A Thief’s Story

Summary

The story involves a young boy, fifteen years of age who was successful as a thief. His modus operandi was to choose a target, work as his employee and then rob him and escape. He took a new name every month to escape the police and his employers. He chooses Anil, a struggling writer to be his next target. He offered to be a cook but he didn’t know how to. Anil taught him cooking and reading and writing. He steals from Anil and runs away. He realizes that he has lot to lose and much to gain on being in Anil’s employee, hence returns, a redeemed person.

Comprehension Questions

Short answer type questions

1. Why did Hari Singh approach Anil at the wrestling match?

Hari Singh approached Anil at the wrestling match because he looked easy going, kind and simple enough for his purpose. He hadn’t had much luck lately and thought he might be able to get Anil’s confidence.

2. Why did Hari Singh tell a lie about cooking?

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. When Hari Singh cooked the meal at night, it was so terrible that Anil gave it to a stray dog and told him to be off. But later Anil said that he would teach him to cook.

3. Why did Anil hire Hari Singh?

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

4. What did Anil and Hari agree upon to be the mode of payment?

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.

5. Did Hari like working for Anil? Give reasons to support your 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.

6. How did Hari make his money?

Anil made money by fits and starts. He would borrow one week and lend the next. He kept worrying about his next cheque, but as soon as it arrived he would go out and celebrate. He apparently wrote for magazines.

7. Why was it difficult for Hari to rob Anil?

It was difficult for Hari to rob Anil because Anil was the most trusting person Hari had ever met. He was really simple and kind. Hari knew that loss of money would not affect Anil but the loss of trust would make him sad.

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

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.

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

According to Hari 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.

10. How did Hari Singh realize that Anil knew about his theft?

Anil gave him a fifty rupee note in the morning, which was still damp from the night’s rain. Anil told him that he would be paid regularly and would start teaching him, how to write full sentences. Neither his lips nor his eyes showed anything. This made Hari Singh realize that Anil knew everything.

Long answer type questions

1. Why was Hari Singh grateful to Anil?

Hari Singh was a fifteen-year-old seasoned thief. He was homeless, friendless and also illiterate. He used to change his name and place after robbing. He met Anil, a writer of magazine at a wrestling match. He requested to hire him a servant. Anil kept him as his cook. But he did not prepare good food. Anil then taught him how to cook. He even taught him reading and writing. One day he sold his book to a publisher and brought home a bundle of notes. He put it under his mattress. At night Hari Singh stole the money and went to the station. But his conscience pricked him. He could not betray such a trusting person, who was trying to make him a respectable and educated gentleman. Hari Singh returned to Anil. He kept the money under the mattress. Anil knew what Hari Singh had done. But he did not say anything. He changed Hari Singh with his trust, compassion and willingness to accept.

2. Anil plays a major role in the transformation of Hari Singh. Comment on the statement. 

Anil was a struggling writer who befriended Hari Singh. Hari Singh was an experienced, 15-year-old thief. He found Anil an easy target to steal. Anil agreed to let Hari stay with him and cook for him stay with him. He also began to teach him 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 realized that he wanted to live a life of respect. Anil did not show that he knew about Hari’s misadventure. Thus, Anil by his goodness, changed Hari 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.

3. Why didn’t Hari Singh confess that he robbed Anil?

Hari Singh was a teenager. He was a good hand at stealing. He chose Anil to be his next target as he was a struggling author and a simple person. Hari Singh started living with Anil who in turn, started teaching him how to read and write. One day, Hari Singh got the opportunity to steal Anil’s money. He walked out with the stolen money but his inner voice stopped him. He returned back and kept the money in place. The following 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. He did not want to lose the opportunity to get an education and become a respected man. So, he hid the incident from Anil.

4. Why do you think Hari Singh believed that it was difficult to rob a man like Anil?

Hari Singh 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 Anil’s trust. 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. Do you think he accepted the joy of earning money by following the path of honesty?

When Hari Singh saw Anil for the first time, he found him to be simple, easy-going, kind and easy to fool. 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 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. Do you think it was Anil’s selfless friendship that caused Hari to redeem himself?

