The Thief’s Story

(By Ruskin Bond)

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

Ans. Hari Singh’s reactions to the prospect of receiving an education change over time. When
he started living with Anil, he wanted to become literate sothat he could become a cunning
thief. But later on, there was a change in his heart. He wanted to lead a respectful life and only
education could make this possible. This positive change in Hari was possible due to the
influence of Anil, who wanted to make him literate. When he stole the money and escaped
from Anil’s house, he was in a dilemma. Being a thief, he could not lead a respectful life in
society. Moreover, his conscience was pricking him because he was cheating his benefactor.
Finally, he decided to return to Anil because he realised the importance of education. He
wished to continue learning sothat he could live his life with respect and dignity.

Q.2 Why doesn’t 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?

Ans. Anil does not hand over Hari to the police because he saw a possibility of reformation in
Hari. He knew that Hari stole the money at night but he did not thrash him and behaved in a
normal way as if he were not aware of the theft. He was happy that Hari realised his mistake
and kept the money back under the mattress.
He is different from other such employers because he is a humanitarian and believed that even
a wrong-doer must be given a chance for reformation.

Q.3 Money canot make a man as much as education can. Elucidate the statement. [Long
Answer-Value Based Question]

Ans. Education is always given preference over money. No doubt, money is very important in
today’s world but it cannot belittle the significance of education. Money can buy us all the
luxuries and fulfill our needs but it cannot buy knowlege, values, civilised thinking, skills and
abilities. True education helps us lead a peaceful and dignified life. It opens the doors of
opportunities even at an unknown place.
In the story, ‘The Thief’s Story’, Hari Singh befriends the struggling writer, ‘Anil’ in order to
make a steal. Anil is a good human being and wants to teach Hari Singh how to read and write.
Gradually, he develops trust in Hari Singh but Hari Singh was waiting for the right moment to
steal the valuables of Anil. After stealing the money from Anil, Hari Singh wants to go away
forever. But he was stopped by his inner voice and he decided to return to Anil to live a life of
respect. It clearly shows that Hari Singh at the end of the story understood the importance of
education and came to this conclusion that only education can help him lead a peaceful and
respectful life.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Homework

Q.1 Why did Hari Singh approach Anil?

Q.2 Do you think people like Hari Singh are found only in fiction, or are there such
people in real life?