EVENTS CONVENT HIGH SCHOOL
22/09/2021 CLASS-2 SESSION 2021-22
ENGLISH SUPPLEMENTARY READER
(CHAPTER-2)THE THIEF'S STORY
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Page 8
Question 1.Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?
Answer:
I refers to Hari Singh, the narrator of the story who is a 15 year old experienced thief.
Question 2.What is he “a fairly successful hand” at?
Answer:
He is a fairly successful hand at stealing. He is an experienced thief. He is so clean and swift in his work that he robs people without being caught.
Question 3.What does he get from Anil in return for his work?
Answer:
In return of Hari Singh’s work, Anil gives him food and a place to live in.
Page 10
Question 4.How does the thief think Anil will react to the theft?
Answer:
According to Hari, Anil would be sad not because of the loss of money but because of the loss of trust he had in Hari.
Question 5.What does he say about the different reactions of people when they are robbed?
Answer:
Hari’s experience at theft had made him aware of differences in reactions of peofJle when they’re robbed. According to him, a greedy man shows fear; the rich, anger and a poor man, acceptance.
Question 6.Does Anil realise that he has been robbed?
Answer:
Yes, Anil realised that he had been robbed, as he gave a fifty rupee note to Hari which was still damp due to the night’s rain.
Think About It
(Page 13)
Question 1.What are Hari Singh’s reactions at the prospect of receiving an education? Do they change overtime? {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, could 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 was very happy and grateful when he learned to write his name. He was very excited when Anil promised to teach him to write whole sentences as well. He knew that being an educated man will add to his abilities and he could achieve anything. But when he left Anil’s house, he realised that stealing was simply a crime to indulge himself but being educated was an entirely different thing. He knew the respect, reputation and possibilities that would come to him once he was educated. And so his urge to receive education compelled him to return to Anil.
Question 2.Why does Anil not 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:
Unlike others, Anil does not handover Hari to the police on theft charges. He knew about the theft but he did not thrash him nor even mentioned it in front of Hari. He was glad that Hari had realised his mistake and the importance of education in life.
Anil wanted Hari to become a literate man and lead a respectful life.
He is different from other such employers because he is very understanding. Hari’s return gave him the hope of a change in him.
