The Thief's Story Important Questions Class 10 Footprints without Feet English
Very Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1. Why did Anil agree to feed Hari Singh?
Answer
Anil needed a helping hand who could cook for him. When Hari Singh said that he could copk well, Anil agreed to feed him.
Question 2. Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?
Answer
In this story, I refers to the thief.
Question 3. Why did Hari Singh not make many friends?
Answer
Hari Singh did not have friends as he believed that friends were more trouble than help. Moreover, he did not want to make anyone curious.
Question 4. What is he “a fairly successful hand” at?
Answer
He is “a fairly successful hand” at stealing and robbing people.
Question 5. Why did Hari Singh not go to his friend’s house or a hotel just after he missed the train?
Answer
Hari Singh did not have any friends and he did not want to make anyone curious about staying at one of the small hotels near the station.
Question 6. How does the thief think Anil will react to the theft?
Answer
The thief thinks 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.
Question 7. Why was the thief able to steal from Anil easily?
Answer
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.
Question 8. When and how did Hari Singh meet Anil?
Answer
Hari Singh met Anil when he was watching a wrestling match. Hari Singh tried to befriend Anil.
Question 9. What did Anil give him in the morning? In what condition was it?
Answer
Anil gave him a fifty-rupee note in the morning. It was still wet from the night’s rain.
Question 10. How did the thief realised that Anil knew that it had been stolen?
Answer
Anil gave a fifty rupee note to the thief. It was still wet from the night’s rain. So, the thief realised and knew that it had been stolen.
Question 11. How did Hari Singh succeed in his profession?
Answer
He would frequently change his name to dupe the police. He would find out a kind and simple person for his target. He could wait until he had a favourable chance.
Question 12. Why according to Hari, is it difficult to rob a careless man?
Answer
Hari thinks that it is difficult to rob a careless man. Sometimes he does not even notice that he has been robbed. This takes out the joy of robbing him.
Question 13. Why should he find friends to be more trouble than help?
Answer
Hari Singh was a very poor boy. Those whom he knew were also poor like him. So, he thought that friends would be troublesome.
Question 14. How was Hari Singh’s ‘appealing smile’ at the end different from similar smiles of his on earlier occasions?
Answer
On earlier occasions, Hari Singh’s ‘appealing smile’ had been artificial. It was full of flattery. But in the end, his smile was real. It was natural and appealing.
Question 15. Why was the thief grateful to Anil?
Answer
The thief was grateful to Anil because he gave him a job. Secondly, he promised to teach him to read and write.
Question 16. Why did he want to become an educated man?
Answer
He was an uneducated person. He made his living by stealing and cheating others. He thought if he were educated there would be no limit to what he would achieve.
Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1. What was the thief s reaction when he took Anil’s money?
Answer
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.
Question 2. Why did Hari Singh decide to come back to Anil?
Answer
Hari Singh decided to come back to Anil because he felt that when Anil would come to know about the theft, he would feel sad, not for the loss of money but for the loss of trust. He did not want to lose his trust.
Question 3. What does he get from Anil in return for his work?
Answer
When Hari asks Anil if he could work for him, Anil replies that he could not pay him. Finally, they reach an agreement that if he would cook, then Anil would feed him. However, Anil soon found out that he did not know how to cook. So, 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 also 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.
Question 4. Why did Hari Singh choose Anil to be his next victim?
Answer
Hari Singh was an experienced thief. He found Anil, a wrestler an easy-going, kind and simple man, the correct person for his purpose. He found him an easy target to win confidence.
Question 5. Why was it difficult for Hari Singh to rob Anil?
Answer
It was difficult to rob Anil because he was the most trusting person Hari Singh has ever met. According to Hari Singh, it’s easy to rob a greedy man because he can afford to be robbed but it’s difficult to rob a careless man because he doesn’t even notice that he’s been robbed and that takes all the pleasure out of the work.
Question 6. Why did Hari Singh tell lies about cooking?
Answer
Hari Singh said that he could cook 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.
Question 7. Why did Hari Singh feel bad after stealing the money?
Answer
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.
Question 8. What are the different reactions of the people when they are robbed?
Answer0
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.
Question 9. Why did Anil hire Hari Singh?
Answer
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.
