READ
AND FIND OUT
Page
no-8
1. Who does ‘I’ refer to this story?
Ans. Here ‘I’ refers
to the narrator of the story “The Thief’s Story”.
2. What
is “a fairly successful hand” at?
Ans. He is “fairly
successful hand” at stealing.
3. What
does he get from Anil in return for his work?
Ans. Anil provided
him with food and shelter. Moreover, he taught him to write his name and even
said that he would teach him to write full sentences.
Page
no- 10
1. How
does the thief think Anil will react to the theft?
Ans. The thief thought
that Anil would become sad, not because of the loss of money but for the loss
of trust.
2. What
does he say about the different reactions of people when they are robbed?
Ans. He said that
when a greedy man is robbed, he shows fear, the rich ones show anger and the
poor people show acceptance.
3. Does
Anil realise that he has been robbed?
Ans. Yes, perhaps
Anil realised that he has been robbed as he gave fifty rupees to him. He must
have noticed that the notes were wet enough but kept quiet and smiled at him.
Page
no-11
Think
about it
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. Hari Singh knew that education was the only
way to achieve everything. If he could write and become a literate person, no
limit could bind him. That’s why he was quite excited about learning. Anil told
him that he would even teach him full sentences and to add numbers. But his
greed made him forget about the education and took him in the path of theft.
Later he felt guilty and recalled what Anil had promised to him. He realised
that whole sentences would bring more than a few hundred rupees to him. If he
would become educated, he would be a big man, a clever and a respected one in
the society.
His guilt feeling
made him return to Anil.
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 employees?
Ans. Anil didn’t hand
him over to the Police as he had returned the money to its proper place and he
realised his mistake which was the most important thing.
Maybe in today’s
world, nobody would have forgiven a thief and provide him with a shelter again.
Anil was indeed
different from other employees. He was kind towards Hari Singh. Unlike others,
Anil taught him to cook which was supposed to be done by Hari Singh. He taught
him to write his name with patience and even told that he would teach him to
write full sentences and add numbers.
Talk
about it
1. Do
you think people like Anil and Hari Singh are found only in fiction, or are
there such people in real life?
Ans. I think people like Anil and Hari Singh are
only found in fiction. This is because a person like both Anil as well as Hari
Singh is quite rare. Hari Singh, being an experienced and fairly successful
thief, had a wish to be educated. He knew that if he would become educated no
one would be able to limit his future. He felt guilty after robbing Anil and
realised his mistakes and even returned the money to him. On the other hand,
Anil was a very kind person. He provided Hari Singh with shelter and food
without learning the real facts regarding him. He taught him how to cook and
even taught him to write his name. According to Hari, he was the most trusting
person. He even realised that Hari had tried to rob him, still, he didn’t show
him anger rather provided him with fifty rupees and promised to pay him
regularly.
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 it
is a significant detail in the story that Anil is a struggling writer. Anil
made money by fits and starts. He would borrow one week and lend the next. He
worried about the next cheque but when it arrived he would celebrate. He wrote
for magazines. This shows his struggle for money.
Yes, this explains that
he was struggling as he told the narrator that he couldn’t pay him.
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.
It is really very
pathetic for a fifteen-year-old boy turning into a thief. The boy must have
undergone various difficulties which have forced him to steal. He might have
starved for days and in order to fill his stomach, he might have started to
steal and later became an experienced one.
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 at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Hindi and Urdu are
mostly spoken by the peoples in Lucknow.
No, I don’t think
that the characters in the story had spoken to each other in English, rather
they had probably spoken in Hindi or Urdu.