The Thief’s Story-Questions-Answers-Class X English

 2. The Thief’s Story (Book: Supplementary)  ( Notes prepared by Shish Pal Chauhan)

Short Answer-type Qs (30-40 words each)

Q1. Why was the thief grateful to Anil?

Ans. The thief was grateful to Anil because he gave him work. He taught him how to cook. He also taught him to write his name. He was also goin g to teach him to write full sentences.

Q2. What does the thief say about the reactions of the different people when they were robbed?

Ans. The thief told Anil that people react differently when they are robbed. A greedy man shows fear. A rich man shows anger and the poor person shows acceptance.

Q3. What was Anil’s job? What did he usually do with the money he earned?

Ans. Anil had no regular job for earning his livelihood. He wrote for some magazines to earn money. He used to celebrate whenever he got money.

Q4. Why did the thief want to become an educated man?

Ans. The thief also wanted to become an educated man. He had a dream to earn money like an educated person.

Q5.How did the thief realise that Anil knew that the money had been stolen?

Ans. The thief realised that Anil knew about his act of theft. Anil gave him a fifty rupee note. It was still wet. It meant that Anil knew about the theft. His notes were taken out by Hari Singh.

Q6.Why did the thief smile without any effort towards the end of the story?

Ans. Hari Singh (the thief) smiled at the end of the story. It was because Anil seemed to forgive him. In the beginning, the thief was guilty of his wrong act. But later, he felt sure that his master (Anil) had forgiven him.

Q7.Why, according to Hari Singh, is it difficult to rob a careless man? (2014)

Ans. The thief (Hari Singh) says that it is difficult to rob a careless man. It is because a careless person usually does not care about the theft done to him.

Q8.Why did Hari Singh smile in his most appealing way? (2014)

Ans. Hari Singh (the thief) wanted to impress Anil. So he smiled in his most appealing way. Hari Singh (the thief) wanted to work for him so that he could rob Anil later on of his money.

Q9. Why did Hari Singh consider friends to be more trouble than help? (2012)

Ans. Hari Singh had no friends because he was a professional thief. He did not want to tell anyone about his secrecy. So he considered friends troublesome in this way.

Q10.  Did Hari Singh know how to cook? What was his purpose?

 Ans. Hari Singh did not know how to cook. But he wanted to live with Anil to rob him later on. So he told a lie to Anil. He knew that Anil was a kind person. So he would believe him easily.

Q11. Why was the thief boy happy to work for Anil?

 Ans. First, he could befool Anil easily. Second, he taught him to cook and write his name. Third, he was making a profit of one rupee daily from the daily supplies. Fourth, Anil had promised to teach him to make full sentences.

Q12. Why did Hari Singh choose Anil as his victim? 

Ans. Hari Singh chose Anil. He seemed to him a simple, kind, and easy-going man. It was clear that he could easily be befooled.

Q13. What forced the thief boy to go back to Anil even though he had reached the station to catch a train?

Ans. Anil was a kind and gentle person. Hari Singh robbed him of his money. He was about to board the train. His conscience pricked him. He realised his mistake. He wanted to be educated and make his future bright. So he came back.

Long Answer-type Questions

Q1.Write the Character sketch of the thief (Hari Singh)

Ans. Hari Singh was fifteen-year-old thief. He befooled people easily. He could study people’s faces easily. He found Anil watching a wrestling match. He studied his face. He found him a kind and gentle person. Very soon he impressed him with his broad smile. Anil gave him work cooking at his house.

Hari Singh made a profit of one rupee daily. Anil taught him to write his name. He also promised Hari Singh to teach him to make sentences. But one day, Hari Singh robbed Anil of his money. He went to catch the train to leave Anil forever. But his conscience pricked him. So he came back to Anil and secretly put the money back to its place. Thus Anil’s love and good behavior changed a thief into a good person.

Q2. How did Hari Singh rob Anil of his six hundred rupees? What stopped him to run away?

Ans. Hari Singh wanted to rob Anil from the very beginning. But he could not proper chance. Anil had no regular way of making money. He earned money by fits and starts. Whenever he got any payment for his work, he would go out to enjoy it. He used to spend money quickly. One day, Hari Singh noticed (saw) Anil placing (putting) six hundred rupees under the mattress of his bed. At night, Hari Singh stole the bundle of rupees. He also reached the railway station to catch a train. But he did not sit inside the train. He remembered Anil’s face and his kindness to him. He felt guilty of robbing a gentleman like Anil. He also wanted to be an educated person. So he came back home. Then he put that money in the same place.

Q3. Character sketch of Anil.

Anil was a tall, lean fellow of about 25 years. He looked easy-going, kind, and simple. Anil had no regular way of making money. He earned money by fits and starts. Whenever he got any payment for his work, he would go out to enjoy it. He used to spend money quickly. Then he would wait for the next cheque.

He was a very kind person. So he trusted a boy of fifteen. He gave him food and shelter. He forgave him for his lies. He taught him to write his name. He also promised to teach him to write sentences. Anil gave him a fifty rupee note. He knew it was wet and the money was stolen by Hari Singh. In spite of that, he promised to pay money in the future. He did not say anything to Hari Singh about the theft. Thus we can say that Anil was a thorough gentleman.

Multiple Choice Qs

1. Who is ‘I’ in the thief’s story?  Ans. Hari Singh (the thief).

2. Who is the writer of ‘The Thief’s Story’?  

Ans. Ruskin Bond

3. Who was Hari Singh?  

Ans. A Thief

4. What profit did the thief boy (Hari Singh) make every day? Ans. About one rupee a day

5. What is the age of Hari Singh? 

Ans. Fifteen years

6. Whom did Hari Singh rob?   

Ans. Anil

7. What did Hari Singh do for a living? 

Ans. He wrote for some magazines.

8. How did Anil earn money? 

Ans. By fits and starts