That afternoon John Byro came to their house in his surrey and showed the narrator’s mother the horse that had been stolen and returned. He was surprised to find the horse stronger than ever and better tempered too. He thanked God. Uncle Khosrove, who was in the parlour, became irritated and shouted at him to be quiet. He observed that his horse had been returned and repeated his pet phrase: “Pay no attention to it”.
The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Summary In Hindi
कहानी दो निर्धन आर्मेनियाई लड़कों
मौराद तथा आराम के गिर्द घूमती है। ये गारोघलेनियाई परिवार के सदस्य हैं। उनके
परिवार के विशिष्ट गुण हैं विश्वास तथा ईमानदारी। कहानी अतीत की सुखद स्मृतियों की
उदासी के भाव से आरंभ होती है। तब वर्णनकर्ता आराम 9 वर्ष का लड़का था तथा उसका चचेरा भाई
मौराद, जो थोड़ा सा अधिक साहसी किंतु तनिक सनकी (झक्की) था, तेरह वर्ष का था|
कथाकार को वह दिन स्पष्ट रूप से याद
है जिस दिन मौराद प्रातः चार बजे उसके घर आया था तथा उसके कमरे की खिडकी पर
थपथपाहट करके उसे जगाया था। आराम अपने बिस्तर से उछलकर उठा और जब उसने खिड़की से
बाहर देखा तो उसे जो कुछ उसने देखा उस पर विश्वास नहीं हुआ। उसका चचेरा भाई मौराद
एक सुंदर सफेद घोड़े पर बैठा हुआ था। मौराद ने उससे कहा कि यदि वह
घुड़सवारी करना चाहता है तो शीघ्रता (जल्दी) करे। वर्णनकर्ता को घुड़सवारी करने की
तीव्र इच्छा थी, उनका पूरा गारोघलेनियाई परिवार निर्धन था यद्यपि वे अपने विश्वास
तथा ईमानदारी (के गुणों) के लिए सुविख्यात थे। कथाकार जानता था कि उसका चचेरा भाई, मौराद् घोड़े को
क्रय नहीं कर सकता था, और यदि उसने इसे क्रय नहीं किया था, तो अवश्य ही इसे चुराया होगा। कथाकार
यह विश्वास नहीं कर पाया कि उसने घोड़ा चुराया होगा क्योंकि गोरोघलेनियाई परिवार
का कोई भी सदस्य चोर हो ही नहीं सकता था।
कथाकार आराम ने मौराद से पूछा कि उसने
घोड़ा कहाँ से चुराया था। मौराद ने उत्तर नहीं दिया किंतु उसे खिड़की से नीचे
कूदकर आने को कहा यदि वह घोड़े पर सवारी करना चाहता था। उसे यह पता था कि मौराद
घोड़ों के बारे में झक्की था। सवारी करने के लिए घोड़े को चुराना वैसी बात नहीं थी
जैसे कि धनराशि चुराना अथवा किसी चुराये गए घोड़े को विक्रय करना (बेचना)।
कथाकार ने फटाफट वस्त्र पहने। वह
खिड़की से आंगन में कूदा तथा अपने चचेरे भाई मौराद के पीछे घोड़े की पीठ पर उछलकर
बैठ गया। वालनट एवेन्यु स्थित उनके मकान से वे तीन मिनट से कम समय में आलीव
एवेन्यु पहुँच गए। घोड़ा दुलकी की चाल चलने लगा क्योंकि वायु ताज़ा तथा सांस लेने
में मनोहर थी।
मौराद को उस परिवार के अत्यधिक सनकी
सदस्यों में से एक समझा जाता था। वह गाना गाने लगा या अपेक्षाकृत दहाड़ने लगा। वे
खुले (ग्रामीण) क्षेत्र में पहुँचे और घोड़े को दौड़ने दिया जब तक कि वह दौड़ना चाहता
था। अंततः मौराद ने आराम को नीचे उतरने को कहा क्योंकि वह अकेला घुड़सवारी करना
चाहता था। आराम ने उससे पूछा कि क्या वह उसे अकेले को घुड़सवारी करने देगा। मौराद
ने उत्तर दिया कि यह तो घोड़े पर निर्भर करता है।
कथाकार नीचे उतर आया तथा उसके चचेरे
भाई मौराद ने घोड़े को ऐड़ मारी तथा चिल्लाया, “वजीरे दौड़!” घोड़ा अपनी पिछली
