Gujarat Board GSEB Class 11 English Textbook Solutions Snapshots Chapter 1 The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Textbook Exercise Important Questions and Answers, Notes Pdf.
Gujarat Board Textbook Solutions Class 11 English Snapshots
Chapter 1 The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse
GSEB Class 11 English The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Text Book Questions and Answers
Reading with Insight
Question 1.
You will probably agree that this story does not have breathless adventure and exciting action. Then what in your opinion makes it interesting?
Answer:
The story ‘The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse’ is a tale told from the viewpoint of a nine-year-old boy. At that age, imagination is rich and one can romanticise even insignificant actions. To such a person the world is full of excellence and glory and life is delightful and a mysterious dream.
For the young poor boy, a ride on a beautiful white horse is a dream fulfilled. He had been always longing to ride and his cherished dream is realised when his cousin Mourad offers him a chance to ride on horseback – first with him and then alone. Riding the stolen horse and hiding it safely are great feats of adventure for the two boys. Though the storyline is thin, we eagerly follow the course of action taken by the boys till they return the horse to its rightful owner. The story provides us a peep into child psychology.
For boys who are crazy about horses, stealing a horse for a ride is not stealing. Though they enjoy the thrill of riding, they are conscious of their family pride. The Garoghlanian family is well-known for honesty and trust. They would neither steal nor take advantage of anybody in the world. Another point of interest is characterisation. The delineation of the common traits of uncle Khosrove and cousin Mourad is superb. The story also contains many purple passages full of pictorial descriptions. All these heighten its appeal to the reader.
Question 2.
Did the boys return the horse because they were conscience-stricken or because they were afraid?
Answer:
The story gives no indication that the boys were afraid of anyone or anything. Hence the return of the horse was not directed by fear. Secondly, they were not at all conscience-stricken. They did not feel any pangs of repentance or remorse at their action of stealing a horse solely for the purpose of riding it. The narrator makes it amply clear when he asserts that stealing a horse for a ride was not the same thing as stealing something else, such as money.
For him, it wasn’t stealing at all as he and Mourad were so crazy about horses. In his opinion, it would become stealing only when they offered to sell the horse, which he knew they would never do. The last phrase gives a clue to their mental make-up.
Mourad had the horse for over a month when farmer John Byro visited the narrator’s house. They retained it for two weeks more. Mourad outrightly rejected the narrator’s suggestion of keeping the horse any longer. It was his family pride that would not let him steal.
He decided that the horse must go back to its true owner The meeting with John Byro proved conclusive. He praised their family for its honesty. He trusted the boys as he knew their parents. Hence in order to uphold the family tradition and reputation, the boys returned the horse to its rightful owner.
Question 3.
“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 incidents from your childhood that might make an interesting story?
Answer:
I had just completed my primary education when I visited my uncle. He was a forest ranger in Dehradun. In those days there was a thick forest in the vicinity of the city and all sorts of wild animals prowled there. Uncle had advised us not to enter the deep forest, but forbidden fruit is sweet; My cousin Varun, a couple of his friends and I decided to explore the southern range. We had the kits of scouts and were hilly prepared.
In our boyish enthusiasm, we went deep into the jungle and reached a gorge. We were amazed to see a lioness with her cubs. One of us, perhaps, Mohit clicked his camera. The flashlight scared the lioness and she roared and leaped. Fortunately, there was a big ditch and she fell into it.
Meanwhile, we lit our torches, collected dry leaves and twigs and set them on fire. Momentarily, we got respite from our attackers. Then we threw some green leaves on fire to give smoke signal. A patrol party noticed it and rescued us. I shudder whenever I think of this adventure when we were close to death.
Question 4.
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:
The Garoghlanian Tribes
The Garoghlanian family was an Armenian tribe. Eleven centuries ago it was the wealthiest family in that part of the world. However, now every branch of the Garoghlanian tribe was living in the most amazing and comical poverty in the world. These poor people had no money. Nobody could understand where they ever got money enough to keep them with food in their bellies.
The Garoghlanian tribes were famous for their honesty. It had been the hallmark of the tribe for many centuries. They were proud of their family. Honesty came next and then they believed in right and wrong. None of them would take advantage of anybody in the world. No member of the Garoghlanian family could be a thief. The elders felt pained to remember that they had lost their homeland.
