The Thief’s Story
Anil and Hari:
Anil, a 25-year-old writer, was living a carefree life, struggling to make
money through writing. One day, while watching wrestling, he met Hari,
who used his old tricks to impress Anil. Anil was impressed and
promised to teach Hari how to write, do math, and cook.
Learning Together:
Anil and Hari started living together happily. Anil, true to his promise,
was helping Hari learn new skills. They became good friends, and life
seemed good for both.
The Temptation:
One day, Hari saw a bunch of money Anil had and decided to steal it.
That night, after dinner, Anil slept peacefully, unaware of Hari's plan.
Hari took the money and left for the railway station to catch a train.
But he missed it, and it started raining.
A Change of Heart:
Wet and conflicted, Hari felt guilty about betraying Anil's trust.
Instead of leaving, he decided to return the money. Hari came back,
placed the money where he found it, and battled his guilt through the
rainy night.
A Fresh Start:
The next morning, Anil woke up late, and Hari had already made tea.
Anil, without showing any anger, gave Hari Rs. 50 as a reward for his
efforts, signaling a fresh start. Even though the money was wet, Anil
seemed to understand Hari's change of heart.
The Lesson Learned:
In the end, "The Thief's Story" teaches us about the importance
of trust and friendship. Anil forgave Hari, and Hari learned that
values like trust and compassion are more important than any
stolen money. It's a story about second chances and the goodness
that can come from doing the right thing.
Extract-Based Questions.
1 He took me to his room over the Jumna Sweet Shop and told
me I could sleep on the balcony. But the meal I cooked that night
must have been terrible because Anil gave it to a stray dog and
told me to be soft but I just hung around, smiling in my most
appealing way, and he couldn't help laughing.
1. What does 'I' refer to?
Ans. I’ refers to Hari Singh.
2. Where did Mil take him?
Ans. Anil took him to the room where he stayed, over Jumna
sweet shop.
3. How did Anil react when Hari cooked a bad meal?
Ans. Anil gave the food to the stray dogs and asked Hari to
leave.
2 " hurried back to the room feeling very nervous, for it is much
easier to steal something than to return undetected".
1. Who is the speaker of this line?
Ans. Hari, a young boy is the speaker of this line who is a thief
2. Why was the speaker feeling nervous?
Ans. Because he was keeping back the stolen money and feared
getting caught.
3. Why was it difficult for the speaker to return the
money?
Ans. He feared getting caught while keeping it back.
Top 10 PYQs (Most Expected)
1.Why did Hari Singh decide to come back to Anil?
Answer: Hari Singh decided to come back to Anil because he felt
that when Anil came to know about the theft, he would feel sad,
not for the loss of money but for the loss of trust. He did not want
to lose his trust.
2. Why was it difficult for Hari Singh to rob Anil?
Answer: It was difficult to rob Anil because he was the most
trusting person Hari Singh had ever met. According to Hari Singh,
it’s easy to rob a greedy man because he can afford to be robbed
but it’s difficult to rob a careless man because he doesn’t even
notice that he’s been robbed and that takes all the pleasure out of
the work.
3. What are the different reactions of the people when
they are robbed?
Answer: According to Had Singh, different people react
differently upon being robbed. The greedy man displays fear, the
rich man shows anger, and the poor man shows acceptance.
However, a trusting man like Anil would be sad due to the loss of
trust.
4. Why did the thief smile without any effort towards the end of
the story
Answer: The thief was under tension that his master would be
angry with him for stealing the money. But Anil did not express any
anger. He said that he would pay him regularly and would remain to
continue teaching him full sentences. This made him tension free
and he smiled without any effort.
5. Why did Hari Singh think of doing some real work?
Answer: By ‘real work’ Hari Singh means stealing. He wants to steal Anil’s
money because he has not stolen anything for a long time. Secondly, Anil is
a careless mail. If Han Singh did not steal his money, he would waste it on
useless things.
6. How and when did Hari Singh meet Anil?
Answer: Hari Singh met Anil during a wrestling match. He found Anil easy
going, kind and simple enough to suit his purpose. Anil’s trusting nature
could help him with stealing. Therefore, he offered himself to work for
Anil. Anil had no regular income and couldn’t afford to pay him. But still
Had Singh exploited Anil’s generosity and he forced Anil to keep him in his
house.
7. Why was it so difficult for Had Singh to rob a trusting and
unsuspecting person like Anil?
Answer: The fifteen-year-old thief, Han Singh was an experienced and
fairly successful hand. It was easy to rob a greedy man because he
could afford to be robbed. But it was very difficult to rob a careless
and unsuspecting man like Anil. The unsuspecting Anil didn’t even notice
that he had been robbed. That could take all the pleasure out of the
work of theft.
8. How did Hari Singh steal the money that Anil got from
selling his book to a publisher?
Answer: Had Singh saw with his own eyes how Anil tucked the bundle of
money under the mattress of his bed. When Anil was asleep, Had Singh
crept up to the bed. He slid his hand under the mattress and drew the
money out of the bundle without making a sound. Anil sighed in his sleep
and turned on his side, towards him. Han Singh got startled and quickly
came out of the room.
9. Anil plays a major role in the transformation of Hari Singh.
Comment on the statement by highlighting the values possessed by
Anil which touched Hari’s heart and made him return to his honest
ways of earning his livelihood. Write in about 100-120 words.
Answer: Anil was a struggling writer who befriended Had Singh. Hari
Singh was an experienced, 15-year-old thief. He found Anil an easy
target to steal. Anil offered him to stay with him and to teach how
to read and write. Gradually, Anil develops trust in Hari Singh. But
Hari Singh was waiting for the right opportunity to do what he was
best at.
After stealing money, he tried to go away forever but some inner
voice stopped him from doing so. He returned to Anil because he
wanted to live a life of respect. Anil did not show that he knew the
incident and accepted Hari with open hands. Thus, a well-intentioned
person, Anil changed Had Singh and brought him on the right path.
The story shows that trust and spirit to forgive someone can bring
big changes in someone’s life.
10. Hari Singh didn’t confess that he robbed Anil. Did he lack the
courage to do so or he really wanted to maintain his relationship
with Anil at any cost? Explain the values Had needed to imbibe in
about 100-120 words.
Answer: Hari Singh was a teenager, of 15. He was good at stealing.
He chose Anil to be his next target as he was a struggling author and
a simple person. Had Singh started living with Anil who in turn,
started teaching him how to read and write? Hari Singh, one day got
the opportunity to steal Anil’s money. He left with the money to go
away forever but his inner “ice stopped him. He returned and kept
the money in place. The next morning he started with his routine work
and didn’t say anything about the incident to Anil. He was a teenager
and lacked the courage to face Anil with his truth. He did not want to
lose Anil’s trust. He wanted to maintain the relationship with Anil,
wanted to get an education, and become a respected man. So, he hid
the incident from Anil.