टाँगों पर खड़ा हुआ, नथुनों से घर-घर का शब्द निकाला तथा तीव्र गति से आगे की ओर दौड़
पड़ा। मौराद ने घोड़े को सूखी घास के खेत के आर-पार सिंचाई की खाई तक दौड़ाया।
उसने घोड़े पर बैठे-बैठे खाई को पार किया और पाँच मिनट पीछे लौटा। उसका शरीर टपकते
पानी (पसीने) से गीला था।
सूरज ऊपर चढ़ रहा था। अब कथाकार उछलकर
घोड़े की पीठ पर बैठा, किंतु, घोड़ा टस से मस नहीं हुआ। मौराद के सुझाव पर उसने घोड़े की
माँसपेशियों में ऐड़ मारी। वह पीछे हटा, नाक से घरै घर्राया तथा दौड़ने लगा।
कथाकार नहीं जानता था कि वह क्या करे। खेत के पार होते हुए सिंचाई की खाई तक जाने
के बजाए घोड़ा सड़क के ढलान की ओर दौड़ता हुआ डिकरन हैलाबियन के अंगूरों के बगीचे
में घुसा तथा आराम के नीचे गिरने से पहले सात बेलों के ऊपर छलाँग लगा गया। मौराद
दौड़ता हुआ सड़क के ढलान की ओर आया। वह आराम की अपेक्षा घोड़े के विषय में अधिक
चिन्तित था। दोनों ने विभिन्न दिशाओं में घोड़े की तलाश की। घोड़े को ढूंढने तथा
वापस लाने में मौराद को आधा घंटा लगा। मौराद ने किसान फेत्वाजियान के सूने पड़े
हुए अंगूरों के बगीचे में घोड़े को छिपा दिया। वहाँ खलिहान में कुछ जई तथा हरे
चारे वाले अल्फाल्फ के सूखे पौधे थे। कथाकार को यह सूझा कि मौराद तो कुछ समय से
शीघ्र प्रात:कालीन घुड़सवारी का आनंद लेता रहा है तथा उसके पास तो केवल उस दिन
प्रात:काल आया था। उसने पूछा,
“तुमने कितने समय पहले यह घोड़ा चुराया
था?” मौराद को यह प्रश्न पसन्द नहीं आया। कथाकार ने शब्द बदल कर पूछा, “तुमने कितने समय से
प्रतिदिन सवेरे घुड़सवारी करना आरंभ किया था?” उसने उत्तर दिया, “आज प्रातः से पहले
नहीं।” स्पष्टतया, वह सत्य नहीं बोल रहा था, किंतु उसने आराम को भी यह कहने को राजी
कर लिया।
मौराद ने तब आराम को बताया कि घोड़े
से इतने भले प्रकार का व्यवहार कराना आसान नहीं था। पहले-पहल, यह अनियंत्रित
(अपनी इच्छा से) दौड़ना चाहता था,
किंतु चूँकि उसे घोड़े से व्यवहार का
ढंग आता था, उसने घोड़े के साथ समझ विकसित कर ली। कथाकार घर पहुँचा तथा उसने जी
भर के नाश्ता किया।
उस अपराह्न उसका चाचा खोसरोव उनके घर
कॉफी तथा सिगरेट पीने आया। जब वह बैठक (ड्योढ़ी) में कॉफी की पैंट भर रहा था तथा
धूम्रपान कर रहा था, तब एक अन्य आगंतुक वहाँ पहुँचा। बाद में आने वाला व्यक्ति जॉन
बायरो नामक किसान था। वह एक असीरियाई था, जिसने अकेलेपन से तंग होकर, आर्मेनियाई की भाषा
बोलना सीख लिया था। उसे भी कॉफी तथा तंबाकू पेश किए गए। उदासी से आह भरते हुए उसने
कहा कि उसका सफेद घोड़ा जिसे पिछले महीने चुराया गया था, वह अभी भी गायब था।
चाचा खोसरोव क्रोधित हो गया तथा एक घोड़े (की हानि) पर विलाप करने के लिए उसे फटकारा।
किसान जॉन बायरो नर्म दिल का विशालकाय
व्यक्ति था। उसे वहाँ पहुँचने के लिए दस मील पैदल चलना पड़ा और उसकी बायीं टाँग
उसे पीड़ा पहुँचाती थी। उसे घोड़ा 60 डालर का मिला था तथा घोड़े के बिना
उसकी चार पहियों वाली घोड़ा गाड़ी व्यर्थ थी। ज्यों ही किसान जॉन बायरो वहाँ से
नया, आराम दौड़कर अपने चचेरे भाई मौराद के घर गया तथा उसे प्रत्येक बात
बता दी। उसने मौराद से कहा कि वह घोड़े को तब तक ने लौटाए जब तक वह घुड़सवारी न
सीख ले। उसने सुझाव दिया कि वह घोड़े को एक वर्ष या कम से कम छः महीने रख ले।
मौराद ने सोचा कि वह एक गोराघलेनियाई को चोरी करने का आवाहन कर रहा था। उसने घोड़े
