Class 10 || English SR || Ch. 02. The Thief’s Story

Class 10th || Eng SR || Ch. 02. The Thief’s Story

I WAS still a thief when I met Anil. And though only 15, I was ane xperienced and fairly successful hand.

Anil was watching a wrestling match when I approached him. Hew as about 25 — a tall, lean fellow — and he looked easy-going, kind and simple enough for my purpose. I hadn’t had much luck of late and thought I might be able to get into the young man’s confidence.

“You look a bit of a wrestler yourself,” I said. A little flattery helps in making friends.

“So do you,” he replied, which put me off for a moment because at that time I was rather thin.

“Well,” I said modestly, “I do wrestle a bit.”

“What’s your name?”

“Hari Singh,” I lied. I took a new name every month. That kept me ahead of the police and my former employers.

After this introduction, Anil talked about the well-oiled wrestlers who were grunting, lifting and throwing each other about. I didn’t have much to say. Anil walked away. I followed casually.

“Hello again,” he said.

I gave him my most appealing smile. “I want to work for you,” I said.

“But I can’t pay you.”

I thought that over for a minute. Perhaps I had misjudged my man.

I asked, “Can you feed me?”

“Can you cook?”

“I can cook,” I lied again.

“If you can cook, then may be I can feed you.”

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 off. But I just hung around, smiling in my most appealing way, and he couldn’t help laughing.

Later, he patted me on the head and said never mind, he’d teach me to cook. He also taught me to write my name and said he would soon teach me to write whole sentences and to add numbers. I was grateful. I knew that once I could write like an educated man there would be no limit to what I could achieve.

It was quite pleasant working for Anil. I made the tea in the morning and then would take my time buying the day’s supplies, usually making a profit of about a rupee a day. I think he knew I made a little money this way but he did not seem to mind.

Anil made money by fits and starts. He would borrow one week, lend the next. He kept worrying about his next cheque, but as soon as it arrived he would go out and celebrate. It seems he wrote for magazines — a queer way to make a living!

One evening he came home with a small bundle of notes, saying he had just sold a book to a publisher. At night, I saw him tuck the money under the mattress.

I had been working for Anil for almost a month and, apart from cheating on the shopping, had not done anything in my line of work. I had every opportunity for doing so. Anil had given me a key to the door, and I could come and go as I pleased. He was the most trusting person, I had ever met.

And that is why it was so difficult to rob him. It’s easy to rob a greedy man, because he can afford to be robbed; but it’s difficult to rob a careless man — sometimes he doesn’t even notice he’s been robbed and that takes all the pleasure out of the work.

Well, it’s time I did some real work, I told myself; I’m out of practice. And if I don’t take the money, he’ll only waste it on his friends. After all, he doesn’t even pay me.

Intext Question 1

READ AND FIND OUT

[• How does the thief think Anil will react to the theft?

• What does he say about the different reactions of people when they are robbed?

• Does Anil realise that he has been robbed?]

Anil was asleep. A beam of moonlight stepped over the balcony and fell on the bed. I sat up on the floor, considering the situation. If I took the money, I could catch the 10.30 Express to Lucknow. Slipping out of the blanket, I crept up to the bed. Anil was sleeping peacefully. His face was clear and unlined; even I had more marks on my face, though mine were mostly scars.

My hand slid under the mattress, searching for the notes. When I found them, I drew them out without a sound. Anil sighed in his sleep and turned on his side, towards me. I was startled and quickly crawled out of the room.

When I was on the road, I began to run. I had the notes at my waist, held there by the string of my pyjamas. I slowed down to a walk and counted the notes: 600 rupees in fifties! I could live like an oil-rich Arab for a week or two.

When I reached the station I did not stop at the ticket office (I had never bought a ticket in my life) but dashed straight to the platform.

The Lucknow Express was just moving out. The train had still to pickup speed and I should have been able to jump into one of the carriages, but I hesitated — for some reason I can’t explain — and I lost the chance to get away.

When the train had gone, I found myself standing alone on the deserted platform. I had no idea where to spend the night. I had no friends, believing that friends were more trouble than help. And I did not want to make anyone curious by staying at one of the small hotels near the station. The only person I knew really well was the man I had robbed. Leaving the station, I walked slowly through the bazaar.

In my short career as a thief, I had made a study of 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 I knew that Anil’s face, when he discovered the theft, would show only a touch of sadness. Not for the loss of money, but for the loss of trust.

I found myself in the maidan and sat down on a bench. The night was chilly — it was early November — and a light drizzle added to my discomfort. Soon it was raining quite heavily. My shirt and pyjamas stuck to my skin, and a cold wind blew the rain across my face.

I went back to the bazaar and sat down in the shelter of the clock tower. The clock showed midnight. I felt for the notes. They were damp from the rain.

