THE THIEF’S STORY

Short Answer Type Questions

1. Why did Hari Singh not make many friends?

Answer: Hari Singh did not have friends as he believed that friends were more
trouble than help. Moreover, he did not want to make anyone curious.

2. Why did Hari Singh decide to come back to Anil?

Answer: Had Singh decided to come back to Anil because he felt that when Anil
would come to know about the theft, he would feel sad, not for the loss of money
but for the loss of trust. He did not want to lose his trust.

3. Why did Hari Singh choose Anil to be his next victim?Answer: Hari Singh was
an experienced thief. He found Anil, a wrestler an easy-going, kind and simple man,
the correct person for his purpose. He found him an easy target to win confidence.

4. Why did Had Singh not go to his friend’s house or a hotel just after he
missed the train?

Answer: Hari Singh did not have any friends and he did not want to make anyone
curious about staying at one of the small hotels near the station.

5. Why was it difficult for Han Singh to rob Anil?

Answer: It was difficult to rob Anil because he was the most trusting person Hari
Singh has ever met. According to Hari Singh, it’s easy to rob a greedy man because
he can afford to be robbed but it’s difficult to rob a careless man because he doesn’t
even notice that he’s been robbed and that takes all the pleasure out of the work.

6. Why did Hari Singh tell lies about cooking?

Answer: Hari Singh said that he could cook but when he cooked the meal at night, it
was so terrible that Anil gave it to a stray dog and told him to be off. But then Anil
patted him and said that he would teach him to cook.
7. Why was the thief able to steal from Anil easily?

Answer: Anil was a person who trusted Hari Singh easily. Also, he seemed to be a
slightly careless person. Thus, his gullibility and trusting nature made it easy for Hari
to rob him.

8. Why did Had Singh tell lies about cooking?

Answer: Hari Singh knew that Anil would hire him only if he could cook. However,
Hari did not know how to cook. Still, as he wanted to somehow rob Anil, he told the
lie to gain entry into Anil’s house.

9. Why did Hari Singh feel bad after stealing the money?

Answer: Anil had trusted Hari Singh completely and also taught him how to cook.
Anil also) started teaching him how to read and write. Thus, when Hari stole money
from Anil, conscience pricked him as he had broken Anil’s trust.

10. What are the different reactions of the people when they are robbed?

Answer: According to Had Singh, different people react differently upon being
robbed. The greedy man displays fear, the rich man shows anger, and the poor man
shows acceptance. However, a trusting man like Anil would be sad due to the loss of
trust.

11. Why did Anil decide to pay Hari Singh regularly?

Answer: Anil handed Hari Si h fifty-rupee note as payment for his services. He went
on to that since he had started making money, he would pay Hari regularly.
However, I knew about Hari and did not want him to be tempted again for want of
money.

12. Describe Had Singh, the young and successful thief.

Answer: Had Singh was a fifteen-year-old boy who had already gained much
expertise in the field of thievery. He knew how to find prospective victims, and used
his intelligence to get close to them. Even when he was being taught how to read
and write, his first thought was how he could use it to his benefit while thieving.

13. Why did Anil hire Hari Singh?

Answer: Anil hired Had Singh because Had Singh himself expressed his desire to
work for him. When Anil told him that he could not pay him, Had Singh asked him if
he could feed him. Anil replied that if he knew how to cook, then he may work for
him.

14. How did Had Singh realize that Anil knew about his theft?

Answer: Anil gave him a fifty rupees note in the morning, which was still damp from
the night’s rain. Anil told him that he would start teaching him how to write full
sentences and smiled at him. This made Had Singh realize that Anil knew everything.

15. What was Anit’s job? What did he usually do with the money he earned?

Answer: Anil was a writer. He wrote articles for magazines. He had no regular source
of income. He earned by fits and starts. When he earned some money, he would go
out to celebrate.

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

Answer: Hari Singh had found that a greedy man’s face showed panic. The rich man
showed anger and the poor man showed a sense of resignation.

