CBSE Class 10 English The Thiefs Story Assignment Set 03

Short Answer Type Questions
 

Question. 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 shightly careless person. Thus, his gullibility and trusting nature made it easy for Hari to rob him.

Question. What did Anil’ and Hari agree upon to be the mode of payment ?
Answer: When Anil stated his inability to pay Hari, Anil questioned Hari if he could feed Hari. Hari realised that he had misjudged his target and moulded the situation for his benefit. Anil then agreed to feed him if he knew how to cook.

Question. 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, his conscience pricked him as he had broken Anil’s trust.

Question. What did Hari Singh do with the money he stole from Anil?
Answer: Hari Singh at once left Anil’s room and rushed to the railway station to catch train. But he realised his mistake and came back to Anil’s room late at night. He put the money under the mattress.

Question. Why according to Hari Singh, is it easier to rob a greedy man than a careless person like Anil?
Answer: Hari Singh had made a study of men’s faces when they had lost their goods. According to him, 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 it takes the pleasure out of the work.

Question. Why did Hari Singh decide to come back to Anil ?
Answer: Hari 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.

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

Question. Why did Hari Singh not got to his friend’s house or a hotel just after he missed the train ?
Answer: Hari Singh did not have any friend and he did not want to make anyone curious by staying at one of the small hotels near he station.

Question. How did Hari Singh know that Anil had forgiven him?
Answer: It seems Anil knew about theft but neither his lips nor his eyes showed anything. He gave him fifty rupees and told him that now he would be paid regularly. He informed him that he would teach him writing sentences. It shows that Anil had forgiven him.

Question. What did Hari Singh get, from Anil in return for his work?
Answer: Anil gave him food and shelter. Hari Singh would usually make, a profit of about a rupee a day from the purchasing of day’s supplies. It seems that Anil knew it but he never minded it.

Question. How, according to Hari Singh, would the greedy man, the rich man and the poor man react when they had lost their goods?
Answer: Hari Singh had made a study of men’s faces when they had lost their goods. According to the thief on losing their goods- a greedy man’s face would show fear, the rich man’s face would show anger and the poor man’s face would show acceptance.

Question. Did Hari like working for Anil ? Give reasons in support of your answer.
Answer: Yes, Hari liked working for Anil. He was happy to carry on the chores for him and was grateful for the education he was receiving. He used to make profit of about a rupee a day as well, which was a decent amount besides being fed.

Question. How and where did Hari Singh spend the night ?
Answer: Hari Singh had left Anil’s home after stealing money. He did not take the train bound for Lucknow. But he spend some time during the night in a maidan on a bench. Since it was raining, he sat down in the shelter of the clock tower till midnight. Then he hurried back to Anil’s home.

Question. “But to be a really big man ... was something else.” What does this suggest about Hari Singh himself ? Or Why did Hari Singh want to became an educated man?
Answer: Hari Singh was still in his teens. He was an experienced, seasoned and successful thief. He never missed an opportunity and occasionally changed his name. Thus he averted being caught by the police and his former employers. However, he had not lost all his goodness. He aspired to learn how to read and write.
 

Long Answer Type Questions

Question. What made the thief return to Anil?
Answer: Hari Singh had a plan to catch the 10.30 Express to Lucknow so that he was never traced. After stealing the money he rushed to the railway station. But for some inexplicable reason he did not board the train. He decided to return back to the man whom he had robbed. He sat down in the shelter of the clock tower and began to ponder about his life. Suddenly he realised that Anil was helping him to learn, read and write and that could change his life once and for all. In his further mediation, he made his mind to return back to Anil at once.

Question. Love can transform even a thief. How is it true in the case of Hari Singh?
Answer: There is no doubt that love and trust can transform even a thief. Hari Singh approached Anil to cheat him but found him easy-going and without money. Anil gave him shelter and food. Above all, he began to give him lessons in reading and writing. It ignited hope in the thief to lead a decent life. But one day he could not refrain himself and stole Anil’s money. He went to the railway station to abscond from the city. But for some inexplicable reason he did not board the train. He decided to return back to Anil. It dawned upon him that if he did not go back to Anil read, the life would not give him a second chance. He felt a sense of gratitude for Anil for teaching him and writing to change the course of his life.

Question. Who was Anil ? Give his character sketch.
Answer: Anil was an easy-going and careless man. He spent whatever he earned by writing for magazines. He was a simple and kind-hearted person. He was trusting and generous. He agreed to feed Hari Singh when he said that he could cook. However, he did not turn him out of his house when he proved a hopeless cook. Rather he decided to teach him both to cook and to read and write. Though he knew that Hari Singh made money from daily purchases yet he did not mind it. Rather he trusted Hari Singh fully. He gave him every opportunity to mend or reform himself.
Anil was a noble-minded person. He chose not to expose Hari Singh’s attempted theft. He turned a thief into a respectable person.

Question. 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 and 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 betary 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 halp others too.

Question. Evaluate Hari Singh both as a thief and as a human being.
Answer: Hari Singh had become an-experienced seasoned and successful thief at the age of fifteen. He changed his name occasionally to avoid being caught by police. He got many opportunities,to rob Anil. But at heart he was not bad. He was a man of noble conscience. He was not a betrayer. One day Hari Singh made off with Anil’s money and reached the station. He did not board the slow moving train intentionally. His conscience pricked him for betraying Anil’s trust. Though he was an experienced seasoned and successful thief yet he had taken to stealing only by force of circumstances. He was a grateful person with a self-conscience. He was not an outright betrayer. Above all, he was career conscious.

