CLASS 10 ENGLISH CHAPTER THE THEIF'S STORY

Summary of 

The theifs story 

                       

The theifs story has been written by Ruskin Bond. The theifs story has a simple plot with important message. There is a small time thief who befriends a struggling author; in the plans of making a steal. Anil; the struggling author is a good fellow who wants to teach Hari Singh how to read and write. Gradually, Anil develops trust in Hari Singh. But Hari Singh has been waiting for the right moment to make a killing by doing what he is best at. After stealing money from Anil, Hari Singh tries to go away forever. But some inner voice stops him from doing so. He returns to Anil because he wants to live a life of respect. Anil does not show that he knew about the incident and accepts Hari Singh with open arms. Thus, a well intentioned person tries to reform a teenager who had diverted from the correct path.

                IMPORTANT QUESTIONS OF THE THEIF'S STORY: 

i) Why was it not easy for the thief to rob Anil?

Answer. It was not easy for Hari Singh to rob Anil as he was the most trusting person he had ever seen and he knew that Anil would be sad on breach of his trust . To rob a greedy person was easy but to rob a careless person like Anil was very difficult . Anil did not many a times notice even that he had been robbed .

ii) What was the thief’s immediate reaction when he stole Anil’s money?

Answer. The thief quickly rushed out of the house sleathily . He began running on the road and then slowed down to count them. He was happy thinking that he could lead a luxurious life for a week or two with that amount .

iii) What according to Hari Singh is easier- to rob a greedy man or a careless person like Anil ?

Answer. According to Hari Singh It is easier to rob a greedy man because he can afford to be robbed but a careless person like Anil doesn’t even notice that he has been robbed and this takes the pleasure out of the work .

iv) What did Hari Singh do with the money that he stole?

Answer.  Hari Singh at once left Anil’s room and rushed to the railway station to catch train . He thought he could lead a luxurious life for sometime. But he realised his mistake and returned to Anil’s house . He quietly put the money back under the mattress .

v) How did the thief think Anil would react to the theft?

Answer.  The thief thought that Anil would be saddened at the discovery of the theft. He would not be furious but would be disheartened at the breach of his trust.

vi) How did Hari Singh Know that Anil had forgiven him?

Answer .It seems as if Anil knew about the theft but he did not reveal it with his expressions or gestures . He gave Hari Singh fifty rupees and told him that he would pay him regularly . He also told him that he would teach him writing sentences. This shows that Anil had forgotten him .

              EXTRACT BASE QUESTIONS OF THE THEIF'S STORY:

Read the extracts given below carefully and answer the questions that follow: 

PASSAGE I

"I could come and go as I pleased. He was the most trusting person I had ever met”.

Q1.Other than the freedom of moment what else does the speaker feel happy about?

Answer. He was free to come and go when he pleased . Moreover, he was trusted by Anil.

Q2.What does the speaker mean by ‘most trusting person’?

Answer. Anil was a simple hearted person who trusted him easily without any suspicion.

Q3.Who is the speaker speaking about?

Answer. The speaker speaking about Anil.

Q4.What character traits of the master does this line reveal?

Answer. Anil is a caring, kind-hearted, compassionate, understanding and trusting person.

PASSAGE II

"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 oft but I just hung around, smiling in my most appealing way, and he couldn’t help laughing."

Q1.What does ‘I’ refer to?

Answer. 'I' refers to Hari Singh.

Q2.Where did Anil take him?

Answer. Anil gave the food to the stray dogs and asked Hari to leave.

Q3.How did Anil react when Hari cooked a bad meal?

Answer. Anil took him to the room where he strayed , over Jamuna sweet shop.

Q4.How did Hari respond to his reaction?

Answer. Hari kept on smiling appealingly.

PASSAGE III

" Well , it's time I did some real work, I told myself ; I am out of practice. And if I don't take the money, he will only waste it on his friends. After all he does not even pay me."

Q1. What did he tell himself?

Answer. He told himself that whatever he did was correct.

Q2. What does he mean by 'real work'?

Answer. The 'real work' in the extract refers to stealing.

Q3. What do you mean by 'out of practice'?

Answer. The theme things that he has not stolen for several days, due to which he he is out of practice.

Q4. Why did Hari decide to steal?

Answer. He thought his owner would waste the money on his friends and was not paying him his salary. He could use the money for his own use.

Q5. Does Anil pay Hari a regular salary?

Answer. No, Anil did not pay a regular salary to Hari Singh.

Q6. What justification does Hari Singh give for stealing Anil's money?

Answer. If he did not steal, Anil would waste the money on his friends. Moreover, he did not pay him any salary so far.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS OF THE THEIF'S STORY:

Q1.What did Anil do for a living?

Answer. Anil was a writer. He wrote articles for magazines for a living.

Q2.What was Anil doing when the thief boy met him?

Answer. Anil was watching the wrestling match when the thief boy met him.

Q3. What dilemma was Hari in at the station?

Answer. Hari Singh stole six hundred rupees while Anil was sleeping. He went to the railway station after stealing the money, but did not bought the train. He thinks that when he learn whole sentences then he became a respected man. And when he runs away with money , he does not become a respected man.

Q4. How did Hari Singh realise that Anil know about his theft?

Answer. Anil gave him a 50 rupee note in the morning, which was still wet from nights rain. This made Hari Singh realise that Anil knew everything.