17. How did he think Anil would react when he discovered the theft? Why did
he think so?

Answer: Hari Singh thought that when Anil would come to know of the theft, his
face would show a touch of sadness. It would not be for the loss of money but for
the loss of trust.

18. What made him come back to Anil?

Answer: Anil had been teaching Hari Singh to read and write. He thought that
without education, he would remain only a thief. But with education, he would
become a big, clever and respected man. This made him come back to Anil.

19. What did Anil give him in the morning? In what condition was it?

Answer: Anil gave him a fifty-rupee note in the morning. It was still wet from the
night’s rain.

20. How did the thief realised that Anil knew that it had been stolen?

Answer: Anil gave a fifty rupee note to the thief. It was still wet from the night’s rain.
So, the thief realised that And knew that it had been stolen.

Long Answer Type Questions

1. Anil plays a major role in the transformation of Hari Singh. Comment on the
statement by highlighting the values possessed by Anil which touched Hari’s
heart and made him return to his honest ways of earning his livelihood. Write
in about 100-120 words.

Answer: Anil was a struggling writer who befriended Had Singh. Hari Singh was an
experienced, 15-year-old thief. He found Anil an easy target to steal. Anil offered him
to stay with him and to teach how to read and write. Gradually, Anil develops trust in
Hari Singh. But Hari Singh was waiting for the right opportunity to do what he was
best at. After stealing money, he tried to go away forever but some inner voice
stopped him from doing so. He returned to Anil because he wanted to live a life of
respect. Anil did not show that he knew the incident and accepted Hari with open
hands. Thus, a well-intentioned person, Anil changed Had Singh and brought him on
the right path. The story shows that trust and spirit to forgive someone can bring big
changes in someone’s life.

2. Hari Singh didn’t confess that he robbed Anil. Did he lack the courage to do
so or he really wanted to maintain his relationship with Anil at any cost?
Explain the values Had needed to imbibe in about 100-120 words.
Answer: Hari Singh was a teenager, of 15. He was good at stealing. He chose Anil to
be his next target as he was a struggling author and a simple person. Had Singh
started living with Anil who in turn, started teaching him how to read and write? Hari
Singh, one day got the opportunity to steal Anil’s money. He left out with the money
to go away forever but his inner “ice stopped him. He returned back and kept the
money in place. Next morning he started with his routine work and didn’t tell
anything about the incident to Anil. He was a teenager and lacked the courage to
face Anil with his truth. He did not want to lose Anil’s trust. He wanted to maintain
the relationship with Anil, wanted to get an education and become a respected man.
So, he hid the incident from Anil.

3. “But to be a really big man, a clever and respected man was something else.”
Hari 11311 finally accepted the importance of education and honest living.
What do you think about the role of education in changing peeps I like Hari /
Comment on it by highlighting the values one imbibes through education.

Answer: Hari Singh finally realized the significance of education in life. He

understood that g would only provide him money temporarily. Also, there was the
risk of being caught. Education provides one with respectability and Had finally seen
that. Educating people, rather heels like the wrongly talented rant on sin tea Elion
north duet open the speed rerate mine. They fail Hari, can help them immensely.
Children’s Thematic dittoed see the difference between right and enables them to
see this difference. It leads them on the path of truth and rational thinking. Thus,
education is an essential aspect of any child’s life and can help culminate an
honourable way of living.

4. Hari Singh believed that it was difficult to rob a man like Anil. Do you think
that he really appreciated kind people? Why do you think he found it difficult
to cheat a man like Anil? Discuss the values that stop a person from doing
something wrong.

Answer: Hari did appreciate kind people as is evident from the story. In the
descriptions that he gives about various people, Anil stands apart. Perhaps it was the
first time that anyone had done so much for Hari. Later, as he was running away after
robbing Anil, his conscience kept pricking him. He was unable to betray the trust of
the kind Anil. It was perhaps also because Hari was not a hardened criminal. He had
probably become a thief due to circumstance, not by choice. His innate goodness
and natural capacity to distinguish right from wrong stopped him from doing further
wrong. These values help others too.

