The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse
The Garoghlanian Tribe and the Hallmarks of Honesty
The story is set among the members of the Garoghlanian tribe, an Armenian family known for two specific hallmarks: trust and honesty. At the time of the narrative, the narrator, Aram, describes his world as being in the "good old days" when he was years old, a time when life seemed like a "delightful and mysterious dream." Despite their prestigious reputation for integrity, the family lives in a state of "amazing and comical poverty." Every branch of the Garoghlanian family is poverty-stricken to the point where even the elders cannot understand how they manage to find enough money to keep food in their bellies.
The tribe has been famous for its honesty for approximately centuries, dating back to a time when they were perhaps the wealthiest family in the world. Their code of ethics is structured as follows: they are proud first, honest next, and thereafter they believe in the distinction between right and wrong. No member of the family would take advantage of anyone, and the idea of stealing is considered impossible. This creates a central conflict for the narrator when he is confronted with the sight of his cousin Mourad on a beautiful white horse.
The Arrival of the White Horse
The action begins at in the morning when Mourad, who is considered "crazy" by everyone except the narrator, taps on Aram’s window. Aram looks out and sees Mourad sitting on a "magnificent" white horse. Because of their extreme poverty, Aram knows it is impossible for Mourad to have bought the horse. This leads to the logical conclusion that the horse must have been stolen. However, the narrator’s tribal pride and internal loyalty make him refuse to believe that any member of the Garoghlanian family could be a thief.
Aram justifies the situation by redefining "stealing." He reasons that stealing a horse for a ride is not the same as stealing something tangible like money. In his mind, it would only become "stealing" if they intended to sell the horse, which he knew they would never do. Motivated by his lifelong longing to ride, Aram leaps out of his window and joins Mourad on the horse.
Uncle Khosrove and the Crazy Streak of the Tribe
The narrator explains that Mourad is considered the "natural descendant of the crazy streak" in their tribe. This temperament is inherited from their Uncle Khosrove, a massive man with a powerful head of black hair and the largest mustache in the San Joaquin Valley. Khosrove is characterized by an extremely furious temper and an intense irritability. His standard response to any news or disaster is to roar the phrase: "It is no harm; pay no attention to it."
To illustrate Khosrove's character, the narrator recounts an incident in which Khosrove's son, Arak, ran blocks to a barber shop where Khosrove was having his mustache trimmed to tell him that their house was on fire. Khosrove simply roared, "It is no harm; pay no attention to it." Even when the barber pointed out that the boy was saying the house was actually on fire, Khosrove shouted, "Enough, it is no harm, I say." While Mourad’s biological father, Zorab, is described as "practical and nothing else," the tribe believes that a man can be the father of his son’s flesh without being the father of his spirit, allowing Mourad to inherit Khosrove's capricious temperament.
The Morning Rides and the Hiding Spot
The boys live at the edge of town on Walnut Avenue, a location bordered by vineyards, orchards, irrigation ditches, and country roads. During their first ride together, they travel past Olive Avenue. Mourad begins to sing—or rather, to "roar"—with joy. Mourad claims to have a "way with a horse," a specialized understanding that allows the horse to behave and follow his commands. When Aram tries to ride the horse alone, the animal exhibits a "fury of speed," but instead of following the path, it runs through the vineyard of Dikran Halabian, leaping over vines before throwing Aram off and running away.
It takes Mourad approximately hour to find the horse. Instead of returning it and risking being caught, Mourad leads the horse to a deserted vineyard once owned by a farmer named Fetvajian. They hide the horse in a barn which contains some oats and dry alfalfa. Mourad warns Aram that if they are ever caught, Aram must say they only started riding that very morning to avoid becoming "liars."
The Visit of John Byro
That afternoon, an Assyrian farmer named John Byro visits Aram's house. Byro is a lonely man who has learned to speak Armenian. During a conversation over coffee and tobacco, he sadly mentions that his white horse, which was stolen the previous month, is still missing. He notes the horse cost him dollars and that his "surrey" (a type of carriage) is useless without it.
Uncle Khosrove, who is present, reacts with his typical irritation, roaring at Byro for crying over a horse when they have all "lost the homeland." When Byro mentions he walked miles to get there and that his left leg pains him, Khosrove shouts, "You have legs!" and "I spit on money!" Eventually, Byro leaves, and Aram runs to Mourad’s house. He finds Mourad sitting under a peach tree, attempting to repair the injured wing of a young robin that cannot fly. Aram informs Mourad that Byro wants his horse back. Aram asks Mourad to keep the horse until he learns to ride, but Mourad insists it would take a year to learn. They agree to return the horse within months at the latest.
The Final Encounter and the Restoration of the Horse
For two weeks, the boys continue to take the horse out of Fetvajian's barn every morning. Every time Aram rides alone, the horse throws him. One morning, the boys encounter John Byro on his way to town. Mourad, claiming he has a "way with farmers," speaks to him. Byro examines the horse eagerly, noting that it looks identical to his stolen horse. He even looks into the horse's mouth and remarks, "Tooth for tooth."
Despite the physical evidence, Byro refuses to believe the boys have stolen the horse because of the legendary reputation of their family for honesty. He states, "A suspicious man would believe his eyes instead of his heart," and concludes that the horse must be the "twin" of his stolen animal. This encounter touches the boys' consciences. The following morning, they return the horse to John Byro’s vineyard and leave it in his barn. Mourad says goodbye to the horse by pressing his nose against its nose and patting it. Even the dogs in the yard do not bark at him, which Mourad attributes to his "way with dogs."
Later that day, John Byro returns to Aram's house in his surrey. He shows Aram's mother the horse and remarks that it is "stronger than ever" and "better-tempered." Uncle Khosrove, still in the parlor, remains consistent in his character, shouting at Byro, "Quiet, man, quiet. Your horse has been returned. Pay no attention to it."