Rohit Yadav
Read and Find Out
1. Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?
Answer
In this story, ‘I’ refers to the thief.
2. What is he “a fairly successful hand” at?
Answer
He was “a fairly successful hand” at stealing and robbing people.
3. What does he get from Anil in return for his work?
Answer
When Hari asked Anil if he could work for him, Anil said that he could not pay him. Finally, the agreement was that if he would cook, then Anil would feed him. However, Anil soon found out that he did not know how to cook. Therefore, 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 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.
Read and Find Out
4. How does the thief think Anil will react to the theft?
Answer
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.
5. What does he say about the different reactions of people when they are robbed?
Answer
In his short career as a thief, he had made a study of men’s faces when they lost their goods. He said that the greedy men showed fear; the rich men showed anger and the poor men showed acceptance.
6. Does Anil realize that he has been robbed?
Answer
Yes, Anil had realized that he had been robbed. He knew this probably because all the notes were wet and damp from the rain. However, he did not say anything to the thief and behaved normally.
Think about It
1. What are Hari Singh’s reactions to the prospect of receiving an education? Do they change over time? (Hint: compare, for example, the thought: “I knew that once I could write like an educated man there would be no limit to what I could achieve” with these later thoughts: ‘Whole sentences, I knew, cloud one day bring me more than a few hundred rupees. It was a simple matter to steal − and sometimes just as simple to be caught. But to be a really big man, a clever and respected man, was something else.”) What makes him return to Anil?
Answer
Hari Singh’s reactions to the prospect of receiving an education change over time. When he started living with Anil he wanted to be literate so that he could become a more cunning cheat. Later on, there is a change in his heart. He wants to earn respect in life. Probably he is influenced by the calm in Anil’s life. Although both of them depend on irregular sources of income, Anil seems to be more satisfied. Hari Singh develops a desire to be part of the civilized society.
2. Why does not 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?
Answer
Anil does not hand the thief over to the police because he has put the money back in its place. It shows that he realized his fault. He wants to make amends for his ways. He must have felt guilty about himself. Anil wants to give him one more chance and therefore forgives him.
No, in today’s world, most people would not have done so. Although it must be done such sort of patience and compassion are rarely found nowadays in this human world.
Talk about It
1. Do you think people like Anil and Hari Singh are found only in fiction, or are there such people in real life?
Answer
No, I don’t think that people like Anil and Hari Singh are found only in fiction. There are such people in real life also. Although such people are rare in today’s society. If one is caught stealing, people will first beat him severely. Then he will be handed over to the police. It should be realized that a human being is bound to commit errors. One chance for reforming oneself must be given. This is the only way to bring anyone to the right path. Punishing severely is not the only solution. Strictness can make them absolute criminals.
2. Do you think it is a significant detail in the story that Anil is a struggling writer? Does this explain his behavior in any way?
Answer
Hari Singh’s observation about Anil getting irregular income and Anil’s statement about his sale of a book to a publisher indicates that he is a struggling writer. He lives life according to the flow of money he gets at a given time. When he gets the money he enjoys eating out with his friends. When he has less money then he even doesn’t accept paying his salary to Hari Singh.
Question 3.
Have you met anyone like Hari Singh? Can you think and imagine the circumstances that can turn a fifteen-year-old boy into a thief?
No, I haven’t met anyone like Hari Singh but the existence of such people is certain. A fifteen-year-old boy can be forced by circumstances to become a thief. It may be the need to feed the stomach, satisfy illegal addiction, maintain health, fulfill luxurious demands, etc
Question 4.
Where is the story set? (You can get clues from the names of the persons and places mentioned in it). Which language or languages are spoken in these places? Do you think the characters in the story spoke to each other in English?
The story is set somewhere in Uttar Pradesh near Lucknow. We can say so because the story mentions that there is a railway station for Express train to Lucknow. The presence of sweet shops and bazaars also indicate it to be a decent-sized town. No, the characters in the story do not speak to each other in English but probably in Hindi
MCQs
Question 1.
