L - 1 The Summer of Beautiful Horse
Magnificence – exceptionally beautiful
Longings – deep desire
Garoghlanian – an Armenian tribe
Consequently – as a result
Pious – religious
Trot– to move in a pace faster than walk (used mostly for horses)
Descendant – belonging to the same family of ancestors or forefathers.
Streak – part of a person’s character that shows in behaviour
Enormous – huge
San Joaquin valley -one of the long interior valleys of California
Capricious – unpredictable behaviour
Vagrant – a person without home who moves from place to place, a tramp
Vazire – run
Reared – raised
Snorted – breathed out with a sound
Dawned – realized
Alfalfa – a grassy plat with flowers grown as fodder
Parlour – sitting room
City dweller – one who resides in a city
Surrey – a horse drawn carriage without roof
Insisted – to plead firmly to do something
Suspicious – doubtful, a mind filled with mistrust
Reading with Insight
Questions - Answers
Q1. You will probably agree that this story does not have breathless adventure and exciting action. Then what in your opinion makes it interesting?
Ans. The simplicity of language and the lucid manner of expressing the details of the incident engages the reader throughout the story. The author has expressed the thoughts of the child and the manners of the other characters so vividly that they seem to be real. The use of imagery makes the reader see and feel the actions happening in the story.
The boys’ innocence and youthfulness and Uncle Khosrove’s impatience or the Garoghlanian tribe’s poverty, makes the story thoroughly enjoyable.
Q1. Did the boys return the horse because they were conscience-stricken or because they were afraid?
The boys returned the horse because they were conscience-stricken, not because they feared punishment. The turning point was John Byro's visit to Aram's house. Hearing him describe his loss made Aram feel responsible.
Later, John Byro recognised his horse but chose not to accuse them. That trust made the boys feel the full weight of their action.
Mourad had already said the horse must go back to its true owner. His words: "Are you inviting a member of the Garoghlanian family to steal?" show that family honour mattered more than the pleasure of riding. They could have kept hiding the horse. They chose not to, because their conscience and tribal values did not allow it.
Q2. How does the story highlight the contrast between poverty and honesty in the Garoghlanian family?
The Garoghlanian family lived in poverty but was proud of its tradition of honesty and integrity. They had little wealth but never compromised on their values. Aram is confused when Mourad brings a horse, knowing they cannot afford one, yet also believing that their family could never steal.
This contrast between poverty and honesty creates the central tension in the story. It shows that material wealth was not as valuable to the family as their moral reputation. The horse symbolizes temptation, but ultimately, the boys’ decision to return it proves that honesty was the true treasure of the Garoghlanians.
Short Answer
Q-1 Which two character - traits of Mourad are hinted at by the narrator initially the initial part of the story?
Ans - Mourad was considered crazy who knew him except the narrator. He was quite crazy about horse.
Secondly, he enjoyed being alive more than anybody else.
Q-2 Which trait of Garoghlanian family are highlighted in this story ?
Ans- The Garoghlanian family though now poor, were famous for their honesty even when they were wealthy. They were proudy first, honest 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 number of the Garoghlanian family could be a thief.
Q-3 What two character-traits of Mourad are hinted at by the narrator in the initial part of the story?
Answer:
Mourad was considered crazy by everybody who knew him except the narrator. He was quite crazy about horses. Secondly, he enjoyed being alive more than anybody else.
Q-4 “This was the part that wouldn’t permit me to believe what I saw.” What ‘part’ does the narrator hint at?
Answer:
The narrator refers to their poverty. They had no money. They lived in extreme poverty and it was difficult to understand how they got food to satisfy their hunger. He frankly admits that every branch of the Garoghlanian family was living in the most amazing and comical poverty in the world.
Q-5 How did the narrator react on seeing the horse and Mourad?
Answer:
The horse was magnificent to look at, gave out a lovely smell and its breathing was quite exciting. Yet he couldn’t believe that the horse had anything to do with Mourad, because he couldn’t have bought it.
Q- 6 What conflicting thoughts passed through the narrator’s mind on seeing Mourad on a beautiful white horse early one morning?
Answer:
The narrator was surprised. He knew that his cousin Mourad couldn’t have bought the horse. Since he couldn’t have bought it, he must have stolen it. However, family pride came in the way. He refused to believe that he had stolen it.
Q- 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.
Q- 8. What did farmer John Byro observe after studying the horse the two boys had with them?
Answer:
The farmer studied the horse eagerly and asked its name. Mourad said that they called it “My Heart’. John Byro appreciated it as a lovely name for a lovely horse. He was ready to swear that it was the horse that was stolen hum him many weeks ago.
Q-9 “A suspicious man would believe his eyes instead of his heart.” In what context was this observation made and by whom?
Answer:
This observation was made by farmer John Byro after looking into the mouth of the horse. It matched his horse tooth for tooth. He would have claimed it as his own horse if he had not known their parents or the fame of their family for honesty. The resemblance was so striking that he called it the twin of his horse.
Comments
Post a Comment