The Thief Story Class 10
THE THIEF’S STORY
The Thief's Story Class 10 Questions and Answers
TEXTUAL QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q. 1. Who does 'I' refer to in this story ?
Ans. ‘I’ in this story refers to the narrator.
Q. 2. What is he "a fairly successful hand" at?
Ans. He was a fairly successful hand at stealing things.
Q. 3. What does he get from Anil in return for his work?
Ans. He got from Anil in return for his work, a place and food. Place is for sleeping and food to eat.
Q. 4. How does the thief think Anil will react to the theft?
Ans. The thief thought that Anil would be sad when he would discover the theft.
Q. 5. What does he say about the different reactions of people when they are robbed?
Ans. He says that agreed man shows fear.
A rich man shows anger. A poor man shows acceptances. But Anil would
show sadness. These are different reactions of people when they are robbed.
The Thief Story Class 10
Q. 6. Does Anil realise that lie has been robbed?
Ans. I think Anil does realised that he has been robbed. Persons like Anil have a large heart. They do not attach importance to money. Anil reviews the situation and decides to over look Hari Singh's, theft.
The Thief's Story Class 10 Questions and Answers
THINK ABOUT IT
Q. 1. What are Hari Singh's reactions to the prospect of
receiving an education? Do they change over time?
Ans. Hari Singh's reactions to the prospect of receiving an education undergo a change. As Anil teaches Hari Singh to write his name and says he will teach him to write whole sentence and to add numbers. In the beginning he thinks one thing. It is that if he wrote like an educated man he could achieve success (or money). His later thoughts prove this change. Later he feels that if he wrote whole sentences, he would get more than a few hundred rupees. Money doesn't hold much attraction for him now. He wants from education to become a big man, a clever and respected man. May be Anil is his idol in that. It is because only Anil could teach him as he wants. So he decides to go back to Anil to master the art of learning and writing.
Q. 2. 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. I feel that Anil is a large-hearted person. First, he does realise that he has been robbed. But he reviews the whole situation. He thinks that if he gives the thief to the police, he may become a criminal. He decides to reform the thief differently by showing grace, kindness and sympathy.
Most people could not do so like Anil. They could have handed over such persons to the police after beating them themselves. Anil is different because he decides to reform the thief through kindness and sympathy.
The Thief's Story Class 10 Questions and Answers
TALK ABOUT IT :
Q. 1. Do you think people like Anil and Hari Singh are found only in fiction, or are there such people in real life ?
Ans. I think people like Anil and Hari Singh are found in real life also. But their number is very small.
Q. 2. Do you think it a significant detail in the story that Anil is a struggling writer? Does this explain his behaviour in any way ?
Ans. It is a significant detail in the story that Anil is a struggling writer. His getting little money and getting some from time to time shows this. Then he has a heart of gold as mostly the writers have. When they get money, they become liberal and spend it lavishly. They are in fact, the gems of humanity.
Q. 3. 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. Yes, I have also met a boy like Hari Singh. I think the circumstances make one a thief. For example, if one's family has sources of livelihood its member can't be a thief. But if it is a family of thieves, the children shall surely be thieves later. Food and its lack-makes human being a thief.
The Thief Story Class 10
Q. 4. 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 in Delhi, capital of India. The clues are: The Jumna Sweet Shop', ‘railway station', 'The Lucknow Express was just moving out'. Hindi, English and other Indian languages are spoken in it. Other Indian languages are mostly spoken by the natives of these states among themselves.
I do not think that the characters in the story spoke to each other in English. But they might have used some English words like 'time', 'train', 'clock tower'. These are now parts of Hindi language as a whole.
The Thief's Story Class 10 Questions and Answers
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Q. 1. Hari Singh wanted to work for Anil.
(i) Did Anil have money to pay him ?
Ans. No, Anil did not have money to pay him. But after some time he had it.
(ii) Why did he agree to feed him?
Ans. He agreed to feed him because of his kind heart. The narrator was simply 15 while Anil was 25.
(iii) Why did Hari Singh smile in his most appealing way ?
Ans. Hari Singh smiled in his most
appealing way because he wanted to flatter him.
Q. 2. (i) Why was the thief grateful to
Anil?
Ans. (i) The thief was grateful to Anil. Because Anil gave him a place to sleep and to live. As the thief had no place to sleep and to live.
(ii) Why did he want to become an educated man?
Ans. He wanted to become an educated person because an educated persons could earn more money. They are also respectable. And they are honoured in the society.
The Thief Story Class 10
Q. 3. What made him come back to Anil?
Ans. Hari came back to Anil because he had a change of heart. He thought about a thing. It was that if he learnt reading and writing, he would earn more money. He would also be a respectable person. In short, he would also become an honourable person.
Q. 4. Why did the thief smile without any effort towards the end of the story ?
Ans. The thief smiled without any effort in his most appealing way because he wanted to please Anil. He wanted to win his favour and he also felt that he had been forgiven by Anil for his being a thief.