What was the name of the shop above which Anil lived?
(a) Laddu Sweet Shop
(b) Rasgulla Sweet Shop
(c) Jamun Sweet Shop
(d) Jumna Sweet Shop
Answer
(d) Jumna Sweet Shop
Question 2.
What do you mean by the word “unlined”?
(a) in a line
(b) showing no sign of worry or anxiety
(c) none of the above
Answer
(b) showing no sign of worry or anxiety
Question 3.
Did Anil say anything about the robbery?
(a) yes
(b) no
(c) maybe
(d) none of the above
Answer
(b) no
Question 4.
How, according to the narrator, would Anil feel upon finding out?
(a) angry
(b) fear
(c) acceptance
(d) sad
Answer
(d) sad
Question 5.
How much money did he steal?
(a) 500
(b) 600
(c) 700
(d) 800
Answer
(b) 600
Question 6.
Who is easier to rob?
(a) a careless man
(b) a greedy man
(c) a trusting man
(d) Anil
Answer
(b) a greedy man
Question 7.
“a queer way to earn money”..What is the meaning of the word “queer”?
(a) strange
(b) famous
(c) rare
(d) illegal
Answer
(a) strange
Question 8.
What did Anil promise him to teach?
(a) write his name
(b) cook
(c) write full sentences
(d) all of the above
Answer
(d) all of the above
Question 9.
How was the meal he cooked the first night?
(a) delicious
(b) mouth-watering
(c) finger-licking good
(d) terrible
Answer
(d) terrible
Question 10.
What name did he tell Anil?
(a) Anil Singh
(b) Hari Lal
(c) Hari Singh
(d) Anil Lal
Answer
(c) Hari Singh
Question 11.
How often did he change his name?
(a) every day
(b) every week
(c) every month
(d) every year
Answer
(c) every month
Question 12.
How did the narrator attempt to be friends with Anil?
(a) flattering him
(b) teasing him
(c) introducing himself
(d) none of the above
Answer
(a) flattering him
Question 13.
How has the narrator described Anil?
(a) simple
(b) kind
(c) easy-going
(d) all of the above
Answer
(d) all of the above
Question 14.
What was the boy’s age?
(a) 15
(b) 25
(c) 20
(d) none of the above
Answer
(a) 15
Question 15.
What is he a “fairly successful hand” at?
(a) wrestling
(b) stealing
(c) deceiving
(d) working hard
Answer
(b) stealing
Question 16.
What promise did Anil make to the thief boy?
(a) giving him a good job
(b) giving him good clothes
(c) teaching him reading and writing
(d) playing with him
Answer
(c) teaching him reading and writing
Question 17.
Which of the following traits describes Anil?
(a) easy-going
(b) careful
(c) greedy
(d) extravagant
Answer
(a) easy-going
Question 18.
What was the boy’s real profession?
(a) a household servant
(b) theft
(c) cheating
(d) working honestly
Answer
(b) theft
Question 19.
What did Anil do to the food cooked by the boy on the first day?
(a) ate it with enjoy
(b) put it in the cupboard
(c) threw it to a stray dog
(d) asked the boy to eat it all
Answer
(c) threw it to a stray dog
Question 20.
Anil lived in a room in a shop named :
(a) Jumna Sweet Shop
(b) Ganesh Sweet Shop
(c) Ganga Sweet Shop
(d) Shah Sweet Shop
Answer
(a) Jumna Sweet Shop
Question 21.
What did Anil do for a living?
(a) wrote articles for magazines
(b) wrestling
(c) acting
(d) business
Answer
(a) wrote articles for magazines
Question 22.
How old was Anil?
(a) 20 years
(b) 21 years
(c) 22 years
(d) 25 years
Answer
(d) 25 years
Question 23.
What was the name of the thief boy?
(a) Anil
(b) Ajit Singh
(c) Hari Singh
(d) Chander
Answer
(c) Hari Singh
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