied the horse intently and eagerly.He even checked its physical features.However,after some time of deliberation,asserted that it couldn't be his horse as the narrator and his cousin belonged to a tribe known for its integrity and honesty.They couldn't have stolen the horse.The farmer walked away.This incident made the brothers realise their mistake and immediately returned the horse the next morning.

The story presents us in front of us an important message-"Our economic condition should never be a determinant of what we are."The farmer also exibhited a great quality i.e. the ability to spare a chance to realise one's mistake.

Difficult Words:

1)Armenia:A small nation between Asia and                           Europe near the Soviet Republic.

2) Irrigation Ditch:A narrow excavation to supply                                 dry land with water artificially.

3)Trot:Run at a moderate pace with short steps.

4)Crazy Streak:(Here)A crazy element of a                                      specific in someone's character.

5)Capricious:Fickle

6)Vagrant:A person who wanders from place to                    place in search of work.

7)Snorted:Make a sudden explosive sound                              through the nose, especially when                          excited or frightened.

8)Dawned on:To realise something.

9)Barn:A large farm building to store grains and              hay.

10)Alfalfa:A leguminous plant widely grown for                      fodder.

11)Assyrian:A person belonging to Assyria.

12)Surrey:A small carriage with 4 wheels and a roof with seats facing forward.

13)Stalk:Walk away stiffly and angrily.

14) Slamming:To shut forcibly and noisily.

15)Screen Door:An outer door used to protect                                  the main door from harsh                                        weather and sudden forces.

16)Vineyard:A plantation of grape vines.

17)Better-Tempered:Usually calm and cheerful.

18)Aram:(Arabic) Righteousness.

About Author:

William Saroyan(1908-1981) was an Armenian-American novelist,playwright and short story writer.His childhood had been difficult as he lived through it with acute poverty as well as other problems.He was awarded the Pulitzeram Prize for Drama in 1940 as well as various other

notable awards.

NCERT Questions:

A)Reading with Insight

1)The story 'The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse' by William Saroyan is told from the perspective of a nine-year old small boy.At that age,when the world was slowly opening for one, everything felt surreal and magnificent.He was related to a poor Armenian family and could never think of riding a horse though he always longed for one.His cherished dream was finally fulfilled when Mourad,his cousin,offered him a chance to ride a beautiful white horse.However,he found that the horse was a stolen one.The story revolves around the adventures they went through in order to return the horse to his rightful owner.The story also shows that both the boys were young but still very mature for their age to differentiate between the wrong and right.They were conscious of their family and tribe's hallmarks-honesty,trust and integrity.All these heightens the story's appeal for the reader.

2)I think the boys returned the horse as they were conscience-stricken.They were not afraid of anything.One day their paths crossed with John Byro,the original owner of the horse.He examined the horse and found that it was his creature.But he took a very clever and diplomatic way to claim the horse.He told the boys that his horse also looked like the horse they were having.He also proclaimed that the boys belonged to a tribe known for its integrity and honesty.In this process,he made the boys realise their mistake.The boys too didn't want to tarnish the name of their tribe.Hence,they eventually returned the horse.

3)When I was 8 years old,my father had bought  me a shirt in which an illustration of skull was there.The skull was smeared with radium which had the property to glow in the dark.One night,when I was sleeping with the shirt left to dry on a table near me,I woke up due to some noise.Seeing the skull frightened me and I let out a frightening scream.My parents came running and I had to sleep with them that night.

4)The Garoghlanian Tribes are an Armenian tribe.Eleven centuries ago,they were the richest tribe in the world.However,now they have to live in acute poverty.They had very less money and sometimes it is a problem for them to sustain their families.These tribes were famous for their honesty.It had been the hallmark of those tribes.They upheld ethical stances such as honesty,integrity,trust as well as what was right and wrong.They had to leave their homeland and felt alienated in foreign lands.Their origin can be traced back to Arab regions.They also had semi-Arabic names such as Mourad,Khosrove,Dikran Halabian etc.

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