Question 10. How did Hari Singh realize that Anil knew about his theft?
Answer
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.
Question 11. How did he think Anil would react when he discovered the theft? Why did he think so?
Answer
Hari Singh thought that when Anil would come 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.
Question 12. What made him come back to Anil?
Answer
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.
Question 13. Why did the thief smile without any effort towards the end of the story
Answer
The thief was under tension that his master would be angry with him for stealing the money. But Anil did not express any anger. He said that he would pay him regularly and would remain to continue teaching him full sentences. This made him tension free and he smiled without any effort.
Question 14. Why did Hari Singh feel nervous about going back to Anil’s room?
Answer
Hari Singh decided to go back to Anil and replace the stolen money under the mattress. But he felt nervous about going there. He thought that it was much easier to steal something than to return it undetected.
Question 15. How and when did Hari Singh meet Anil?
Answer
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 with stealing. Therefore, he offered himself to work for Anil. Anil had no regular income and couldn’t afford to pay him. But still Hari Singh exploited Anil’s generosity and he forced Anil to keep him in his house.
Question 16. Anil couldn’t afford to pay Hari Singh. Why did he allow Hari Singh to stay with him?
Answer
Hari Singh offered himself to work for Anil. Anil didn’t have a regular income and couldn’t afford to pay him regularly. Hari Singh wanted to exploit such a kind-hearted and simple man like Anil. He lied that he knew how to cook. Anil was forced to allow Hari Singh to stay with him in his house.
Question 17. How did Hari Singh feel working for Anil? Did Anil know that Hari Singh was making a little money from purchases?
Answer
Hari Singh felt quite pleasant working for Anil. He would make tea for him in the morning. He would take his time for the day’s supplies. Usually, Hari would make a profit of about a rupee a day. Anil; mew about the stealing. But he allowed Hari to do so because he couldn’t afford to pay him regularly. He didn’t mind it.
Question 18. How did Hari Singh steal the money that Anil got from selling his book to a publisher?
Answer
Hari Singh saw with his own eyes how Anil tucked 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 of the bundle without making a sound. Anil sighed in his sleep and turned on his side, towards him. Han Singh got startled and quickly came out of the room.
Question 19. How did Hari Singh forget about his education in the excitement of his theft? What did he think about it in the end?
Answer
Anil taught Hari Singh to write his name. He also promised to teach him making complete sentences and adding numbers. In his excitement of the theft, he forgot all about his education. But good sense prevailed and in the end, he realised that education could give him respect and much more money.
Question 20. Why didn’t Anil hand Hari Singh over to the police even when he knew all about the theft?
Answer
Anil was careless and unsuspecting but not a fool. He knew how the boy stole money out of daily shopping. He also knew all about the theft of his 600 rupees. He could have easily handed him over to the police. However, he didn’t want to ruin Hari Singh’s life. He wanted to give an education to the unfortunate boy. So, he gave a fifty rupee note and promised to pay him regularly. Neither his lips nor his eyes showed anything about the theft.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1. “A thief in Hari Singh changed into a good human being”. How far was Anil’s considerate nature responsible for this transformation?
Answer
Hari Singh was an experienced thief who had robbed many people at such a tender age of fifteen years.’ He joined Anil as a cook with a motive of stealing money. But Anil was a kind and considerate person. He employed Hari Singh and taught him how to cook. He trusted him like his younger brother. He was always sympathetic towards him. Hari Singh found it was very difficult to rob such a good human being. He stole money but his conscience did not allow him to run away. He came back and became a good human being. There was a change in his heart. Thus, it was Anil’s considerate nature which was responsible for this transformation.
Question 2. What kind of a life was Hari Singh leading with Anil?
Answer
Anil engaged Hari Singh as a house-servant. His duty was to cook food and prepare tea for Anil. He was not an expert in cooking. But Anil taught him how to cook food. He went to the market to buy vegetables and other things of daily necessity. For the thief, it was quite pleasant working for Anil. Anil had told him that he would teach him reading and writing. The thief was grateful to Anil for giving him a job and for his promise to make him an educated man. He knew that once he could write like an educated man then there would be no limit to what he could achieve.
Question 3. Give a character-sketch of Anil. Did he know all about the theft? If so, why did he keep Hari Singh again to work for him?