Anil’s money. In the morning he would probably have given me two or three rupees to go to the cinema, but now I had it all. I couldn’t cook his meals, run to the bazaar or learn to write whole sentences any more.

I had forgotten about them in the excitement of the theft. Whole sentences, I knew, could 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. I should go back to Anil, I told myself, if only to learn to read and write.

I hurried back to the room feeling very nervous, for it is much easier to steal something than to return it undetected. I opened the door quietly, then stood in the doorway, in clouded moonlight. Anil was still asleep. I crept to the head of the bed, and my hand came up with the notes. I felt his breath on my hand. I remained still for a minute. Then my hand found the edge of the mattress, and slipped under it with the notes.

I awoke late next morning to find that Anil had already made the tea. He stretched out his hand towards me. There was a fifty-rupee note between his fingers. My heart sank. I thought I had been discovered.

“I made some money yesterday,” he explained. “Now you’ll be paid regularly.”

My spirits rose. But when I took the note, I saw it was still wet from the night’s rain.

“Today we’ll start writing sentences,” he said.

He knew. But neither his lips nor his eyes showed anything. I smiled at Anil in my most appealing way. And the smile came by itself, without any effort.

GLOSSARY

Flattery: insincere praise

Modestly: without boasting; in a humble way

Grunting: making low guttural sounds

Appealing: attractive

Unlined: (here) showing no sign of worry or anxiety

The Thief’s Story (Prose)

This story written by Ruskin Bond is about a thief named Hari Singh. He had “a fairly successful hand” at stealing and robbing people he robbed people without getting caught.

He makes the people friend to rob them. Hari Singh met Anil (a writer) in a wrestling match. He asked him for employment.

They started living together and he would get daily supplies from the money Anil gave him. Anil trusted him completely and taught him how to write his name and add numbers. In one such occasion, when Anil received payment for his write-up, Hari betrayed him, stole the money and ran away. Soon enough, he understood his mistake, returned to Anil’s house and kept the money in the same place. He realised that it would not be wise to betray Anil’s trust and decided to amend his ways to become a true and faithful gentleman.

Solutions for

Class 10

English

Ch. 02. The Thief’s Story

Q. 1. Who does ‘I’ refer 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.

Q. 2. What is he “a fairly successful hand” at?

Ans. He had “a fairly successful hand” at stealing and robbing people. By this he meant that he was an experienced, very swift and clean that he can robb the people without getting caught.

Q. 3. What does he get from Anil in return for his work?

Ans. Anil's income was not fix. He borrowed one week and lend the next. He kept worrying about his next cheque. After getting it he went out to celebrate.

When Hari approached Anil for work, Anil told him clearly that he could not pay him for it. So, he asked Hari to cook for me then he can feed him and stay with him.

But when he found out that the young boy didn’t know how to cook, he taught him to cook and how to write his name. Anil also promised to teach him to write whole sentences and calculate numbers.

Besides, Anil also gave money to Hari to buy the daily supplies and the latter would make a rupee profit a day from it.

Read and Find Out (Page 10)

Q. 1. How does the thief think Anil will react to the theft?

Ans. Hari, the thief thought that on discovering his theft, Anil would be filled with sadness not because of the loss of money but for losing the trust he had in him.

Q. 2. What does he say about the different reactions of people when they are robbed?

Ans. In His short career of a thief, he study of men’s faces and reactions of people when they they were robbed. According to him, the greedy man showed fear; the rich man showed anger; the poor man showed acceptance.

But I knew that Anil’s face, when he found the theft, he will feel sadness, not for money, but for the loss of trust.

Q. 3. Does Anil realise that he has been robbed?

Ans. Yes, Anil realised that he had been robbed by Hari Singh when he finds that notes are wet due to rain in the previous night.

But, he didn’t express anything and gave a fifty rupee note to Hari and promised to pay him regularly.

Think about it (Page 13)

Q. 1. 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, could 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. This story goes around the two person Hari Singh and Anil. Hari Singh the narrator was only 15 a teenager and still an experienced and fairly successful hand thief, when he met Anil.

He always changed his name however when Anil asked his name he told his new name Hari Singh. He used to took a new name every month, to kept him ahead of the police and his former employers.

Hari Singh feel grateful to Anil who taught him how to write his name. He was excited to learn how to write whole sentences too. He understood knew that once he could write like an educated man there would be no limit to what he could achieve.

He also understood that being an educated man will add to his abilities and help him to achieve a social status in life. He understood, he could one day bring him more than a few hundred rupees like Anil.

He also knew that 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, When he stole money and left Anil’s house, he realised that stealing was bad task.

But being educated he would be able to achieve more than it. Hence, he was feeling guilty for cheating a noble man who gave him food and shelter.