5. “I couldn’t cook his meals, run to the bazaar or learn to write whole
sentences anymore.” Hari Singh could not at once come out of the idea of
working for Anil. Do you think he accepted the joy of earning money by
following the path of honesty? Explain the values highlighted through Hares
character in 100-120 word.

Answer: When Hari Singh saw Anil for the first time, he found him to be simple,
easy-going, kind and easy to fool around. He thought he would be the right person
to rob. He offered himself to work for him. When Anil said that he could not pay him,
he said if he could feed him. Anil replied that if he knew how to cook, then he would
let him work in his house. When he stayed there for a month, he realized Anil was
the most difficult person to rob as he was the most trusting person. Although, one
night he stole six hundred rupees but returned back to Anil as he realized that
getting an education would be far more important in life than money. Hence, he
accepted the joy of earning money by following the path of honesty.

6. “You look a bit of a wrestler yourself.” I said. A little flattery helps in making
friends. Hari Singh believed that a little flattery can help in making friends. Did
he lack love and empathy? Was his attitude towards friendship acceptable or
not? Explain the values one must have to win over true friends in 100-120
words.

Answer: Hari Singh was an experienced thief. He knew how to win others’ trust. He
saw Anil who was watching a wrestling match, he was a slim, lean man of 25. He
found him an easy target to rob. He started talking to him by saying that he looked
like a wrestler. Then he told Anil that he wanted to work for him. When Anil told him
that he could not pay him-he, in order to win his confidence asked Anil if he could
feed him. This kind of attitude is not acceptable to win over true friends. True friends
show love, empathy and true care for theirs. friends.

7. The chapter shows Hari Singh’s journey from a thief to an honest man who
value friendship and other human values. Do you think it was Anil’s selfless
friendship that he Hari to redeem himself? Give reasons in support of your
answer in 100-120 words.
Answer: The chapter reveals Hari Singh’s transformation from a thief into an honest
It was Anil’s selfless friendship that helped Hari to redeem himself. Gradually the Hari
Singh began to understand human values such as friendship and trust. When robbed
Anil, he felt guilty of having violated the trust that Anil had reposed in him. He could
not board the train and missed his chance to getaway. Moreover, he and kand even
valued Anil’s friendship feelings toward him as he knew that after discovering the
theft, Anil would not be sad for the loss of money, but for loss of trust.

8. Write a character sketch of the thief boy.

Answer: The thief was a fifteen years old boy. But in this story, he has been
presented as a well experienced and skillful thief. He had a great knowledge of
human behavior. He knew that simple-looking persons could be robbed easily. He
had an understanding that a little flattery could help in making friends. He was clever
enough to change his name to keep himself away from the police and his former
employers. He was perfect in telling lies. He had a desire to become a big man in life.
He robbed Anil of his six hundred rupees. But in one corner of his heart, there was a
sense of trust and goodness. He thought that he should not betray Anil. He had the
ambition of becoming a big man and he knew that he could realise his ambition only
when he is educated. Thus, he was an interesting character.

9. Draw a character-sketch of Anil.

Or
Who was Anil? How did he treat Hari Singh and how did it influence Hari’s life?

Answer: Anil was a young man of 25 years. He was a tall and lean fellow. He looked
easy going and kind. A small boy met him. The boy wanted to rob him. He found
him fit for his purpose. The boy told him that he wanted to do a job for him. He said
that he could cook the food. Anil gave him a job. The food cooked by the boy was
very terrible. He told the boy to run away but later he taught him to cook the food
and to learn reading and writing. Anil earned money by fits and starts. He wrote
articles for magazines. One day he earned 600 rupees. In the night the thief boy
stole the money and ran out in the rain. Later his heart changed and he decided to
put the money back under the mattress. Anil discovered all this. But he was so large-
hearted that he said nothing to the boy. Instead, he promised to pay him regularly.