These people shifted their residence from one place to the other. The narrator says, “That year we lived at the edge of the town, on Walnut Avenue.” They loved countryside having vineyards, orchards, olives and Walnuts. The names of the people are semi-Arabic: Mourad, Aram, Khosrove, etc. This incident shows that in spite of having a crazy streak, Mourad was kind at heart and gentle towards God’s creatures.
GSEB Class 11 English The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Additional Important Questions and Answers
Answer the following questions In four to five sentences each:
Question 1.
What traits of the Garoghianian family are highlighted in this story?
Answer:
The Garoghianian family though now poor, were famous for their honesty even when they were wealthy. They were proud of their family first, honesty next and after that, they believed in right and wrong. None of them would take advantage of anybody in the world. They would not steal. No member of the Garoghianlan family could be a thief.
Question 2.
Give an example to Illustrate how uncle Khosrove’s impatience sometimes worked to his own disadvantage.
Answer:
Once uncle Khosrove was getting his moustache trimmed In a barber’s shop. Suddenly their house was on fire. His own son Arak ran eight blocks to the barber’s shop to Inform him. Khosrove got impatient and roared at his son. When the barber reminded him that his house was on fire. Khosrove roared at him and stopped him from talking.
Question 3.
Give a brief account of Mourad’s joy
Answer:
Mourad kicked his heels into the horse and shouted, Wazire run!” The horse stood on its hind legs. snorted, and ran forward at full speed. Mourad raced the horse across a field of dry grass to an irrigation ditch. He crossed
the ditch on the horse. When he returned five minutes later he was dripping wet.
Question 4.
How did Aram, the narrator, fare in his solo ride?
Answer:
Arani leaped to the back oI the horse, but it did not move. Then he kicked into the muscles of the horse. It reared and snorted. ‘Plzen it began to run. Aram did not know how to ride. The horse ran down the road to a vineyard. It leaped over seven vines, threw the rider and ran away.
Question 5.
Why did farmer John Byro stalk out of the house, slamming the screen door?
Answer:
Farmer John Byro visited the narrator’s house. He was homesick. sad and lonely. Ills horse had been stolen for over a month. Instead of showing any sympathy or concern for his loss, uncle Khosrove repeated his catchword: it’s no harm. Pay no attention to it”. When John Byro talked about the cost of horse, uncle Khosrove commented: ‘l spit on mOney.” This was too much for John Byro to bear and so he left the house in disgust.
Question 6.
How did Mourad help the wounded Robin to fly? What does this incident indicate?
Answer:
The narrator noticed Mourad trying to cure the hurt wing of a young Robin which could not fly. He was talking to the bird. After sometime. he threw the bird into the air. The bird tried hard and almost fell twice. However, at last, it flew away. high and straight.
Question 7.
What request did the narrator make to his cousin Mourad about the horse? How did he react to it? What does this reveal?
Answer:
The narrator requested his cousin Mourad not to return the horse to farmer John Byro till he learnt to ride. Mourad observed that it might take him a year. The narrator suggested to keep the horse for a year. Mourad shouted that he was inciting him to steal. He declared that the horse must go back to its true owner. This shows his honesty and sense of family pride.
Question 8.
What impression do you form of cousin Mourad?
Answer:
Mourad is a young boy of thirteen. He belongs to the Garoghlanian family of Armenia. Their whole tribe was poverty-stricken. In spite of abject poverty, their family was famous for honesty. Mourad was quite adventurous and had a clear streak in him. He enjoyed being alive more than anybody else. Mourad loved horse riding. He had a way with a horse. He had tamed the horse by his affectionate behaviour and now the horse was no longer wild.
It obeyed Mourad faithfully. His love for the horse is evident in the last scene. While parting, he put his arms around the horse, pressed his nose into the horse’s nose and patted it. He also had a way with dogs. The dogs of John Byro followed them around without making a sound.
He was kind. He treated a young robin which had hurt its wing. He was worldly-wise and knew how to talk to farmers. Though he loved horse riding he was averse of keeping the horse for a long time. He is proud of his family which is well-known for their honesty and trust. In short, he is a lovable chap.
Question 9.
Comment on the role of Aram, the narrator, in the story.
