Question:1 Mourad showed a special concern for animals. Justify. Answer: Mourad not only had a special understanding with the horse but Aram saw Mourad, trying to nurse the hurt wing of a young robin which could not fly. He healed the bird and it took flight. The dogs, too, in John's farm, did not bark when he went there to put back the horse. Question:2 What did John Byro mean when he said, "A suspicious man would believe his eves instead of his heart"? Answer: John Byro scrutinized the horse; it was an exact replica of the one he owned. He refused to believe that the two boys had taken his horse, as he knew their family was famed for honesty. So, even when his rational mind said that it was his horse, his heart refused to believe it Question:3 Who was John Byro? What concern did he express at Aram's place? Answer: John Byro was an Assyrian farmer who, out of loneliness, had learned to speak Armenian. He was sad because his white horse, which was stolen a month back, was still not found. Byro had a surrey a four-wheeled horse-drawn pleasure carriage having two or four seats which was of no use without a horse. Question:4 How did Aram justify the act of stealing the horse? Answer: Aram felt that stealing a horse for a ride was not the same thing as stealing something else, such as money. Perhaps, it was not stealing at all because they were crazy about horses. He felt it would not be called stealing until they offered to sell the horse, which they would never do. Question:5 Why was the narrator both delighted and frightened at the same time? Answer: The narrator was delighted at the magnificence of the horse. He could smell it, hear it breathing, which excited him but what frightened him was that Mourad could not have bought the horse. The narrator realized, if he had not bought it, he must have stolen it. Question:6 What does the writer suggest by beginning the story with the following words, "One day back there in the good old days.” Answer: The beginning of the story is suggestive of the fact that the episode that is going to be narrated is not one from the recent past. On the contrary, it is something that happened years back. The words good old days’, suggest that the times in the past were better than what they are at present. Question:7 What was the narrator's first reaction to the horse? Answer: When the narrator's cousin, Mourad, came to his house at four in the morning and woke him up, Aram couldn't believe what he saw. Mourad was riding a beautiful white horse. He stuck his head out of the window and rubbed his eyes to make sure that he wasn't dreaming. Question:8 Which tribe did Aram belong to? What was the image of his tribe? Answer: Aram belonged to the Garoghlanian tribe who were the natives of Armenia. This tribe was once rich and prosperous and had their lands but due to war or some other reason they had to flee from their homeland and settled in Assyria where they lived in poverty. This tribe was famous for their trust and honesty. They believed in right and wrong. They knew the art of living as they were contented with their lot. They were hospitable and men of simple faith.Question:9 Describe the incident which confirms that the narrator's uncle Khosrove was indeed crazy. Answer: One day the narrator's uncle Khosrove was having his moustache trimmed at the barber's shop. His son Arak come running to tell him their house was on fire. Khosrove roared, "It is not harm; pay no attention to it." The barber repeated what the boy had said. Khosrove roared again, "Enough, it is no harm I say." Question:10 How did Mourad tend the young robin with a hurt wing? What aspect of his character is revealed in this incident? Answer: Mourad repaired the hurt wing of the young robin and threw the bird into the air. After a few unsuccessful attempts, the robin flew away. This incident shows that Mourad was a great lover of birds and animals. He was a kind hearted boy. Question:11 How did the narrator know that his cousin Mourad couldn't have bought the horse? Answer: The narrator knew that his cousin Mourad couldn't have bought the horse as they were afflicted with poverty. It was difficult for them to provide themselves with two square meals. He wondered how Mourad got the money to buy the horse. Question:12 What distinction does the narrator make between ‘stealing a horse for a ride’ and ‘stealing money? Answer: According to the narrator, stealing a horse for a ride was something different from stealing money. If you were crazy about horses, it was not stealing at all. It would amount to stealing only if you intended to sell the horses. Question:13 What do you think induced the boys to return the horse to its owner? Answer: One morning on the way to the deserted vineyard where they used to hide the horse, the boys ran into the farmer John Byro. He recognized his horse. But it was difficult for him to believe that the boys could have stolen his horse because their family was well-known for honesty. So, he went away saying that the horse must be the twin of his horse. The boys knew that he had become suspicious. So, the time had come to return the horse to its true owner. Question:14 "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. Question:15 Why did the sight of Mourad'’s horse both delightful and frightening for Aram? Answer: Aram was just a young lad, truthful and honest. But he had a longing for riding a horse. Naturally, he was delighted when Mourad asked him to sit on the white horse. But he was also frightened because he knew that it was a stolen horse.Question:1 What did Aram feel about the ‘crazy streak in the family? Answer: Aram felt that every family has a crazy element somewhere, and Mourad seemed to have inherited it from their Uncle Khosrove, a man so furious in temper, so irritable, so impatient that he stopped anyone from talking by roaring, "It is no harm; pay no attention to it." That was all he said no matter what anvoody happened to be talkind about. Even when his own son Arak came running to the barber's shop where he was having his moustache trimmed to tell him their house was on fire, Khosrove roared exactly the same thing. The barber repeated what the boy had said but Khosrove roared,"Enough, it is no harm, I say". Mourad, though he was the son of Zorav, was the one who had inherited the streak of madness from Khosrove. Question:2 Describe the ride of Aram and Mourad when they went out together for the first time. Answer: Mourad called out to the narrator who leaped onto the horse behind his cousin Mourad, On Olive Avenue, they let the horse run for as long as it felt like running. Mourad, then, went for a ride alone; he kicked his heels into the horse and shouted, "Vazire, run." The horse stood on its hind legs, snorted, and burst into a fury of speed. Mourad raced the horse