10. How did Hari Singh rob Anil of his six-hundred rupees? What stopped him
to rush away?
Or
What made the narrator steal Anil’s six hundred rupees? What did he do after
that? Why did he put the money back under the mattress?

Answer: The thief boy met Anil. He found him an easy going person. In his mind, he
decided to rob him. He said that he would cook food for him. He told Anil that his
name was Hari Singh. Anil engaged him on work. He taught him to cook the food
and to read and write. Anil had no regular income. One day he brought a small
bundle of 600 rupees. He put the bundle under his mattress, When he was fast
asleep, the boy drew out the bundle under the mattress and ran to the station to
catch the Lucknow Mail at 10:30 p.m. The train had just steamed off. But something
stopped his feet to jump into the train compartment. It was Anil’s goodness and
carelessness. He realised his folly and decided to go back to Anil. So he went back
and placed the money under the mattress.

11. Why did Hari Singh decide to return the stolen money? What light does it
throw on his character?

Answer: After stealing the money when Hari Singh reached the station, he could not
board the Lucknow Express though he could easily get on it. He stood alone on the
deserted platform and thought about Anil who he knew would feel only sadness for
the loss of trust when he discovered the theft. He felt that he should go back to Anil
if only to read and write. So he decided to return to Anil feeling very nervous. The
thief was very grateful to Anil and quite liked working for him. Since Anil was the
most trusting man he had met. Anil’s confidence had awakened his conscience. He
wanted to become a good man. Anil could only make him a good man. So he
decided to come back to Anil and return the money that he had stolen.

12. What kind of a life was Hari Singh leading with Anil?

Answer: Anil engaged had Singh as a house-servant. His duty was to cook food and
prepare tea for Anil. He was not an expert in cooking. But Anil taught him how to
cook food. He went to the market to buy vegetables and other things of daily
necessity. For the thief, it was quite pleasant working for Anil. Anil had told him that
he would teach him reading and writing. The thief was grateful to Anil for giving him
a job and for his promise to make him an educated man. He knew that once he
could write like an educated man then there would be no limit to what he could
achieve.
13. ‘The Thief’s Story’ is an in-depth study of the human mind. Discuss.

Answer: The human mind is a very complex thing. It is a mixture of opposite

opinions. Sometimes a man fails to understand his own mind. In this story, the same
thing has been presented by Ruskin Bond through the character of a thief boy Hari
Singh. The boy starts working for Anil. His primary aim was to rob him. Anil’s
carelessness wins his heart. But the boy’s bad mind provokes him to rob Anil of his
money. One day he robs his six hundred rupees and runs away to the station. But his
good mind stops him boarding the train. He decides to come back to Anil and return
his money. So this story is an in-depth study of the human mind.

14. Give a character-sketch of the thief, Hari Singh. Highlight the gradual
changes that come in him.

Answer: The narrator of ‘The Thief’s Story’ is a thief. He is just fifteen but an
experienced and fairly successful hand. He used to change his name every month.
This he did to avoid being arrested by the police. He worked for many employers. He
used to run away after cheating them. This time he introduced himself as Had Singh.
Had Singh was a clever thief He knew how to humour a person like Anil. He called
Anil a bit of a wrestler. He was an expert in telling lies. He lied that he knew how to
cook. He was a good judge of men and the situation. He exploited Anil’s generosity
and made money by keeping aside a rupee for him from buying the day’s supplies.

In the heat and excitement, Hari Singh forgot his love for education. He knew that if
he were educated, he could earn respect, name and money. No doubt, he breached
Anil’s trust by stealing his money. Soon, he realised that he had no friends and well-
wishers. The only person who knew and could help him was Anil whom he had
robbed a few hours ago. Anil’s large-heartedness and his love for education
transformed him in the end. He came back to Anil and put the stolen money back to
the place from where it was stolen. Anil knew everything but he rewarded Hari Singh.
He gave him a fifty-rupee note and promised to pay him regularly.