को इसके सही स्वामी को लौटाने का निश्चय किया। दो सप्ताह तक प्रत्येक सवेरे तड़के
ही मौराद एवं आराम घोड़े को सूने अंगूर के बगीचे से जहाँ उन्होंने इसे छुपा रखा था, निकाल लेते थे तथा
इस पर सवारी करते थे। प्रत्येक सवेरे घोड़ा अँगूर की बेलों तथा छोटे वृक्षों के
ऊपर से छलांग लगाता, आराम को फेंक देता तथा दौड़ जाता। फिर भी आराम को आशा थी कि वह
मौराद की भाँति ही सवारी करना सीख लेगा।
एक दिन फेत्वाजियन के सूने अँगूरों के
बगीचे को जाते समय उनकी किसान जॉन बायरो से जो कि नगर को जा रहा था, भेट हो गई। मौराद
ने उसका अभिवादन किया। किसान ने उत्सुकता से घोड़े का अध्ययन किया तथा उन्हें ‘शुभ प्रभात’ कहा। उसने उनके
घोड़े का नाम पूछा। मौराद ने बताया कि वे उसे ‘मेरा दिल’ कहा करते थे। जॉन
बायरो ने इसे सुंदर घोड़े के लिए एक सुंदर नाम कहा। उसे पक्का विश्वास (यकीन) था
कि यह वही घोड़ा था जिसे कई सप्ताह पहले उसके यहाँ से चुराया गया था। उसने पूछा कि
क्या वह घोड़े के मुख (मुँह) में देख सकता था।
घोड़े के दाँतों का निरीक्षण करने के
उपरांत, किसान शपथ लेकर यह कहने को तैयार था कि यह उसका अपना घोड़ा था।
किंतु चूँकि उनके परिवार का ईमानदारी के लिए यश सुविख्यात था, वह इसे चुराया हुआ
घोड़ा नहीं कहेगा। फिर भी यह उसके घोड़े का जुड़वाँ था। अगले प्रातः काफी पहले, लड़के घोड़े को जॉन
बायरों के अँगूरों के बगीचे में ले गए तथा उसे खलिहान में छोड़ दिया। मौराद ने
घोड़े (की गर्दन) के चारों ओर अपनी बाँहें लपेटी, अपनी नाक घोड़े के नाक में दबायी, इसे थपथपाया तथा
फिर वे चले गए।
उसी अपराह्न जॉन बायरो अपनी चार
पहियों वाली घोड़ा-गाड़ी में उनके घर आया तथा कथाकार की माता जी को वह घोड़ा
दिखलाया जो चुरा लिया गया था तथा लौटा दिया गया था। उसे घोड़े को पहले से अधिक
सुदृढ़ तथा अच्छे व्यवहार का पाकर सुखद आश्चर्य हुआ। उसने भगवान का धन्यवाद किया।
चाचा खोसरोव, जो कि बैठक में था, क्रोधित (चिड़चिड़ा) हो गया तथा उस पर
चिल्लाया कि चुप रहे। उसने टिप्पणी की कि उसका घोड़ा लौटा दिया गया था उसने अपना
प्रिय शब्द समूह दोहराया, “इसकी ओर ध्यान न दो।”
The Question Answer of the Beautiful White Horse
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 thing of crazy streak in Garoghlanian family makes the story interesting. Uncle Khosrove repeated phrase to every petty or major loss, ‘Pay no attention to it. It’s no harm’, adds more interest in the story. Mourad’s innocence and his mysterious ways to tackle the ‘horse’, ‘dog1 and even ‘farmer’ make the story really very interesting.
Question 2.
Did the boys return the horse because they were conscience-stricken or because they were afraid?
Answer:
The boys returned the horse as they were afraid. The narrator had come to know that the horse belonged to farmer John Byro whose surrey had become useless because of his lost horse for a month. He informed it to Mourad and asked him not to return the horse as he wanted to learn how to ride a horse properly first. But unluckily when they met John Byro on the way, they got afraid. They put it stealthily in Byro’s bam next morning.