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. Like others, Anil did not call the police and hand over Hari on theft charges. Anil realise that he has robbed Hari Singh when he finds, the notes wet. He was happy that Hari had realised his mistake and understood the importance of education in life. Hari Singh is a thief not by wish but by circumstances. he knows that handing him over the police would never make him a respectable person.

Hari Singh is a good fellow so he give a chance him to change into a good human beings. In today’s life, it is difficult to find people like Anil. He has patient and wanted him to become an educated man and lead his life respectfully.

Anil was different from other such employers because he was very good by nature. When Hari returned with the money, it gave him a hope that Hari wanted to change his way and wanted to grow up to become a noble and literate man.

Talk about it (Page 13)

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. Human nature is very complex. In the real world, character of people like Anil and Hari Singh rarely exist and are mostly found in fiction stories only. We can't deny that there may be an exception sometimes when we encountered the people like Anil.

From the story, we know that Anil was a kind-hearted and good person who was deeply worried about Hari Singh’s education and future.

When Hari stole Anil’s money, he feel guilty and he had a change of mind and realised the importance of education for his future.

Hence, finding such kind of imaginary characters like anil and Hari Singh is a rare possibility in today’s life.

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. Yes, I think that there are significant detail in the story that shows Anil was a struggling writer. He made money by fits and starts. He has no fixed income so his lifestyle was simple with irregular income. He always spent money as per his capabilities. He borrowed one week, lend the next. He kept worrying about his next cheque, but as soon as it arrived he would go out and celebrate with his friends. It is the struggle and difficulties in life which make him realise the truth behind the Hari Singh's life.

Anil realise that he has robbed Hari Singh when he finds, the notes wet. He was happy that Hari had realised his mistake and understood the importance of education in life. Hari Singh is a thief not by wish but by circumstances. he knows that handing him over the police would never make him a respectable person.

Hari Singh also observed that Anil was unable to pay him a salary because he did not have a regular source of income.

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. No, I haven’t met anyone like Hari Singh but such kind of people exist in the physical world. Many time, young boys may be forced to become a robber. Most of the people commit crime to feed themselves or their families or to fulfil their demands of luxurious life and so on.

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 some where in rural background of Uttar Pradesh. the name of the train the Lucknow express gives an idea that the destination must be nearer to the Lucknow. The name of the shop the Jamuna sweet shop and bazaars also indicate it to be a small and decent town gives an idea of Hindi State.

We cannot Amazon the characters are speaking in English to each other, but assume that characters in the story were speaking in Hindi language.

Special Vinjeet (Summary)

Hari Singh the narrator was only 15 and still an experienced and fairly successful hand thief, when he met Anil.

Anil was about 25, a tall, lean fellow and kind. Hari Singh approached him when he was watching a wrestling match.

Hari Singh choose him because he was simple enough for his robbing purpose.

To get the young man’s confidence Hari Singh said, you look a bit of a wrestler yourself, Anil replied you to. Hari Singh told yes sometimes.

When Anil asked the name of narrator and told his new name Hari Singh.

Hari Singh took a new name every month, to kept him ahead of the police and his former employers.

Anil walked away and Hari Singh followed casually. Hari Singh requested to Anil to work for him. he moved forward without answer Hari Singh thought perhaps I misjudged him.

Hari Singh asked him could you feed me. Anil asked if you could cook? Anil allowed Hari Singh to stay with him he would not pay but feed him.

When Hari Singh answered positively then Anil took me to his room over the Jumna Sweet Shop and told to sleep on the balcony.

Perhaps I cooked a hopeless meal that night because Anil gave it to a stray dog and told me to be off. But I there in a requested way. Beaing a kind-hearted person he laugh and patted me on the head and he promised to teach me to cook.

He taught me to write my name and said pleasantly that he would soon teach me to write whole sentences and to addition of numbers.

I was grateful. I knew that once I could write like an educated man there would be no limit of his achievements.

Hari Singh made the tea in the morning for Anil. Hari Singh usually make a profit of about a rupee a day in buying of day’s supplies, I think he knew it. he trusted on Hari Singh though he knew everything. he gave him every opportunity to reform himself in good way.

I made a little money this way but he did not seem to mind.

Anil's income was not fix. He borrowed one week and lend the next. He kept worrying about his next cheque. After getting it he went out to celebrate.

It seems he wrote for magazines to make a living!

One evening Anil came home with a small bundle of notes, after sailing a book to a publisher.

At night, he tuck this money under the mattress and sleep.

I had been working for Anil for almost a month and, apart from cheating on the shopping, had not done anything in my line of work. I had every opportunity for doing so. Anil had given a key of the door to Anil this show that he was the most trusting person, I had ever met that is why it was so difficult to rob him.

It’s easy to rob a greedy man, because he can afford to be robbed; but it’s difficult to rob a careless man sometimes he doesn’t even notice he’s been robbed and that takes all the pleasure out of the work.