15. Give a character-sketch of Anil. Did he know all about the theft? If so, why
did he keep Had Singh again to work for him?

Answer: Anil is a thorough gentleman. He is generous, large-hearted and

understanding. He is twenty-five years old and unmarried. He doesn’t have a regular
income. He writes for magazines. When he receives a cheque, he goes out and
celebrates. Anil is a simple man who is ever-ready to help even a worthless boy like
Hari Singh. He knows that Had Singh lied that he knew how to cook. Still, he allows
him to work for him. Anil is a progressive young man. Being a writer himself, he
knows the value of education. He teaches Had Singh to write his name. He promises
to teach him to write whole sentences and to add numbers.

Anil knew all about the theft. He knew how and when Had Singh stole the money
and put it back under the mattress. Neither his lips nor his eyes showed anything
about it. He didn’t want to hand Had Singh over to the police. It would have mined
him. The thief had no option but to return to such a generous and large-hearted
person. The reformer, Anil rewarded the boy-thief by giving him a fifty-rupee note.
He also promised to pay him regularly.

16. How did Hari Singh come into contact with Anil? He breached Anil’s trust in
him but why did Anil not only forgive him but also promised to pay him
regularly?

Answer: Hari Singh was still a thief when he met Anil. He was just fifteen but was an
experienced and fairly successful hand. Hari humoured Anil and wished to work for
him. Anil had no regular income and couldn’t afford to pay him. He asked Hari Singh
if he knew how to cook. Hari Singh lied that he knew it. The boy was totally
worthless and Anil asked him to go away. But the boy didn’t budge and Anil retained
him and also promised to teach him writing sentences and adding numbers.

They say old habits die hard. After all, Han was a thief. He made a rupee every day
from buying the day’s supplies. Trusting Anil gave him a key to the door. The boy-
thief saw him tuck the money under the mattress. Hari Singh stole the money and
went away. He counted them and found that they were 600 in the fifties. Anil knew
everything about the theft. He even knew how the money was placed back under the
mattress by Hari Singh. But the reformer, Anil prevailed over him. He didn’t hand the
boy-thief over to the police. Nor did he punish him by throwing him out of the job.
Love for education transformed Hari Singh from a thief to a reformed young man.
Anil rewarded him by giving a fifty-rupee-note and promising to pay him regularly.

17. Love, human sympathy and education can transform even a thief. How
could Anil bring such a change in Hari Singh?
Answer: Man is a product of circumstances and environment. Hari Singh was just a
boy of fifteen but was an experienced and fairly a successful hand. Circumstances
made him a thief. In spite of being no use to Anil, he was retained to work for him.
They say old habits die hard. After all, a thief couldn’t leave stealing and cheating. He
made a rupee every day from the buying of the day’s supplies. However, Anil was
not a fool. He knew everything and also all about the theft. But he was kind, large-
hearted and full of human sympathy. He taught the unfortunate boy to write his
name. Ile also promised him to write sentences and add numbers. This left a deep
impression on the boy-thief. lie started realising that education could bring him
respect and money.

Hari Singh breached Anil’s trust but Anil was all-forgiving and compassionate. In the
heat and excitement of theft, Hari Singh forgot about education. Then came the true
realisation and transformation. The boy-thief realised that the only man who could
help him was the man he had robbed a few hours ago. Then he realised the value of
education that could give him respect and more money than he could get by
stealing. He realised where he should go. Large-hearted Anil not only forgave him
but also gave him a fifty-rupee note, and promised to pay him regularly.

18. ‘He was the most trusting person I had ever met.’ Justify this statement of
Had Singh about his benefactor, Anil. Did he breach Anil’s trust?