Q. 5. How did the thief win the heart of Anil ?
Ans. The thief won the heart of Anil as he told Anil that he wanted to work for him. Anil told him that he couldn't pay him. The thief asked him to feed him. Anil told him that if he could cook, he could feed him. Anil let the thief work for him. He had told him that he could cook.
Q. 6. What made the thief return to Anil's room even though he had stolen Anil's money and escaped?
Ans. The thief thought that six hundred rupees were nothing. He wanted to lead a respect-able life. He could become educated in the company of Anil. He would be respectable. So he didn't go away with that money. Therefore, he returned to Anil's room. He put the money back under Anil's mattress.
The Thief Story Class 10
Q. 7. (i) What does the thief say about the reactions of different types of people when they were robbed?
Ans. The thief says that greedy man showed fear. The rich man showed anger. The Poor man showed acceptance.
(ii) How did he think Anil would react when he discovered the theft ? Why did he think so?
Ans. He thought that Anil would be sad when he would discover the theft. This sadness would be due to the loss of trust.
Q. 8. (i) What did Anil give him in the morning .
Ans. Anil gave him a fifty-rupee note in
the morning.
(ii) In what condition was it?
Ans. It was in a bad shape because of rain etc.
(iii) How did the thief realise that Anil knew that it had been stolen?
Ans. Anil Knew that it had been stolen as the thief knew it from the fact that the note was still wet.
(iv) How did the thief know that Anil had forgiven him ?
Ans. The thief felt that Anil had forgiven him because Anil didn't react to the discovery. Anil told him that he had made some money the previous day. It meant Anil knew about the theft. But he preferred not to talk about it. He had different reasons not to tell about this reality.
Q. 9. What kind of meal did the thief cook ? How did Anil react to it?
Ans. The thief cooked a very bad meal. As the thief told a lie that he could cook well. But the truth was that he could not cook at all. No one could eat it. So Anil gave it to a stray dog.
Q. 10. What did Anil say he would teach the narrator ?
Ans. Anil told the narrator that he would teach him how to cook. He would also teach him to write his name. He also told that he would soon teach him to write full sentences. He would also do small mathematical calculations.
The Thief Story Class 10
Q. 11. What work did the thief do for Anil?
Ans. The thief made tea for Anil and for self in the morning. Then he would go to market to buy various things of daily need. He would save about a rupee per day and pocket it daily.
Q. 12. What was Anil's job ? How did he spend the money when he got it ?
Ans. Anil was a freelance writer and he wrote for various magazines. His, income was not regular. However, when he got money more than he needed then he spend it levishly. But in the absence of money, he would borrow.
Q. 13. What did the thief do after stealing Anil's six hundred rupees ?
Ans. The narrator was, indeed, a thief. So after stealing Anil's six hundred rupees. Then he went to the railway station. He roamed in bazaar. He sat in a park. He took shelter in a clock tower when it rained.
The Thief's Story Class 10 Questions and Answers
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Q. 1. Why did the thief make friends with Anil? Why did he steal Anil's money? Why did he come back and put Anil's money back?
Ans. The thief was a young lad of 15. He made friends with Anil because he wanted a place to live in. He also wanted to work for Anil. Anil kept him with him. One day Anil brought a small bundle of notes. Anil put the money under the mattress. The thief stole the money to go to Lucknow. But he did not go there as his heart changed. Now he wanted to be an educated man. He returned to Anil's room. He placed the money back under the mattress. Anil knew what had happened last night. But he did not show it and gave him a fifty rupee note.
Q. 2. Write a character-sketch of the thief.
Ans. The narrator of the story is a thief. He has an experienced and fairly successful hand. He passes his time in stealing or working at different places. He needs a place to live in. So he makes friends with Anil. He works for Anil. He buys things for Anil from the market. He makes a profit of about a rupee a day from this. But the company of Anil brings a change in his mind. Anil teaches him also. The thief steals Anil's money. The narrator wants to go to Lucknow. But he does not go. He finds his heart completely changed. He wants to be an educated person. He comes back to Anil's room. He puts the money back under the mattress.
The Thief Story Class 10
Q. 3. Write a character-sketch of Anil.
Ans. Anil is a young writer of 25. He is kind, simple and easy-going. He has a very big heart. He accepts the narrator who is a thief as a cook. The thief works for him. He cooks food for Anil. Anil treats him nicely. He teaches him how to cook. He also teaches him how to read and write. Anil brings some money one day. The thief steals it. But he comes back. Anil knows it. But he doesn't react. He accepts the thief because the thief is now changed. Thus Anil is a great man. He changes a thief into a good person.
Q. 4. How did the narrator find Anil as a man and as an employer?
Ans. Anil agreed to let the narrator work for him if he knew cooking. But the narrator had told a lie that he could cook but he couldn't when he cooked, Anil gave the cooked meal to a stray dog. Anil asked him to get away. But later he agreed to let him live in the room. Anil told him that he would teach him how to cook. He also taught him to write his name. He would also teach him to add numbers. The narrator found Anil to be a kind-hearted and generous person. That's why he told that it was very difficult to rob a trusting person.
