Class 10 English Chapter 2 Question Answers - The Thief`s Story

 Q1: Why did Hari Singh not make many friends?
Ans: Hari Singh didn't make friends because he thought the problems they could cause were worse than any good things. He also wanted to avoid making people curious.

Q2: Why did Hari Singh decide to come back to Anil?
Ans: Hari Singh chose to go back to Anil because he expected that Anil would be upset, not so much because of the money he lost, but because their trust was broken. Hari Singh was really committed to not losing Anil's trust.

Q3: Why did Hari Singh choose Anil to be his next victim?
Ans: Hari Singh, an experienced thief, found Anil, a wrestler who was easy-going, kind, and uncomplicated, to be an appropriate target. He saw Anil as an easy victim and believed he could quickly gain his trust.

Q4: Why did Hari Singh not go to his friend’s house or a hotel just after he missed the train?
Ans: Hari Singh lacked friends and preferred not to attract attention by staying in one of the small hotels near the station.Q5: Why was it difficult for Hari Singh to rob Anil?
Ans: The task of robbing Anil proved to be challenging for Hari Singh due to Anil's trusting nature. According to Hari Singh, it was easy to steal from a greedy person because they could afford it. On the other hand, robbing a careless individual was also not rewarding because they might not even notice that they had been robbed.

Q6: Why did Hari Singh tell lies about cooking?
Ans: Hari Singh said that he could cook it, 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.

Q7: Why was the thief able to steal from Anil easily?
Ans: 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.

Q8: Why did Had Singh tell lies about cooking?
Ans: Hari Singh knew Anil would hire him only if he could cook. However, Hari did not know how to cook. Still, as he wanted to rob Anil somehow, he told the lie to gain entry into Anil’s house.

Q9: Why did Hari Singh feel bad after stealing the money?
Ans: Anil 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.

Q10: What are the different reactions of the people when they are robbed?
Ans: 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.

Q11: Why did Anil decide to pay Hari Singh regularly?
Ans: Anil handed Hari Singh a fifty-rupee note as payment for his services. He went on to say 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.

Q12: Describe Hari Singh, the young and successful thief.
Ans: Hari 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.

Q13: Why did Anil hire Hari Singh?
Ans:  Anil hired Hari Singh because Hari Singh himself expressed his desire to work for him. When Anil told him 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 might work for him.

Q14: How did Had Singh realize that Anil knew about his theft?
Ans: 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 Hari Singh realize that Anil knew everything.

Q15: What was Anil’s job? What did he usually do with the money he earned?
Ans: 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.

Q16: What does the thief say about the reactions of different types of people when they were robbed?
Ans: 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.

Q17: How did he think Anil would react when he discovered the theft? Why did he think so?
Ans: Hari Singh thought that when Anil came 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.

Q18: What made him come back to Anil?
Ans: 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.

Q19: What did Anil give him in the morning? In what condition was it?
Ans: Anil gave him a fifty-rupee note in the morning. It was still wet from the night’s rain.

Q20: How did the thief realize that Anil knew that it had been stolen?
Ans: Anil gave a fifty rupee note to the thief. It was still wet from the night’s rain. So, the thief realized that it had been stolen.