Answer: After his first introduction, Had Singh understood Anil’s nature and his
character rather well? He lied that he knew how to cook. Still, Anil allowed Hari to
work for him. Even at the age of 15, Hari Singh was an experienced and successful
hand. He knew all the tricks of his trade. He made one rupee every day from buying
the day’s supplies. Anil knew it but didn’t mind. Anil was really a trusting person. He
had given Hari a key to the door and he could come and go as he pleased. But it was
`so difficult to rob him’. It is easy to rob a greedy man. It was difficult to rob a
careless and trusting man like Anil. Sometimes, he didn’t even notice that he had
been robbed. That took all the pleasure out of Hari Singh’s work.
Anil was no fool. He knew all about the theft, when and how it was committed.
Neither his lips nor eyes showed that he saw Hari placing the money back under the
mattress.

Trust begets trust. Ultimately, the boy-thief realised that the only person who could
help him was the man whom he had robbed a few hours ago. Naturally, Anil was the
most trusting man Han Singh had ever met in his life. And forgot the Tut Chase’s
grow breach of his trust but rewarded Had by giving a fifty-rupee-note and
promising to pay him regularly.

19. How did Hari Singh steal the money? Describe the circumstances that
brought him back to work for Hari Singh. What was the main motivating factor
that forced him to take that decision?

Answer: Anil had sold a book to a publisher. He got a good sum of money in return.
Hari Singh saw him tuck the money under the mattress of his bed. The boy-thief was
an experienced hand. He breached Anil’s trust and stole the money. He counted and
found a sum of 600 in the fifties. He realised that with that money he could live like a
rich Arab at least for a week or two.

Hari Singh tried to run away with the money but failed. He was actually struggling
with himself. He deliberately missed the Lucknow Express. He sat thinking about
himself on a bench on a chilly night. He came to a conclusion. He had no friends. The
only person who could help him was Anil and he had robbed him a few hours earlier.
Then came the realisation what Anil was doing for him. He promised to give him an
education. Had Singh realised that education could bring respect and money to him?
In the heat and excitement of the theft, he had forgotten about the education.
Getting an education was the main motivating force that brought the boy-thief Hari
Singh back to Anil.

20. Describe the sequence of events that took place after Had Singh stole the
money. Evaluate Hari Singh as a thief and as a human being.

Answer: Hari Singh was a seasoned thief even at the age of fifteen. He knew all the
tricks of his trade. As a thief, he knew how to hoodwink his master and make one
rupee every day out of buying of the day’s supplies. And he, a seasoned thief, stole
600 rupees from under the mattress. With that money, he could live like a rich Arab
for a week or two. He came to the station but deliberately missed the Lucknow
Express. He was struggling with himself. He came to the ‘maiden’ and was drenched
in the rain on a chilly November night. He had no friends and did not like to go to a
hotel either. He was in a dilemma. Then good sense prevailed and he decided to go
back to the man whom he had robbed a few hours earlier. His love for education was
the motivating force that led him to this decision.
So, as a thief, he was quite an experienced and fairly a successful hand. But love,
generosity and human compassion of Anil helped in transforming him into a better
human being. He realised the value of education. Only education could give him
respect, status and money.

21. Hari Singh could have lived like a rich Arab for a week or two. Why did he
choose to go back to Anil in the end?

Answer: Hari Singh definitely had a bumper catch. The money he stole from under
Anil’s bedroom’s mattress was perhaps the largest amount he had ever stolen in life.
When he was on the road, he counted the money. It was a sum of rupees six
hundred, in the fifties. With that money, Hari Singh could live in luxury like a rich
Arab, at least for a week or two. He decided to run away with the money and came
to the station. He found that the Lucknow Express had just moved. He could have
jumped into one of the compartments but couldn’t do so. Perhaps something
troubled him. He hesitated and remained standing alone on a deserted platform. He
had no friends. The only man he knew was Anil whom he had robbed only a few
hours ago.

The thing that motivated Had Singh to go back to Anil was his love for getting an
education. He realised that education could give him respect, status and much more
money than he could get from stealing. Anil had promised him to teach writing and
adding numbers. Han Singh’s urge to get an education brought him back to Anil.