Read and Find Out (Page 8)
Q1. Who does ‘I’ refers to in this story?
Ans: In the story, ‘I’ refers to the narrator of the story Hari Singh, who was a fifteen-year-old experienced thief.
Q2. What is he “a fairly successful hand” at?
Ans: He was “a fairly successful hand” at stealing and robbing people.
Q3. What does he get from Anil in return for his work?
Ans: When
Hari asked Anil if he could work for him, Anil said that he could not
pay him. Finally, the agreement was that if he would cook, then Anil
would feed him. However, Anil soon found out that he did not know how to
cook. Therefore, he taught him how to cook and later, how to write his
name. He promised he would teach him how to write whole sentences and
how to add numbers. Apart from this, when Hari went out to buy the day’s
supplies, he would make a profit of a rupee a day.
Read and Find Out (Page 10)
Q1. How does the thief think Anil will react to the theft?
Ans: The
thief thought that on discovering the theft, Anil’s face would show a
touch of sadness. The sadness would not be for the loss of money, but
for the loss of trust.
Q2. What does he say about the different reactions of people when they are robbed?
Ans: In
his short career as a thief, he had made a study of men’s faces when
they lost their goods. He said that the greedy men showed fear; the rich
men showed anger and the poor men showed acceptance.
Q3. Does Anil realize that he has been robbed?
Ans: Yes,
Anil had realized that he had been robbed. He knew this probably
because all the notes were wet and damp from the rain. However, he did
not say anything to the thief and behaved normally.
Think about It (Page 13)
Q1.
What are Hari Singh’s reactions to the prospect of receiving an
education? Do they change over time? (Hint: compare, for example, the
thought: “I knew that once I could write like an educated man there
would be no limit to what I could achieve” with these later thoughts:
‘Whole sentences, I knew, cloud one day bring me more than a few hundred
rupees. It was a simple matter to steal − and sometimes just as simple
to be caught. But to be a really big man, a clever and respected man,
was something else.”) What makes him return to Anil?
Ans: Hari
Singh’s reactions to the prospect of receiving an education change over
time. When he started living with Anil he wanted to be literate so that
he could become a more cunning cheat. Later on, there is a change in
his heart. He wants to earn respect in life. Probably he is influenced
by the calm in Anil’s life. Although, both of them depend on irregular
sources of income, but Anil seems to be more satisfied. Hari Singh
develops a desire to be part of the civilized society.
Q2.
Why does not Anil hand the thief over to the police? Do you think most
people would have done so? In what ways is Anil different from such
employers?
Ans. Anil
does not hand the thief over to the police because he has put the money
back in its place. It shows that he realized his fault. He wants to
make amends for his ways. He must have felt guilty for himself. Anil
wants to give him one more chance and therefore forgives him.
No,
in today’s world most people would not have done so. Although it must
be done but such sort of patience and compassion are rarely found
nowadays in this human world.
Talk about It
Q1. Do you think people like Anil and Hari Singh are found only in fiction, or are there such people in real life?
Ans: No,
I don’t think that people like Anil and Hari Singh are found only in
fiction. There are such people in real life also. Although such people
are rare in today’s society. If one is caught stealing, people will
first beat him severely. Then he will be handed over to the police. It
should be realized that a human being is bound to commit errors. One
chance for reforming oneself must be given. This is the only way to
bring anyone to the right path. Punishing severely is not the only
solution. Strictness can make them absolute criminals.
Q2.
Do you think it is a significant detail in the story that Anil is a
struggling writer? Does this explain his behaviour in any way?
Ans: Hari
Singh’s observation about Anil getting an irregular income and Anil’s
statement about his sale of a book to a publisher indicates that he is a
struggling writer. He lives life according to the flow of money he gets
at a given time. When he gets the money he enjoys eating out with his
friends. When he is having less money then he even doesn’t accept paying
salary to Hari Singh.
Q3. Have you met anyone like Hari Singh? Can you think and imagine the circumstances that can turn a fifteen-year-old boy into a thief?
Ans: No, I haven’t met anyone like Hari Singh but such kind of people do exist in the world. Many a time, a fifteen-year-old boy may be forced under unavoidable circumstances to become a robber. Most people commit a crime to feed themselves or their families, or sometimes to satisfy their urge or addiction, to maintain health or to fulfil their demands to lead a luxurious life and so on and so forth.