Answer
Anil is a thorough gentleman. He is generous, large-hearted and understanding. He is twenty-five years old and unmarried. He doesn’t have a regular income. He writes for magazines. When 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. 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 add numbers.
Anil 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. He didn’t want to hand Hari Singh over to the police. It would have mined him. The thief had no option but to return to such a generous and large-hearted person. The reformer, Anil rewarded the boy-thief by giving him a fifty-rupee note. He also promised to pay him regularly.
Question 4. ‘He was the most trusting person I had ever met.’ Justify this statement of Hari Singh about his benefactor, Anil. Did he breach Anil’s trust?
Answer
After his first introduction, Hari Singh understood Anil’s nature and his character rather well? He lied that he knew how to cook. Still, Anil allowed Hari to work for him. Even at the age of 15, Hari Singh was an experienced and successful hand. He knew all the tricks of his trade. He made one rupee every day from buying the day’s supplies. Anil knew it but didn’t mind. Anil was really a trusting person. He had given Hari a key to the door and he could come and go as he pleased. But it was `so difficult to rob him’. It is easy to rob a greedy man. It was difficult to rob a careless and trusting man like Anil. Sometimes, he didn’t even notice that he had been robbed. That took all the pleasure out of Hari Singh’s work.
Anil was no fool. He knew all about the theft, when and how it was committed. Neither his lips nor eyes showed that he saw Hari placing the money back under the mattress.
Trust begets trust. Ultimately, the boy-thief realised that the only person who could help him was the man whom he had robbed a few hours ago. Naturally, Anil was the most trusting man Hari Singh had ever met in his life. And forgot the Tut Chase’s grow breach of his trust but rewarded Hari by giving a fifty-rupee-note and promising to pay him regularly.
Question 5. Hari Singh could have lived like a rich Arab for a week or two. Why did he choose to go back to Anil in the end?
Answer
Hari Singh definitely had a bumper catch. The money he stole from under Anil’s bedroom’s mattress was perhaps the largest amount he had ever stolen in life. When he was on the road, he counted the money. It was a sum of rupees six hundred, in the fifties. With that money, Hari Singh could live in luxury like a rich Arab, at least for a week or two. He decided to run away with the money and came to the station. He found that the Lucknow Express had just moved. He could have jumped into one of the compartments but couldn’t do so. Perhaps something troubled him. He hesitated and remained standing alone on a deserted platform. He had no friends. The only man he knew was Anil whom he had robbed only a few hours ago.
The thing that motivated Hari Singh to go back to Anil was his love for getting an education. He realised that education could give him respect, status and much more money than he could get from stealing. Anil had promised him to teach writing and adding numbers. Han Singh’s urge to get an education brought him back to Anil.
Question 6. Anil plays a major role in the transformation of Hari Singh. Comment on the statement by highlighting the values possessed by Anil which touched Hari’s heart and made him return to his honest ways of earning his livelihood. Write in about 100-120 words.
Answer
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 offered him to stay with him and to teach 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 wanted to live a life of respect. Anil did not show that he knew the incident and accepted Hari with open hands. Thus, a well-intentioned person, Anil 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.
Question 7. The chapter shows Hari Singh’s journey from a thief to an honest man who value friendship and other human values. Do you think it was Anil’s selfless friendship that he Hari to redeem himself? Give reasons in support of your answer in 100-120 words.
Answer
The chapter reveals Hari Singh’s transformation from a thief into an honest 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 getaway. Moreover, he and kand even valued Anil’s friendship feelings 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.
Question 8. ‘The Thief’s Story’ is an in-depth study of the human mind. Discuss.
Answer
The human mind is a very complex thing. It is a mixture of opposite opinions. Sometimes a man fails to understand his own mind. In this story, the same thing has been presented by Ruskin Bond through the character of a thief boy Hari Singh. The boy starts working for Anil. His primary aim was to rob him. Anil’s carelessness wins his heart. But the boy’s bad mind provokes him to rob Anil of his money. One day he robs his six hundred rupees and runs away to the station. But his good mind stops him boarding the train. He decides to come back to Anil and return his money. So this story is an in-depth study of the human mind.