Answer:
Aram plays an important role in the story. Besides being the narrator, he is also a commentator. He not only narrates the various adventures, incidents and actions but also provides useful information regarding the main characters and their behaviour. In fact, he is the fulcrum on which the whole story rests.
He gives a graphic description of the Garoghlanian tribe, its members, their traits and economic features. Nomad’s father Zorab is described as a practical person, whereas Mourad and uncle Khosrove represents the crazy streak in the tribe. Abject poverty of the family does not diminish his pride in his family which is famous for honesty. He says, “No member of the Garoghlanian family could be a thief.”
He makes a fine distinction between stealing a horse for a ride and stealing a horse to sell it off. He gives a fine description of the horse ride and countryside with its vineyards, orchards, irrigation ditches and country roads.
Question 10.
Compare and contrast uncle Khosrove and cousin Mourad.
Answer:
Uncle Khosrove and cousin Mourad have one very important point in common-their craziness. Mourad’ was considered the natural descendant of uncle Khosrove in this respect. The second similarity is their dominating nature. Both use pet words and phrases and roar aloud to quieten the hearer. While uncle Khosrove says, “It is no harm; pay no attention to it,” Mourad boasts, “I have a way with horses/dogs/farmers.” Khosravi shouts at his son Arak, the barber and farmer John Byro. The narrator is a patient listener to Mourad’s assertions.
The difference lies in their age groups and physical build-up. Uncle Khosrove, a middle-aged person is an enormous man with a powerful head of black hair and very large moustache. Mourad is an athletic young chap of thirteen. Khosrove is irritable, impatient and furious in temper. Mourad is reasonable in conversation.
The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Summary in English
The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Summary:
‘The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse’ is narrated by nine-year-old Aram Garoghlanian, a member of an Armenian community living among the lush fruit orchards and vineyards of Armenia. One morning Aram is awakened at four in morning by his thirteen-year-old cousin Mourad, who is thought to be demented by everyone except Aram and has a way with animals.
Aram is astonished to see that Mourad is sitting on a beautiful white horse. Aram has always wanted to ride a saryam horse, but his family is too poor to afford one. However, in spite of being poor, the Garoghlanian tribe is noted for its honesty and trust, as a result, it is unthinkable that Mourad would have stolen the horse. Aram felt that his cousin couldn’t have stolen the horse.
Aram was invited to ride on the horse with Mourad. The idea of Mourad stealing the horse drained away from Aram’s mind as when he felt that it wouldn’t become stealing unless they offer to sell the horse. They enjoyed rides on the horse for a few hours. Mourad’s crazy behaviour was considered to be of natural descent from their uncle Khosrov, even though his father, Zorab, was a practical man. Uncle Khosrove was an enormous man who was always furious, impatient, and irritable.
He would roar for everyone to stop talking and say it is no harm, pay no attention to it. In fact, one day, when his son came and told them that their house was on fire, Khosrov silenced him by roaring “Enough. It is no harm”. After a short time of riding, Mourad wanted to ride alone on the horse.
Aram had the same longing, but when he sat on the horse and kicked its muscles it reared and snorted and raced forward, eventually dropping Aram off its back. After half an hour they found the horse and hid it in the barn of a deserted vineyard of a farmer named Fetvajian which had once been his pride.
That afternoon, an Assyrian farmer named John Byro – an Assyrian friend of the Garoghlanians – came to Aram’s house. He reported to Aram’s mother that his white horse which had been stolen a month ago was still missing. Hearing this, Aram concludes that, Mourad must have had the horse for a long time. Khosravi, who was at Aram’s house when Byro came, shouted – “it’s no harm” to such an extent that Byro was forced to leave to avoid responding.
Aram ran to Mourad to inform him about Byro’s arrival. Aram also pleads with Mourad not to’ return the horse until he could learn to ride. Mourad disagrees saying that Aram would take at least a year to learn, but promises he would keep it for six months at most. This became a routine. Mourad came daily to pick Aram to ride, and Aram continuously fell off the horse’s back after every attempt.
Two weeks later, when they were going to take the horse back to its hiding place, they met Byro on the road. The farmer was extremely surprised. He recognised his horse but refused to believe that the boys had stolen it. This is the summary of the story ‘The Summer Of The Beautiful White Horse’ written by William Saroyan.