Q4. Where is the story set? (You can get clues from the names of the persons and places mentioned in it.) Which language or languages are spoken in these places? Do you think the characters in the story spoke to each other in English?
Ans: The story is set near Lucknow somewhere in Uttar Pradesh. We understand this from the story when a railway station for Express train to Lucknow is mentioned. The presence of sweet shops, mandis and bazaars also indicate it to be a small and decent town. We can assume that the characters in the story were not speaking to each other in English but probably in the Hindi language.
2023
Ans: Hari Singh justified stealing from Anil by saying that if he did not steal, Anil would waste the money on his friends. Moreover, Hari believed that since Anil had not been paying him any salary, it was another reason for him to rob Anil.
Q2: Trust and compassion can reform a person. Justify this statement in the light of the lesson 'The Thief’s Story’. (2023)
Ans: Trust and compassion can indeed reform a person, as demonstrated in the story 'The Thief's Story'. Anil, the young man who hired Hari Singh as a domestic help, was the epitome of generosity and trust. He gave Hari Singh a key to his room, allowing him the freedom to come and go as he pleased. One day, Hari Singh stole six-hundred rupees while Anil was sleeping and went to the railway station to catch a train and escape after the robbery. However, his conscience pricked him for robbing a man like Anil, who had trusted him and always treated him with kindness. He realized that Anil would be saddened not by the loss of money, but by the loss of trust and faith he had in Hari Singh. Hari did not want to lose the chance of getting an education and leading a respectable life, so he made the decision to return. In this way, the trust, love, and compassion shown by Anil ultimately reformed a thief.
2022
Ans: Both the characters in 'The Thief's Story’ are neither completely black or white. They have their own qualities out of which some need improvement. We may consider both the personas as grey.
The narrator of the story was a thief of 15 years. He had worked for different employees. He used to change his place after cheating his owner. Now he made Anil, who was an easy going person and writer by profession, his friend. He keeps faith in Hari Singh giving him shelter in his own house, although he does not have any clear information about him. On the other hand, Hari Singh was artful and smart for his age. He didn’t have shame in lying and stealing. One day he stole Anil’s money and went out of the room but came back. His conscience stopped him from doing so. Even he made no effort to confess that he had given in to the temptation of stealing the notes. His heart had been changed due to love, affection and faith Anil had shown. In this way, we may conclude that grey characters are unpredictable and present a moral challenge to the readers.
2021
Q1: After cooking a bad meal and told to go away, Hari stayed on as he :
(a) needed a job.
(b) needed shelter.
(c) wanted to steal something.
(d) found Anil to be very simple. (Term I, 2021-22)
Ans: (c)
Q2: On what condition did Anil employ Hari Singh? How did Hari Singh fail in his job? (2021 C)
Ans: Anil employed Hari Singh on the condition that if he could cook, he would be fed and given a place to stay. However, Hari Singh failed in his job by not only lying about his ability to cook but also by stealing money from Anil.
2020
Ans: Hari Singh is a thief who would do anything to ensure his survival. He lied about his name and his abilities to Anil in order to have a place to stay and earn money. At the same time, he is also a human being, as shown by his decision to return the stolen money. His reluctance to betray Anil demonstrates his human side perfectly.
Q4: Why does Anil not hand Hari Singh over to the police? (2020)
Ans: Anil does not hand Hari Singh over to the police because he sees a change in him. He realizes that Hari has realized his mistake and wants to mend his ways, as evidenced by his decision to put the stolen money back. Anil has a humble nature and wants to give Hari a chance. Therefore, he forgives him for stealing and decides to encourage the spirit of goodness in him.
Q5: In which queer way did Anil make a living? (2020)
Ans: Anil made a living in a peculiar way. He would borrow money one week and lend it the next. He would worry about his next paycheck, but as soon as it arrived, he would spend it all. He also wrote for magazines, which was another unconventional way of making money to support his lifestyle.
2018
Ans: Anil made money in fits and starts. He would borrow one week, lend the next. He would worry about his next paycheck, but spend it all as soon as it arrived. It seemed like a peculiar way of making a living.
