PRACTICE SHEET ANSWER SCHEME

Subject: English Topic: The Thief’s Story

Grade: X Div: _________ Roll No: _________ Date: ____________

Q1 Read the given extracts and answer the following questions.

(a) Well, it’s time I did some real work, I told myself; I’m out of practice. And if I don’t take
the money, he’ll only waste it on his friends.
i. What ‘real work’ is the speaker talking about?
The ‘real work’ in the extract refers to stealing.

ii. Why does the speaker say ‘I’m out of practice’?

The speaker says so because he is a thief and he had not robbed anyone recently.

iii. What did the speaker feel his employer would do with the money?
The speaker felt that if he didn’t take the money, his employer would waste it on
his friends. Moreover, his employer didn’t even pay him.
iv. Give the synonym of ‘waste’.
spend carelessly

(b) But neither his lips nor his eyes showed anything. I smiled at Anil in my most
appealing way. And the smile came by itself, without any effort.
i. Who is referred to as ‘I’? Why did he smile at Anil?
Hari Singh is referred to as ‘I’.
He smiled at Anil because he was glad to be accepted back in his employment.
ii. What had ‘I’ done?
Hari Singh had stolen six hundred rupees from Anil and run away. But he had a
change of heart and returned.
iii. Why didn’t Anil indicate that he knew about the speaker’s actions?
Anil realised that Hari Singh was reformed. He had kept the stolen money back
in its place. Anil wanted to help Hari become a better person and therefore

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forgives him.
iv. Find the antonym of ‘disagreeable’.
appealing

Q2 Answer the following questions in 30-40 words.

(a) What are the different reactions of the people when they are robbed?
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
(b) How does the thief think Anil will react to the theft?
The thief thought 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.
(c) Why did Hari Singh approach Anil at the wrestling match?
Hari Singh approached Anil at the wrestling match because he looked easy
going, kind and simple enough for his purpose. He hadn’t had much luck lately
and thought he might be able to get Anil’s confidence.
(d) What did Anil and Hari agree upon to be the mode of payment?
When Anil stated his inability to pay Hari, Anil questioned Hari if he could feed
Hari. Hari realised that he had misjudged his target and moulded the situation
for his benefit. Anil then agreed to feed him if he knew how to cook.

Q3 Answer the following questions in 100-120 words.

(a) Why didn’t Hari Singh confess that he robbed Anil?
Hari Singh was a teenager. He was a good hand 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.
One day, Hari Singh got the opportunity to steal Anil’s money. He walked out

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with the stolen money but his inner voice stopped him. He returned back and
kept the money in place. The following 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. He did not want to lose the
opportunity to get an education and become a respected man. So, he hid the
incident from Anil.
(b) Describe the events that took place on the night of the theft.
The night of robbery vitas quite eventful for Hari Singh. After stealing Anil’s
money and leaving Anil’s house, Hari went to the railway station but didn’t
board the train to Lucknow. He walked slowly through the bazaar as he did not
know anyone who would provide him shelter except Anil, for he didn’t have any
friends. He was forced to take shelter under the clock tower later when it started
raining heavily. That is where he realised the importance of education and
decided to go back to Anil.

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