A THIEF’S STORY
By-RUSKIN BOND
Q.1 How does the thief think Anil will react to the theft?
Ans 1 The thief thinks thatAnil will not be sad for his loss but he will be unhappy at the loss of faith
he had in Hari Singh.
Q.2 What does he say about the different reactions of people when they are robbed?
Ans 2 He says that different people have different reactions on their losses-as the greedy man shows
fear ; the rich show anger and the poor show acceptance.
Q.3 Does Anil realise that he has been robbed?
Ans 3 Yes, Anil realises that he has been robbed because he finds that bundle of the notes is wet but
does not express it to Hari Singh.
Q4 How and when did Hari Singh meet Anil?
Ans 4 Hari Singh met Anil during a wrestling match . He found Anil easy going , kind and simple
enough to suit his purpose. Anil’s trusting nature could help him [Link] , he offered
himself to work for Anil . Anil had no regular income and could not afford to pay him. But still Hari
Singh exploited Anil’s generosity and he forced Anil to keep him in his house.
Q.5 Why did Hari Singh justify himself to rob Anil?
Ans 5 No doubt, Hari Singh was experienced and clever enough to justify his act . he justified the
robbing of a careless and unsuspecting man like Anil. Hari Singh told himself that he was oit of
practice and he must rob. If he didn’t take the money Anil would waste it on his friends . Moreover,
Anil didn’t pay him anything.
Q.6 How did Hari Singh steal the money that Anil got from selling his book to the publisher?
Ans 6 Hari Singh saw Anil keeping the bundle of money under the mattress of his bed. When Anil
was asleep, Hari Singh crept up to the bed. He slid his hand under the mattress and drew the money
out without making a sound. Anil was in his sleep and turned on his side, towards him. Hari Singh got
startled and came out of the room.
Q.7 How did Hari Singh forget about his education in the excitement of his theft? What did he think
about it at the end?
Ans 7 Anil taught Hari Singh to write his name. he also promised to teach him writing complete
sentences and adding numbers . in his excitement of theft , he forgot all about his education . But
good sense prevailed and in the end, he realised in the end that education could give him respect
and much more money.
Q. 8 Give a character sketch of the thief Hari Singh . Highlight the gradual changes that come in his
life.
Ans 8. The narrator of ‘The Thief Story’is a thief. He is just fifteen but he is an experienced and fairly
successful [Link] used to change his name every month . This he did to avoid being arrested by the
police . He worked for many employers, but he used to run away after cheating them. This time he
introduced himself as Hari Singh. Hari Singh was a clever thief and he knew how to influence 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 judgeof men and situations. 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 breached Anil’s trust by stealing his money. But he soon realised that if he
stays with Anil and receives education, he could earn respect, name and money. He knew that he
had no friends and well wishers. The only person he knew and would help him was Anil, who 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 into 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.
Q9. Write a character sketch of Anil.
A9. Anil is thorough gentleman. He is generous , large hearted and understanding. He writes for
magazines and doesn’t have a fixed income. Whenever 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 Hari singh lied that he knew how to cook food 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 Hari
Singh to write his name. He promises to teach him to write whole sentences and to write numbers.
Anill knew all about the theft. He knew how and when Hari singh stole the money and put it back
under the mattress. Neither his lips, nor his eyes, showed anything about it. It would have ruined
him. Anil rewarded the boy thief by giving him a fifty rupee note and promised to pay him regularly
so that he doesn’t follow the wrong path again.