The chapter reveals Hari Singh’s transformation from a thief into an honest man. 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 get away. Moreover, he even valued Anil’s friendship 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.

7. Describe the events that took place on the night of the theft.

The night of robbery vitas quite eventful for Hari Singh. After stealing Anil’s money and leaving Anil’s house, Hari went to the railway station but didn’t board the train to Lucknow. He walked slowly through the bazaar as he did not know anyone who would provide him shelter except Anil, for he didn’t have any friends. He was forced to take shelter under the clock tower later when it started raining heavily. That is where he realised the importance of education and decided to go back to Anil.

8. Why did Hari Singh return to Anil’s house after robbing his money?

Hari Singh was a thief and he had stolen Anil’s money. After the theft, he realised that he had robbed not only Anil but also himself of the chance of being literate and having a bright future. His conscience pricked him to think what all he could have gained had he not robbed Anil. It was difficult for him to rob Anil but it was tougher for him not to back. He realised that now he would not be able to make tea, buy daily supplies and learn how to read and write. His inner self did not agree to forgo this opportunity and forced him to return. Hari’s return to Anil shows that despite indulging in criminal acts, he still had a practical and positive attitude towards life. It is the awakening of Hari’s conscience and Anil’s love and care that reformed Hari’s character. It teaches us that love alone can change a person. Anil’s understanding nature and care changed Hari’s thinking to mend his ways for good.

9. What went through Hari Singh’s mind as he sat in the shelter of the clock tower?

Hari Singh felt that out of the six hundred rupees Anil had brought home, he would have given him two or three rupees to go to the cinema but he had all the money. He also realized that he wouldn’t be able to cook Anil’s meals, run to the bazaar or learn to write whole sentences. He had forgotten about all these in his excitement of the theft. Learning to read and write would bring him more than a few hundred rupees. It was a simple matter to steal and simple to be caught. He realized that to be a really big, clear and respected man was something else. He made a decision to go back to Anil if only to read and write.

Questions from the text book.

Read and Find Out

1. Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?

In this story, ‘I’ refers to the thief.

2. What is the ‘a fairly successful hand’ at?

He was ‘a fairly successful hand’ at stealing and robbing people.

3. What does he get from Anil in return for his work?

When Hari asked Anil if he could work for him, Anil said that he could not pay him. Finally, the agreement was that if he would cook, then Anil would feed him. However, Anil soon found out that he did not know how to cook. Therefore, he taught him how to cook and later, how to write his name. He promised he would teach him how to write whole sentences and how to add numbers. Apart from this, when Hari went out to buy the day’s supplies, he would make a profit of a rupee a day.

Read and Find Out page 10

1. How does the thief think Anil will react to the theft?

The thief thought that on discovering the theft, Anil’s face would show a touch of sadness. The sadness would not be for 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?

In his short career as a thief, he had made a study of men’s faces when they lost their goods. He said that the greedy men showed fear; the rich men showed anger and the poor men showed acceptance.

3. Does Anil realize that he has been robbed?

Yes, Anil had realized that he had been robbed. He knew this probably because all the notes were wet and damp from the rain. However, he did not say anything to the thief and behaved normally.

Think about It

1. What are Hari Singh’s reactions to the prospect of receiving an education? Do they change over time? What makes his return to Anil?

Hari Singh’s reactions to the prospect of receiving an education change over time. When he started living with Anil he wanted to be literate so that he could become a more cunning cheat. Later on, there is a change in his heart. He wants to earn respect in life. Probably he is influenced by the calm in Anil’s life. Although both of them depend on irregular sources of income, Anil seems to be more satisfied. Hari Singh develops a desire to be part of the civilized society.

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 employers?

Anil does not hand the thief over to the police because he had put the stolen money back at its place. It shows that he realized his fault. He wants to make amends for his ways. He must have felt guilty with himself. Anil wants to give him one more chance and therefore forgives him. No, in today’s world most people would not have done so. Although it must be done, such sort of patience and compassion are rarely found nowadays in this human world.

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?