across a field of dry grass, across the irrigation ditch and five minutes later returned, dripping wet. When Aram leaped onto the horse for a ride, the horse did not move at first. Mourad told him to kick into his muscles. When Aram did so, the horse once again reared and snorted and began to run. But instead or running across the field to the irrigation ditch, the horse ran down the road to the vineyard of Dikran Halabian where it began to leap over vines. The horse leaped over seven vines and then Aram fell off. Question:3 Bring out the humour in Uncle Khosrove's and John Byro's meeting. Answer: Uncle Khosrove came to Aram's house for coffee and cigarettes. Soon another visitor arrived, a farmer named John Byro. The farmer, having his coffee and a cigarette, said with a sigh that his white horse which had been stolen the previous month, was still untraceable. Uncle Khosrove became very annoyed and shouted that it was no harm since they had all lost their homeland, Hence, it was no use crying over a horse. John Byro said that without a horse his carriage could not be put to use. "Pay no attention to it," roared Uncle Khosrove. When John said that he had walked ten miles to get there, Uncle Khosrove shouted that he had legs. The farmer said that his left leg pained but Uncle Khosrove roared again, Pay no attention to it. The farmer said that the horse cost him sixty dollars. Uncle Khosrove said, "I spit on money” and walked out of the house, slamming the door Question:4 Describe John Byro's meeting with his horse and the two boys. What impact did it have on him? ‘Answer: One morning, on the way to Fetvajian's deserted vineyard, where they would hide the white horse during the day, the boys met John Byro who was on his way to town. They wished each other and the farmer studied the horse eagerly. He asked the boys the name of the horse. Mourad said it was called 'My Heart’ in Armenian. John Byro said that he could swear it was his horse that was stolen many weeks ago. The farmer then looked into the mouth of the horse. He was even more certain that the horse was a replica of his. He said, had he not known their family’s fame for honesty, he would have claimed the horse to be his. He believed Mourad when he suggested that the horse was the twin of John Byro's horse. The next morning, the boys took the horse to John Byro's vineyard and put it in the bam.The Laburnum Top Summary The poem starts with a description of the Laburnum tree whose top was still and silent. Its leaves had turned yellow and seeds had fallen down. It was a daytime in the month of September when the tree was standing still and death-like. The life-less tree becomes alive by the arrival of the Goldfinch bird. She came to feed her younger ones who are on the thickness of the branch. The tree is her shelter. She arrives at the end of the branch with a chirping sound. She further moves to the other side of the branch with rapid and precautionary movement like a lizard. As soon as she arrives, her younger ones start chirping like a machine and vibrating and flapping their wings. The death-like tree becomes alive and it trembles and shakes. After feeding them, she flies to the other side of the branch. Her dark coloured face with the yellow body was barely visible as she vanished behind the yellow leaves. She flew away in the sky, leaving the tree death-like again. 4. What do you notice about the beginning and the ending of the poem? Ans: At the beginning and the ending of the poem, the laburnum tree was standing still and silent just like death-like. 2. To what is the bird's movement compared? What is the basis for the comparison? Ans: The goldfinch’s movement is compared to that of the lizard because she was abrupt, sleek and alert. The same movements were observed when she arrived at the tree and moved to the thickness side of the branch to feed her young ones. 3. Why is the image of the engine evoked by the poet? Ans: As the engine is the source to run the machine. The bird is compared to the engine as she is the feeder of her family. As a machine cannot work without an engine, her family can’t last without her. 4, What do you like most about the poem? Ans: | liked the comparison of the state of the tree before and after the goldfinch bird arrives and it makes the death-like tree alive. 5, What does the phrase “her barred face identity mask” mean? Ans: The phrase “her barred face identity mask’ means that the bird's face became her identity and symbol of recognition.Q2. What values do you learn from goldfinch in the poem? Ans. In the poem ‘The Laburnum Top,” a goldfinch has a nest on top of a laburnum tree. While the mother goldfinch continues to leave the nest at regular intervals in search of food to feed her babies, her young ones remain inside the nest. This demonstrates her concern for her offsprings and emphasizes the importance of a mother’s love and care for her children. The poem also emphasises the importance of protection and safety through the goldfinch’s quick movements. The poet has compared the motion of the bird to that of a lizard, which moves swiftly. In order to avoid being seen by any predators, Goldfinch is aware of her surroundings and moves quickly. Q5. What happened when the goldfinch came to the laburnum tree? Ans. When the bird arrived, there was suddenly a lot of sound, activity, and chirping. When she went inside to nurse her chicks, the sound of shrill chick cries and fluttering wings made the entire tree seem to shake. Q6. How is the tree transformed during the bird's visit? Write the line that shows this transformation. Ans. The tree is silent, still and empty before and after the bird's visit. When the bird arrives, there is the sound of chirping, fluttering of wings and the whole tree comes alive. The line is ‘the whole tree trembles and thrills’. Q7. In the poem ‘Laburnum Top’, what is the bird's movement compared to? Ans. The bird's movement has been compared to that of a lizard. Her movement is smooth and clean like that of a lizard's. Q8. Why is the image of the engine evoked by the poet in The Laburnum Top’? Ans. When the goldfinch enters the dense leaf cover of the laburnum tree to feed her chicks, the poet uses the metaphor of an engine to depict the stirrings, sounds, and energy that can be heard. Q9. What do you notice about the beginning and end of the poem ‘The Laburnum Top? Ans. The tree was silent before the goldfinch came. It became silent again after she left. Q10. What do you like most about the poem? Ans. The laburnum tree, which is silent and without leaves, is the subject of the poem. When a goldfinch visits to feed her chicks, it suddenly comes to life. The bird leaves, and the tree is once more silent and bare. The poem's most appealing aspect is the life and energy the bird lends to the tree.