Q. 5. How did Anil earn his livelihood ? What made the narrator state that it was difficult to rob Anil ?
Ans. Anil was a freelance writer. He wrote for the magazines. So his income was not regular. But when he would get them, he would spend with a free heart. The narrator had been working for Anil for a month. He had been making a profit of about a rupee a day in shopping for Anil. He had not stolen anything as he had won the trust of Anil. So the narrator added that he found Anil the most trusting person. It was, easy to rob a greedy man. But it was very difficult to rob a trusting man. As there were nothing interesting in robbing in that.
Q. 6. What made the narrator steal Anil's six hundred rupees ? What did he do after doing so ?
Ans. Anil had got six hundred rupees. The narrator saw him putting that money under his mattress. So he couldn't help stealing such an amount. As he thought that Anil would waste this money on his friends and would not pay him also. So he stole the money.
After stealing, the narrator thought that he would live like a Sheikh. He went to the railway station. The Lucknow ,Express was just moving out. He could jump into one of its compartments. But he didn't. As he knowingly missed it. He had no idea where to spend the night. So he walked through the bazaar. Then he sat down in a park. It started raining. He took shelter under the clock tower. And he felt that the notes were damp due to rain.
The Thief Story Class 10
Q. 7. How and why did the narrator return to Anil's room
even though he had stolen the money and escaped
Ans. The narrator after stealing and escaping returned back to Anil's room because as the narrator stole Anil’s six hundred rupees. He went to the railway station. He saw the Lucknow Express moving out of the railway station. But he did not board it. Then he sat in a park. Soon it started raining. He took shelter under the clock tower. Then he realized that Anil was teaching him. It he read and wrote, he would earn more money. He thought that stealing was simple. But to be really a big man was something different. It commanded respect. A thief could be caught. But a respectable man led an easy and carefree life. He wanted to be that. So he returned to Anil's room.
👉The Thief Story Summary
Summary: In this story, Hari Singh, the narrator is a thief. Here, he tells us how he managed to befriend his new victim named Anil. Anil is around 25 years old, lean and tall. He is simple and kind-hearted. Hari Singh approached him and introduced himself to Anil. He lied that his name was Hari Singh as he changed his name every month. But Anil did not show much interest in him.
Anil walked away. The narrator followed him. He smiled and told Anil that he wanted to work for him. Anil replied that he couldn't pay him. He asked Anil if he could feed him. Anil asked if he could cook. The narrator lied that he could cook. So Anil took him to his room over the Jumna Sweet Shop. He told him that he could sleep on the balcony. The narrator cooked the food it was so bad that Anil gave it to a dog as it was tasteless. He asked the narrator to go. But he remained there and Anil told him to stay. He also told him that he would teach him how to cook.
The narrator made the tea in the morning. He would buy the day's supplies. In that, he would make a profit of about a rupee a day. Anil knew he made money that way. But he never seemed to be concerned about that.
Anil did not have any regular income. Anil made money by fits and starts. When he made much of it, he would celebrate. One evening he came home with a small bundle of notes. He told the narrator that he had just sold a book to a publisher. The narrator had been working for Anil for almost a month. By this time Anil had given him a key to the door. He could come and go as he liked.
Hari Singh faces a difficulty in robbing a person like Anil who seems to be very careless. As Anil did not pay him any money, so he decided to steal money. One night Anil was asleep. Then Hari Singh happened to see that bundle under the mattress of Anil. He planned to steal the same and at night he fled with the money to catch the train at 10:30 Express to Lucknow.
The narrator held the notes by the string of his pyjamas. The notes were 600 in fifties. He could live like an oil-rich Arab for a week or two. When he reached the station, the Lucknow Express was just moving out. He could jump into it but he didn't. He was on the platform. He had no idea where to spend the night. He did not want to stay in a hotel either. He walked through the bazaar slowly.
As a thief the narrator had studied men's faces when they had lost their goods. The greedy man showed fear. The rich man showed anger. The poor man showed acceptance. But he knew that Anil would show sadness when he would know of it. This sadness would be for the loss of trust.
He went to the maidan and sat down on a bench. It was a chilly November night. A light drizzle added to his discomfort. Suddenly, it started raining heavily. He was drenched. It was Very cold outside. He sat down in the shelter of the clock tower.
It was midnight. The notes were damp. He felt that it was Anil's money. In the morning he would probably have given him two or three rupees. It was for the cinema. Now he had it all. He thought that he could no longer cook for Anil and would not be able to learn how to write full sentences.
The narrator had forgotten these things in the excitement of the theft. He felt that writing could bring him more than a few hundred rupees. It was simple to be a thief. But to be really a big man, clever and respected, was something else. He decided to go back to Anil to learn to read and write.
He hurried back to the room. He was feeling very nervous. He opened the door and stood in the doorway. Anil was still asleep. He slipped the notes back under the mattress.
In the morning, he woke up late and found that Anil had already made the tea. He gave Hari Singh a fifty rupee note which was still wet with the rain. Hari singh came to know that his theft had been discovered. Now Anil would pay him regularly. And would help him in writing sentences.