The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse — Class 11 English

William Saroyan's story, set among the poor Armenian Garoghlanian family in California, is a warm tale about honesty winning over temptation. The narrator, nine-year-old Aram, is woken at dawn by his cousin Mourad, who is sitting on a beautiful white horse. Aram is astonished, for the family is desperately poor yet famous for eleven centuries for its honesty, so he cannot believe Mourad could have bought the horse — and refuses to believe he stole it. Carried away by his lifelong longing to ride, Aram joins him, reasoning that riding a stolen horse is not really stealing unless they sell it. Mourad, considered the family's "crazy streak" and gifted with animals, has in fact been secretly keeping the horse for some time. When the farmer John Byro, who owns the horse, visits and laments his loss, Aram begs Mourad not to return it until he learns to ride. Mourad insists the horse must go back to its true owner, and they keep it hidden in a deserted barn. Meeting John Byro on the road, they brazen it out, and the farmer, though sure it is his horse, trusts the family's famous honesty and will not accuse them. Conscience-stricken, the boys quietly return the horse early one morning. John Byro is delighted to find it stronger and better-tempered, and thanks God. The story celebrates childhood innocence, the love of beauty, and the family's deep-rooted integrity.