Class 10 English Chapter 2 Previous Year Questions - The Thief`s Story

Ans: As the thief got the money he quickly crawled out of the room. When he was on the road, he began to run. He had the notes at his waist, held them by the string of his pyjamas. Later on he slowed down to walk and counted the notes. He thought that with those 600 rupees he could lead a luxurious life like an oil-rich Arab at least for a week.

Ans: The thief smiled at Anil towards the end of the story in his most appealing way. But unlike as on previous occasions, this smile was natural and from the innermost comer of his heart. Being spontaneous, the smile was “without any effect”.

Ans: In his short career as a thief, he has studied reactions of so many people when they are robbed off their belongings. He has Observed that the greedy people showed fear; the rich showed anger and the poor people showed acceptance.

Ans: Hari Singh justified stealing from Anil by saying that if he did not steal, Anil would waste the money on his friends. Moreover, Hari believed that since Anil had not been paying him any salary, it was another reason for him to rob Anil.

Ans: Trust and compassion can indeed reform a person, as demonstrated in the story 'The Thief's Story'. Anil, the young man who hired Hari Singh as a domestic help, was the epitome of generosity and trust. He gave Hari Singh a key to his room, allowing him the freedom to come and go as he pleased. One day, Hari Singh stole six-hundred rupees while Anil was sleeping and went to the railway station to catch a train and escape after the robbery. However, his conscience pricked him for robbing a man like Anil, who had trusted him and always treated him with kindness. He realized that Anil would be saddened not by the loss of money, but by the loss of trust and faith he had in Hari Singh. Hari did not want to lose the chance of getting an education and leading a respectable life, so he made the decision to return. In this way, the trust, love, and compassion shown by Anil ultimately reformed a thief.

Ans: Anil didn’t hand over Hari to the police because if Anil had done it, Hari would have never reformed. He would have gone back to his old ways of cheating and stealing from people, which Anil didn’t want. Thus, by doing so, he gave Hari another chance to reform.

Ans: Both the characters in 'The Thief's Story’ are neither completely black or white. They have their own qualities out of which some need improvement. We may consider both the personas as grey.
The narrator of the story was a thief of 15 years. He had worked for different employees. He used to change his place after cheating his owner. Now he made Anil, who was an easy going person and writer by profession, his friend. He keeps faith in Hari Singh giving him shelter in his own house, although he does not have any clear information about him. On the other hand, Hari Singh was artful and smart for his age. He didn’t have shame in lying and stealing. One day he stole Anil’s money and went out of the room but came back. His conscience stopped him from doing so. Even he made no effort to confess that he had given in to the temptation of stealing the notes. His heart had been changed due to love, affection and faith Anil had shown. In this way, we may conclude that grey characters are unpredictable and present a moral challenge to the readers.

Ans: (c) 
Hari Singh stayed on because he was planning to steal from Anil, hoping to gain something from staying with him.

Ans: Anil employed Hari Singh on the condition that if he could cook, he would be fed and given a place to stay. However, Hari Singh failed in his job by not only lying about his ability to cook but also by stealing money from Anil.

Ans: (d)
Hari found it pleasant to work for Anil because he believed Anil’s trusting nature made him easy to deceive.

Ans: Hari Singh is a thief who would do anything to ensure his survival. He lied about his name and his abilities to Anil in order to have a place to stay and earn money. At the same time, he is also a human being, as shown by his decision to return the stolen money. His reluctance to betray Anil demonstrates his human side perfectly.

Ans: Anil does not hand Hari Singh over to the police because he sees a change in him. He realizes that Hari has realized his mistake and wants to mend his ways, as evidenced by his decision to put the stolen money back. Anil has a humble nature and wants to give Hari a chance. Therefore, he forgives him for stealing and decides to encourage the spirit of goodness in him.

Ans: Anil made a living in a peculiar way. He would borrow money one week and lend it the next. He would worry about his next paycheck, but as soon as it arrived, he would spend it all. He also wrote for magazines, which was another unconventional way of making money to support his lifestyle.

Ans: Hari Singh returned to Anil because he realised that he had robbed the most trustworthy person that he had ever met. Anil’s kindness, love, and help that he provided him made him repent of his mistake and brought him back to him.

Ans: Anil made money in fits and starts. He would borrow one week, lend the next. He would worry about his next paycheck, but spend it all as soon as it arrived. It seemed like a peculiar way of making a living.

Ans: Yes, Hari Singh liked working for Anil as he did not have to do a lot of work. He used to make tea in the morning and go out to the local market to buy the daily essentials. In the process of buying daily essentials, Hari would also steal about a rupee for himself.