Question. Give a character-sketch of Hari Singh.
Answer: Hari Singh had become an experienced, seasoned and successful thief at the age of fifteen. He stole from his employers and escaped every time. He changed his name occasionally to avoid being caught by the police or his previous employers. He started working for Anil, a writer. He made profit from the daily supplies. He got many opportunities to rob Anil. However, he did not like to rob a careless fellow who would fail to notice his skill. One day, he made off with Anil’s money and reached the station. He did not board the slow-moving train intentionally.
Hari Singh could show false smile on his face to exploit the situation. He was a man of noble conscience. He was a grateful person. He was not a betrayer. He was career-conscious.

Question. Who was Anil? How did he treat Hari Singh and how did it influence Hari’s life? Or Who was Anil? How did he transform Hari Singh’s character?
Answer: Anil was about 25 years old, a tall and lean man who looked easy-going, kind-hearted and simple enough to the thief Hari Singh so as to get into his confidence. Anil allowed him to stay in his room, fed him and began to teach him reading and writing. In fact, the thief began to enjoy working for Anil.
After stealing the money Hari Singh decided to escape but for some inexplicable reason he did not board the train. He reflected upon his life and suddenly it dawned upon him that he would spoil his life once and for all. So he changed his way of life. Anil’s trust and affection made him change his course of life.

Question. ‘A thief in Hari Singh changed into a good human being’. How far was Anil’s considerate nature responsible for this transformation?
Answer: Anil’s trust and compassion brought about a change in Hari Singh. The thief had come to Anil’s house with the sole intention of robbing him. But gradually he began to realise that Anil was one of the most trusting persons he had ever met and it became difficult for the thief to rob him. Anil’s compassionate and sincere attitude reformed the thief to such an extent that he was willing to give up stealing altogether only to remain with Anil. Even though the thief tried hard, he could not betray Anil’s trust.

Question. ‘Trust and compassion can reform a person.’ Justify this statement in the light of the lesson ‘The Thief’s Story’.
Answer: There is no doubt about the fact that trust and compassion can indeed reform a person. The thief had come to live in Anil’s house with the sole intention of robbing him. But gradually began to realise that Anil was one of the most trusting people he had ever met and it became difficult for the thief to rob him. Even when the thief had robbed him, he could not bring himself to cheat a good and respected man like Anil. He decided that he should go back to him because he had started to like living and working with Anil. Anil’s trusting, compassionate and sincere attitude reformed the thief to such an extent that he was willing to give up stealing altogether only to remain with Anil. Even though the thief tried to, he could not betray Anil’s trust and deceive him.

Question. Why did Hari Singh decide to return stolen money? What light does it throw on his character?
Answer: After stealing the money Hari Singh rushed to the railway station to catch 10.30 express to Lucknow. But for some inexplicable reason he did not board the train. He decided to return back to the man whom he had robbed. He sat down in the shelter of the clock tower and began to reflect upon his life. Suddenly he realised that Anil was helping him to learn reading and writing and that could change his life once and for all. In his further mediation he made his mind to return back to Anil at once.
It shows Hari Singh was grateful to Anil for helping him to learn read and write. It also shows that deep in heart he had a desire to change the course of his life. He wanted to give up theft and wanted to lead a life of a respectable person.
 

Extract Based Questions

1. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follows
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!

Question. Why did ‘I’ feel that uniting for magazines was a queer way to make a living? Answer in about 40 words.
Answer: ‘I’ (Hari Singh) was not an educated person, so he could not understand what Anil wrote. He was surprised to know that writing for magazines could be a profession and that people paid Anil for writing in magazines.

Question. State TRUE or FALSE. None of the terms (a)-(d) can be applied to the statement — I think he knew I made a little money this way but he did not seem to mind.
(a) A hypothesis - a proposed explanation for a phenomenon
(b) An assumption - something that is taken for granted or assumed to be true
(c) A hyperbole - exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally
(d) A premise - a proposition that forms the basis of an argument
(a) True
(b) False
Answer: (b) False

Question. The information in the extract suggests that Anil could be a _____.
Answer: freelancer

Question. What did the narrator mean by ‘I made a little money this way’?
Answer: The narrator meant that he used to earn money by keeping the change left from buying daily’s supplies.

2. Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follows :
I was still a thief when I met Anil. And though only 15, I was an experienced and fairly successful hand. Anil was watching a wrestling match when I approached him. He was 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.

Question. State any one inference about Hari from the given context. “I was an experienced and fairly successful hand.”
Answer: Hari, who was now fifteen, became a thief at a very young age.

Question. State TRUE or FALSE. None of the terms (a)-(d) given below, can be applied to the following lines. “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.
(a) Anil didn’t have any malicious intent.
(b) Anil was just being funny and easy.
(c) Both were trying to make pleasant conversation.
(d) Both needed each other.
(a) True
(b) False
Answer: (b) False

Question. Hari found Anil ‘simple enough for my purpose’. What does he mean by this? Elaborate in about 40 words, with reference to the extract.
Answer: He means that Anil was too gullible and trusting for his own good. Hari describes him as ‘kind and simple enough’ for his purpose which was to rob him after winning his confidence with sweet talk.

Question. Which phrase would correctly substitute ‘easy-going’, in the given sentence from in the extract? He was about 25-a tall, lean fellow-and he looked easy-going, kind and simple enough for my purpose.
Answer: laid-back