Question 9. How did Hari Singh steal the money? Describe the circumstances that brought him back to work for Hari Singh. What was the main motivating factor that forced him to take that decision?
Answer
Anil had sold a book to a publisher. He got a good sum of money in return. Hari Singh saw him tuck the money under the mattress of his bed. The boy-thief was an experienced hand. He breached Anil’s trust and stole the money. He counted and found a sum of 600 in the fifties. He realised that with that money he could live like a rich Arab at least for a week or two.
Hari Singh tried to run away with the money but failed. He was actually struggling with himself. He deliberately missed the Lucknow Express. He sat thinking about himself on a bench on a chilly night. He came to a conclusion. He had no friends. The only person who could help him was Anil and he had robbed him a few hours earlier. Then came the realisation what Anil was doing for him. He promised to give him an education. Hari Singh realised that education could bring respect and money to him? In the heat and excitement of the theft, he had forgotten about the education. Getting an education was the main motivating force that brought the boy-thief Hari Singh back to Anil.
Question 10. Hari Singh didn’t confess that he robbed Anil. Did he lack the courage to do so or he really wanted to maintain his relationship with Anil at any cost? Explain the values Hari needed to imbibe in about 100-120 words.
Answer
Hari Singh was a teenager, of 15. He was good 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? Hari Singh, one day got the opportunity to steal Anil’s money. He left out with the money to go away forever but his inner “ice stopped him. He returned back and kept the money in place. Next 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, wanted to get an education and become a respected man. So, he hid the incident from Anil.
Question 11. Write a character sketch of the thief boy.
Answer
The thief was a fifteen years old boy. But in this story, he has been presented as a well experienced and skillful thief. He had a great knowledge of human behavior. He knew that simple-looking persons could be robbed easily. He had an understanding that a little flattery could help in making friends. He was clever enough to change his name to keep himself away from the police and his former employers. He was perfect in telling lies. He had a desire to become a big man in life. He robbed Anil of his six hundred rupees. But in one corner of his heart, there was a sense of trust and goodness. He thought that he should not betray Anil. He had the ambition of becoming a big man and he knew that he could realise his ambition only when he is educated. Thus, he was an interesting character.
Question 12. Why did Hari Singh decide to return the stolen money? What light does it throw on his character?
Answer
After stealing the money when Hari Singh reached the station, he could not board the Lucknow Express though he could easily get on it. He stood alone on the deserted platform and thought about Anil who he knew would feel only sadness for the loss of trust when he discovered the theft. He felt that he should go back to Anil if only to read and write. So he decided to return to Anil feeling very nervous. The thief was very grateful to Anil and quite liked working for him. Since Anil was the most trusting man he had met. Anil’s confidence had awakened his conscience. He wanted to become a good man. Anil could only make him a good man. So he decided to come back to Anil and return the money that he had stolen.
Question 13. Describe the sequence of events that took place after Hari Singh stole the money. Evaluate Hari Singh as a thief and as a human being.
Answer
Hari Singh was a seasoned thief even at the age of fifteen. He knew all the tricks of his trade. As a thief, he knew how to hoodwink his master and make one rupee every day out of buying of the day’s supplies. And he, a seasoned thief, stole 600 rupees from under the mattress. With that money, he could live like a rich Arab for a week or two. He came to the station but deliberately missed the Lucknow Express. He was struggling with himself. He came to the ‘maiden’ and was drenched in the rain on a chilly November night. He had no friends and did not like to go to a hotel either. He was in a dilemma. Then good sense prevailed and he decided to go back to the man whom he had robbed a few hours earlier. His love for education was the motivating force that led him to this decision.
So, as a thief, he was quite an experienced and fairly a successful hand. But love, generosity and human compassion of Anil helped in transforming him into a better human being. He realised the value of education. Only education could give him respect, status and money.
Question 14. “Everyone must have a chance to reform”. How did Anil worked upon these values and succeeded?
Answer
Hari Singh had all the sharp wickedness to rob a person. He knew how to rob and whom to rob. He chose Anil for his purpose because the later was simple and easy, to approach. But when Anil started teaching him how to write words and then sentences and adding numbers, a good man in Hari Singh started dreaming of a life full of honestly and dignity. He got the chance to rob, he robed but the dream of being educated did not let him go. He returned to be educated.