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 interesting incident from your childhood that might make an interesting story?
Answer:
Once when I was still a student of Class IV, I had gone to pick fruits including berries, guava, and pomegranates in the garden of villager Mr. Ramdhan Tyagi. We were a pack of eight children. We all had eaten fruits to our fill. After that we all packed our pockets. As we were returning happily, uncle Ramdhan returned from his home after a nap in the noon. He naturally gave us a chase.
I being the youngest in the group, lagged behind and was caught. He asked ‘whose daughter are you?’ ‘Sh. Lekh Ram’, I replied. In the evening we all heard the sounds of great row at the home of Sh. Lekh Ram. Actually, romance at ‘hort notice was my speciality then. To save my skin from my parents I had told the name of a neighbour as my father.
Question 4.
The story revolves around the characters that 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 were scattered in the expanse of Assyria and Armenia in Asia continent sometime between the period of 500 B.C. to 800 B.C. Their main occupation was farming. They were famous for their honesty and trust. They were great nature-lovers. They never thought of stealing. They never bothered to attain more heights financially as well as physically. They were contented in their peaceful easy life. They never dreamt of taking advantage of others in the world.
The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Extra Questions and Answers
The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Extra Questions Short Answer Type
Question 1.
To which tribe did Aram and Mourad belong? What was particular about their tribe?
Answer:
Aram and Mourad belonged to Garoghlanian tribe. The tribe was well known for its honesty and trust. The people belonging to the tribe to neither be liars nor thieves.
Question 2.
Why and when did Mourad take John Byro’s horse?
Answer:
Mourad was known for a crazy streak in his character. He was fond of horse riding. But he belonged to a poor family, He could never afford to realise his long cherished s dream of riding a horse. So one day he ‘stole’ John Byro’s horse. He kept it to his custody at * least a month, before he disclosed it to Aram.
Question 3.
Why did Mourad bring the wonderful white horse to Aram?
Answer:
Mourad brought this horse to Aram, his cousin brother. He knew quite well that Aram was equally fond of riding a horse. Mourad himself had been enjoying joy-rides on the wonderful white horse since a month’s time. Now he wanted his cousin brother to enjoy the same.
Question 4.
How did Mourad manage to keep his ‘deed’ a ‘secret’?
Answer:
Mourad would enjoy the joy-rides on the wonderful white horse only during the early morning hours. As soon as the day breaks, he would hide the horse in a deserted bam. There were some oats and dry alfalfa to satisfy the hunger of the horse.
Question 5.
How did the narrator come to know about the real owner of the horse? What was his reaction?
Answer:
The narrator returned his home, after enjoying a ride on the wonderful white horse. An Assyrian visitor named John Byro came to his home and sighing sadly told that v his white horse was stolen for a month. Now the narrator realised the horse Mourad was . having those days, was actually Byro’s. He felt panicky and went to Mourad to disclose the news. But he requested him not to return the horse so early.
Question 6.
Why did the boys not want to return the horse immediately? Did their wish fulfill?
Answer:
The boys didn’t want to return the horse immediately as both wanted to learn properly how to ride a horse. Mourad told Aram that he would keep it at least six months. But alas! Their wish couldn’t be fulfilled.
Question 7.
Why did the boys return the horse so early?
Answer:
One morning the boys were taking the horse to its hiding place, after having a joy ride over it. They met John Byro; the real owner of the horse. John swore that the horse was the twin of his own one and some suspicious mind could take it to be his own as its teeth and everything were like those of his own one. At this the boys got panicky. Due to fear of disclosure of their dare deed, they put hack the horse the next day at its real owner’s bam.
Question 8.
Who was John Byro? Why had he come to the narrator’s house?
Answer:
John Byro was an Assyrian by birth. He was a farmer. But he had learnt to speak Armenian also due to loneliness. Perhaps he had settled down somewhere in Armenia ten miles away from narrator’s home. He had come to the narrator’s house to vent out his woes over the loss of his only horse. His horse was missing for a month. .
Question 9.
What impression do you form about Khosrove?
Answer:
Khosrove was an uncle to Mourad and Aram. He had acquired the special char-acteristic of the family i.e. the crazy streak. He was an enormous man with a powerful head of black hair. He had the largest moustache in entire San Joaquin Valley. He was quite an irritable fellow who lost his temper quite easily if somebody cried over his loss. His most repeated words (at such situation) were. It is no harm; pay no attention to it.”
