"The Summer of the Beautiful White Horse" is a short story by William Saroyan, published within the collection My Name Is Aram (1940). It tells the story of two boys, Aram and Mourad, who belong to a very poor Armenian tribe.
Aram and Mourad are cousins in the Garoghlanian family (an Armenian tribe), which has a reputation for honesty that has been maintained by its family members for hundreds of years. But the tribe is extremely poverty stricken though they never resort to unfair means to get money. Both boys long to ride a horse, but their poverty keeps them from their deepest dream. Early one morning, Mourad shows up at Aram's home on a charming white horse. Aram is awestruck! He cannot understand where Mourad got this beautiful horse when they do not have enough money to afford one. But he also cannot think that his cousin--a member of the honest tribe--can ever steal. But he is too surprised to try and find out the truth.He so longs for a ride. Also Mourad is determined to keep it, and they try their best to keep the horse a secret from others and learn to ride it. In the days to follow, both the boys take out the horse from its hiding place every morning to ride in the countryside. Though, only Mourad can ride the horse properly as he has mastered the art by having riding practice for a month before revealing his secret to Aram. Aram tries hard to master the skill. He is determined to learn to ride and tells Mourad not to return the horse until he himself learns to ride. Mourad says it would take Aram a year to learn to ride. He cannot keep the horse that long but Aram tells him to keep it.
Mourad has a special quality---a deep understanding with all animals. He says "I have a way with a horse". Really he has a way with all animals and birds. Once he was repairing the hurt wing of a young robin and whispering to it. Mourad is considered a crazy fellow--the descendant of his crazy uncle Khusrove. Uncle Khusrove has a very bad temper and always stops people from talking by shouting--"It's no harm,pay no attention to it!" Even when his son informs him that their house in on fire when uncle is having a hair-cut, uncle simply sends the boy away repeating his famed dialogue! Also when John Byro--the real owner of the stolen horse-- comes to Aram's house to recount his sad tale of losing his beautiful horse, uncle simply says the matter is of no use and he should pay no attention to it. Then follows a humorous conversation between Khusrove and Byro at the end of which the sad farmer stomps out the house in frustration.
One day when Mourad and Aram are taking the horse to the farm at which they have been hiding it, they come face to face with the horse's owner John Byro. He looks at the horse very eagerly and studies it tooth by tooth. He exclaims that this white horse is identical to the one horse he owns. Finally he says that it cannot be the same one, for the Garoghlanian tribe is noted for its honesty. Aram notes that Mou×Ļing thing happens. The guard dogs of John Byro instead of barking at the strangers follow them around silently. Yes Mourad communicates with them, perhaps telling them to not make noise!
The next day John Byro visits the Garoghlanian family home to tell of a great miracle. The horse which had mysteriously disappeared from his barn has returned! It was a very amazing happening; and the horse returned better trained and well-tempered. All this happened due to Mourad. This is the story of the beautiful white horse.The Garoghlanian family thus maintained their good name too.