Hari Singh thought that he is out of practice, he also thought that he will waste his money on his friends and he doesn’t even pay me.

Anil was asleep in the beam of moonlight fell on the bed. Hari Singh sat up and decided to took the money and catch the 10.30 Express to Lucknow.

So he crept under the bed where Anil was sleeping peacefully.

My hand slid under the mattress and drew out the money without a sound. I went on the road, I began to run with the notes at my waist, held by the string of pyjamas.

He slowed down to walk and counted the notes: 600 rupees in fifties! which are able to live like an oil-rich Arab for a week or two.

Hari Singh he never bought tickets so he dashed straight to the platform. The Lucknow Express was just moving out. He was able to jump into one of the carriages, but he did not climb.

When the train had gone, he found himself standing alone on the platform. He had no idea where to spend the night.

He had no friends, because he believes that friends were more trouble than help. He did not want to stay at hotel near the station.

The only person he knew really well was the man whom he had robbed. Leaving the station, he started walked slowly through the bazaar.

In His short career of a thief, he study of 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 I knew that Anil’s face, when he found the theft, he will feel sadness, not for money, but for the loss of trust.

I found myself in the maidan and sat down on a bench in the chilly night of early November. A light drizzle of rain was increasing my discomfort. Soon it was raining quite heavily.

His shirt and pyjamas stuck to his skin, and a cold wind blew the rain across my face.

He went back to the bazaar and sat down in the shelter of the clock tower which shows midnight.

He felt for the wet notes. They were damp from the rain. He thought that in the morning he will given me two or three rupees to go to the cinema, but now I had it all.

He knew, that the whole sentence bring me more than a few hundred rupees one day.

It was a simple matter to steal and sometimes just caught. But to be a really big man and a respected man, was something else for Hari Singh.

so he decided to go back to Anil and told all. So he return back to room. He was feeling very nervous because it is much easier to steal something than to return it undetected.

He opened the door quietly. Anil was still asleep. He crept to the bed, with the notes in his hand and place these notes under the mattress.

He awoke late next morning, Anil had already made the tea. He stretched out his hand towards me with a fifty-rupee note between his fingers.

His heart sank. He thought he had been caught. but Anil said to me “I made some money yesterday, and Now you’ll be paid regularly. Today we’ll start writing sentences.”

His spirits rose. But when he took the note, he saw it was still wet from the night’s rain.

He knew all but neither his lips nor his eyes showed anything. I smiled at Anil and the smile came by itself, without any effort.

Q. Write the whole character sketch of Anil.

Ans. This story goes around the two person Hari Singh and Anil. Hari Singh the narrator was only 15 and still an experienced and fairly successful hand thief, when he met Anil. Anil was about 25, a tall, lean fellow and kind hearted.

Hari Singh choose him for his robbing purpose when he met in a wrestling match. He start talking with Anil. When Anil asked his name he told his new name Hari Singh. He used to took a new name every month, to kept him ahead of the police and his former employers.

Anil give work for him at the cost of feed. Being a good person Anil allowed Hari Singh to stay with him without pay at his room over the Jumna Sweet Shop.

Anil was annoyed with false calling of Hari Singh because he cooked a hopeless meal that night and Anil gave it to a stray dog and told him to be off. Beaing a kind-hearted person he laugh and patted his head and he promised to teach how to cook.

Anil taught Hari Singh how to write his name the next was, writing of whole sentences and addition of numbers.

Anil had given a key of the door to him, this show that Anil was the most trusting person, Hari Singh also accepted that it was so difficult to rob Anil.

Anil know that Hari Singh usually make a profit of about a rupee a day in buying of day’s supplies.

One evening Anil came home with a small bundle of notes, after sailing a book to a publisher. At night, he tuck this money under the mattress and sleep.

Anil had no money to pay Hari Singh. Hari Singh stole the money and began to run with the notes, 600 rupees in fifties at his waist, held by the string of pyjamas. he left the Anil sleeping on the bed.

Hari Singh went on the platform the train was moving but he did not climb. Biswas the fate of Anil which was changing the behaviour of Hari Singh.He had no friends except Anil.

Leaving the station, he walked alone through the bazaar.

The behaviour of Anil frustrate to Hari Singh so he sat down on a bench in the maidan in the chilly night of early November. A light drizzle of rain starts and convert in heavy rain at last.

The behaviour of Anil draw Hari Singh back that is why he return back to room and place the notes under the mattress.

Hari Singh awoke late next morning, Anil had already made the tea. He stretched out his hand towards Hari Singh with a fifty-rupee note between his fingers.

after getting money Anil announced to pay Hari Singh regularly and we’ll start writing sentences.

We can say that the Anil was a noble minded person. He decided not to expose Hari Singh's attempt of theft.

Q. Write the whole character sketch of Hari Singh.