No, I don’t think that people like Anil and Hari Singh are found only in fiction. There are such people in real life also. Although such people are rare in today’s society. If one is caught stealing, people will first punish him severely. Then he will be handed over to the police. It should be realized that a human being is bound to commit error. One chance to reform oneself must be given. This is the only way to bring anyone on right path. Punishing severely is not the only solution. Strictness can make them absolute criminals.

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?

Hari Singh’s observation about Anil getting irregular income and Anil’s statement about his sale of a book to a publisher indicates that he is a struggling writer. He lives life according to the money he gets at a given time. When he gets the money he enjoys eating out with his friends. When he has less money then he admits his inability to paying salary to Hari Singh.

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?

Student specific response. The fifteenth year is a very dangerous phase of life as it is the teenage year. A deep scar on mind or a deep sense of greed can make a criminal out of ordinary boys and girls.

4. Where is the story set? Which language or languages are spoken in these places? Do you think the characters in the story spoke to each other in English?

The story is set in Uttar Pradesh somewhere near Lucknow. The town has an important railway station as express trains have a halt there. There is a decent market and the clock tower. The mention of hotel near railway station indicates that it is an important centre where people come from far off places for business related activities. The languages spoken are Urdu, Hindi and Awadhi. The characters must have spoken to each other in the local language.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

Q1 Read the given extracts and answer the following questions.

(a) Well, it’s time I did some real work, I told myself; I’m out of practice. And if I don’t take the money, he’ll only waste it on his friends.

i. What ‘real work’ is the speaker talking about?

The ‘real work’ in the extract refers to stealing.

ii. Why does the speaker say ‘I’m out of practice’?

The speaker says so because he is a thief and he had not robbed anyone recently.

iii. What did the speaker feel his employer would do with the money?

The speaker felt that if he didn’t take the money, his employer would waste it on his friends. Moreover, his employer didn’t even pay him.

iv. Give the synonym of ‘waste’. 

spend carelessly

(b) But neither his lips nor his eyes showed anything. I smiled at Anil in my most

appealing way. And the smile came by itself, without any effort.

i. Who is referred to as ‘I’? Why did he smile at Anil?

Hari Singh is referred to as ‘I’. He smiled at Anil because he was glad to be accepted back in his employment.

ii. What had ‘I’ done?

Hari Singh had stolen six hundred rupees from Anil and run away. But he had a change of heart and returned.

iii. Why didn’t Anil indicate that he knew about the speaker’s actions?

Anil realised that Hari Singh was reformed. He had kept the stolen money back in its place. Anil wanted to help Hari become a better person and therefore forgives him.

iv. Find the antonym of ‘disagreeable’.

appealing

Q2 Answer the following questions in 30-40 words.

(a) What are the different reactions of the people when they are robbed? According to Hari 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.

(b) How does the thief think Anil will react to the theft?

The thief thought that on discovering the theft, Anil’s face would show a touch of sadness. The sadness would not be for the loss of money, but for the loss of trust.

(c) Why did Hari Singh approach Anil at the wrestling match?

Hari Singh approached Anil at the wrestling match because he looked easy going, kind and simple enough for his purpose. He hadn’t had much luck lately and thought he might be able to get Anil’s confidence.

(d) What did Anil and Hari agree upon to be the mode of payment?

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.

Q3 Answer the following questions in 100-120 words.

(a) Why didn’t Hari Singh confess that he robbed Anil?

Hari Singh was a teenager. He was a good hand at stealing. He chose Anil to be his next target as he was a struggling author and a simple person. Hari Singh started living with Anil who in turn, started teaching him how to read and write. One day, Hari Singh got the opportunity to steal Anil’s money. He walked out with the stolen money but his inner voice stopped him. He returned back and kept the money in place. The following 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. He did not want to lose the opportunity to get an education and become a respected man. So, he hid the incident from Anil.

(b) Describe the events that took place on the night of the theft.

The night of robbery vitas quite eventful for Hari Singh. After stealing Anil’s money and leaving Anil’s house, Hari went to the railway station but didn’t board the train to Lucknow. He walked slowly through the bazaar as he did not know anyone who would provide him shelter except Anil, for he didn’t have any friends. He was forced to take shelter under the clock tower later when it started raining heavily. That is where he realised the importance of education and decided to go back to Anil.