Question 10.
‘I couldn’t believe what I saw.’ What was there so incredible to the speaker? Who is the speaker here?
Answer:
The protagonist of the story ‘Aram’ is the speaker here. One fine summer pre day-break, his cousin brother Mourad had come to invite him on a wonderful white horse. The horse didn’t belong to him. So it was incredible to the speaker where from Mourad had got that horse, as he could not be a thief.
Question 11.
How was the ‘deed’ of taking away somebody else’s horse and hiding it without the owner’s knowledge not a theft according to the boys?
Answer:
According to the boys, the horse which actually belonged to John Byro had been taken away by them just to enjoy joy rides. It can’t be called a ‘theft’ until they offered to sell the horse.
The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse Extra Questions Long Answer Type
Question 1.
Describe the boys joyride early one morning in your own words.
Answer:
The boys i.e. Mourad and Aram belonged to Garoghlanian tribe whose hallmarks were trust and honesty. Mourad was regarded a ‘crazy boy having acquired the ‘crazy streak’ of the family. One morning at about 4 a.m., Mourad tapped on Aram’s window waking him up. Aram peeped out of the window. He was surprised to see, wonderful white horse. He had come to invite him for a joy ride.
There was no time for Aram to think or care for the right or wrong. He just jumped out of window, on to the horse, behind Mourad. They both had a round of the vineyards, orchards, irrigation ditches and country roads, all behind Aram’s house. Then they reached on Olive Avenue. The air was new and lovely to breathe in early morning. Mourad began to sing, being too much crazy. They made the horse run, as long as it felt like running
Then Movrr.d alone had a ride. He shouted ‘Vazire’ run; and the horse once stood on its hind legs, snorted and burst into a fury of speed across a field of dry grass. Mourad returned after five minutes. He was dripping wet. Now the narrator wanted to ride alone. But the horse didn’t budge. At this Mourad asked Aram to kick it into its muscles and the trick worked.
But Aram didn’t know how to reign the horse and it dropped him after leaping over vines. It ran away. It was only after half an hour, Mourad got it and brought it back. Then they both took it to Fetvajian’s deserted bam to hide. Mourad had a strange way of taming the horse. The horse seemed to obey him. Both returned to their homes. The narrator had a hearty breakfast that morning, as his long cherished dream of riding a horse had been fulfilled.
Question 2.
Compare and Contrast the characters of Mourad and Aram.
Answer:
The story ‘The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse’ has a few characters. Two of them are Mourad and Aram. Aram is the speaker/ narrator of the story. But the most interesting character here is Mourad. He has his own way of understanding with birds and animals. He is thirteen year old i.e. 4 years older to Aram. Mourad had acquired the crazy streak of the family naturally. Except the narrator everybody who knew him regarded him crazy.
But one day, he surprised the narrator also. He had brought along a Wonderful white horse. No doubt it was not ‘his’, as neither he could purchase and stealing was out of question. Both belonged to poor family and stealing was not a natural trait with their tribe whose hallmarks were honesty and trust.
Anyhow, he had come to invite the narrator to enjoy a ride. He was so simpleton at heart, that he wanted to make Aram feel the same joy of enjoy¬ing a joyride, as he himself had enjoyed. Though he didn’t disclose how and when he did steal it. Both regarded that it was not a ‘theft’ until they wished to sell it. Both decided that they would keep it at least for six months unless they learnt to ride properly. The period is also decided by Mourad.
But unluckily, the narrator came to know about the real owner. He felt nervous as the owner of the horse, John Byrd had come to his house, inquiring/ feeling sorry over his lost horse. Jle went to Mourad to reveal the news. At that time Mouracl was sitting under a peach tree, healing the hurt wing of a young robin. It showed that he loved animals and birds a lot.
Mourad is a mysterious person with amusing characteristics. He had been enjoying rides on a horse of John Byro for a month and kept it for another two weeks. But he didn’t consider it a theft. As the narrator requested him to keep it for a year, he roared “what?” “Are you inviting a member of the Garoghlanian family to steal?” As they met the real owner, without getting worried, Mourad peacefully put back the horse at its real owner’s barn, early next morning. Again he behaved strangely, while bidding ‘goodbye’ to the horse.
He put his arms around the horse, pressed his nose into the horse’s nose, patted it, and then started back. It was all too mysterious to Aram to understand Mourad’s strange ways of making the wounded bird fly, keeping the dogs shut their mouths, and making the horse run. Really he was a strange boy.
