Class | Subject | Book | Chapter | Session | Questions covered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
XI | English | Snapshots (NCERT) | 1 – The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse | 2026-27 | 5 of 5 |
Chapter at a glance
Item | Detail |
|---|---|
Author | William Saroyan |
Setting | The nine-year-old narrator Aram and his cousin Mourad, members of a poor Armenian family, in a California town |
Plot | Mourad “borrows” a neighbour’s beautiful white horse, and the boys secretly ride it; when the owner John Byro visits and later meets them, the boys return it |
Characters | Aram (narrator), Mourad (reckless, horse-lover), Uncle Khosrove (“Pay no attention to it”), John Byro (the farmer) |
Themes | Innocence of childhood, honesty, love of horses, family pride |
Exercise Questions
You will probably agree that this story does not have breathless adventure and exciting action. Then what in your opinion makes it interesting?
Answer
Answer
The story is interesting because of other qualities:
- Humour and innocence: the boys’ plan to “borrow” and ride the horse, Mourad’s boasts (“I have a way with farmers”), and the repeated comic shouts of Uncle Khosrove (“Pay no attention to it”) keep the reader smiling.
- Memorable characters: each of them is drawn with affection, such as the dramatic uncle, the brave but careless Mourad and the honest farmer.
- Nostalgic and simple style: the narrator recalls “the good old days” with warmth and a sense of wonder.
- A quiet moral question: the conflict between the love of the horse and honesty is resolved with gentle irony, and John Byro’s remark that the horse is “stronger than ever” adds to the charm.
- The picture of poor but proud people and their love of the beautiful.
Its humour, lovable characters, nostalgic mood and its gentle treatment of honesty make it interesting.
Did the boys return the horse because they were conscience-stricken or because they were afraid?
Answer
Answer
The boys returned the horse mainly because of their conscience and family honour, not out of fear.
- Mourad says that the horse must go back to its true owner, asking “Are you inviting a member of the Garoghlanian family to steal?” They belonged to a tribe famous for its honesty.
- He did not return it immediately because he wanted to teach Aram to ride; but he set a limit of six months, and returned it earlier after meeting John Byro.
- There is no fear of punishment in the story. When John Byro nearly recognised his horse, he trusted the boys, “The fame of your family for honesty is well known to me”, and this trust made the boys feel their duty to return it. Mourad also patted the horse lovingly and left it in good condition.
They returned the horse because of conscience and respect for their family’s honesty, not fear.
“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
Answer
Sample narration (students should use a personal incident):
When I was eight, my brother and I secretly took our grandfather’s old bicycle to the lane behind our house to learn to ride. It was far too large for us, and after a few wobbly minutes I fell into a heap of dry leaves while my brother laughed. Our grandfather, who had been watching from the window all along, came out smiling and held the seat while I learnt to pedal. That evening, we all had hot jalebis. I still remember how big the world seemed and how small our fears were.
A personal childhood incident, narrated with nostalgia, humour and warmth.
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
Answer
Location. Armenia lies in the South Caucasus (West Asia), between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, north of Iran and east of Turkey. Assyria was the ancient land in northern Mesopotamia (parts of present Iraq, Syria and south-east Turkey); John Byro was an Assyrian.
The Garoghlanians.
Aspect | Details from the story |
|---|---|
People and names | Armenian family: Aram (narrator), cousin Mourad, Uncle Khosrove, the narrator’s mother; neighbour John Byro is an Assyrian |
Traits | Famous for honesty and trust; “poor but proud”; Mourad is daring and eccentric, called “crazy”, the uncle is large, loud, melancholic and kind-hearted |
Geographical features | Armenian immigrants living in a farming town in California, with vineyards and orchards (peach trees); the homeland is far away and missed, and the uncle is “homesick” |
Economic condition | Very poor (“we were poor”); the family has no horse of its own, with farms, vineyards and a surrey the signs of a rural life |
Culture | Close family ties, hospitality (coffee and tobacco for visitors), love of beauty and horses, and pride in the family name |
A write-up on the Garoghlanian tribe: Armenian immigrants, poor, honest, proud, close-knit, and living on farms in California.
Question Try This Out
“The horse stood on its hind legs, snorted, and burst into a fury of speed that was the loveliest thing I had ever seen.” These lines could be an artist’s delight. Try to draw a picture as depicted in the above lines.
Answer
Drawing guide (activity):
- Draw a white horse rearing on its hind legs, with the front legs bent in the air and the mane streaming.
- Show flared nostrils, a raised head, and open mouth in a snort.
- Add motion lines behind the body to show the burst of speed, and tufts of dust at the hooves.
- Behind it, sketch a few grape vines and a peach tree, and a small boy watching in awe.
- Use white and light grey for the horse against a bright blue sky and a green field.
Activity: draw a white horse rearing and speeding away, with a boy watching in wonder.
Topic checklist
- ☒ Appreciation of the story (Q1)
- ☒ Character and theme: honesty (Q2)
- ☒ Personal narration (Q3)
- ☒ Cultural background (Q4)
- ☒ Creative activity (Try This Out)