The Early Morning Surprise: The story begins early one summer morning when nine-year-old Aram is awakened by his thirteen-year-old cousin, Mourad. Aram is shocked to see Mourad sitting on a magnificent white horse. Knowing their Garoghlanian tribe is extremely poor but famous for its strict honesty, Aram cannot believe Mourad bought the horse. He realizes Mourad must have stolen it, but he justifies it by thinking that stealing a horse for a joyride is not the same as stealing for money.

The Joyride: Aram joins Mourad, and they enjoy a thrilling ride in the countryside. While Mourad rides the horse with expert control (claiming he has a “way with a horse”), Aram falls off when he tries to ride alone. They hide the horse in a deserted vineyard barn belonging to a farmer named Fetvajian.

The Real Owner Appears: That afternoon, a farmer named John Byro visits Aram’s house and complains to Uncle Khosrove that his white horse was stolen a month ago. Aram realizes Mourad has had the horse for weeks. He begs Mourad not to return it until he learns to ride, but Mourad says they must return it in six months to protect the family’s honor.

The Turning Point and Return: One morning, while taking the horse to the hiding place, the boys run into John Byro. Byro examines the horse carefully and looks into its mouth. He notes that the horse is an exact twin of his stolen horse. However, instead of accusing them, he says, “A suspicious man would believe his eyes instead of his heart,” citing their family’s legendary reputation for honesty. Deeply moved by Byro’s trust and feeling a pang of conscience, the boys quietly return the horse to John Byro’s barn the very next morning.