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Question
Imagine that Hari Singh from ‘The Thief’s Story’ by Ruskin Bond, writes a diary entry, exploring the theme of human values and relations that are essential in life and can transform a person in the context of his own experience. Write this diary entry as Hari Singh.
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Solution
Today has been a rollercoaster of emotions for me. Meeting Mr. Anil changed my life. He didn't see me as just another street kid; he saw potential in me and taught me the importance of trust, kindness, and honesty. He gave me a chance to learn to read and write, opening up a whole new world for me.
But tonight, I made a huge mistake. I stole money from Mr. Anil, thinking only of the immediate gain. However, sitting here in the cold, I realize how wrong I was. Money isn't everything. It's the human connections and trust that truly matter.
I've decided to go back to Mr. Anil tomorrow, return the money, and apologize. I'm scared, but I hope he can forgive me and give me another chance. I've learned a valuable lesson about the true value of relationships and honesty. This diary entry is a promise to myself to be a better person, to value what matters, and to make Mr. Anil proud. Tomorrow is a new beginning, and I'm ready to face it with everything I've learned.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?
What does he get from Anil in return for his work?
What does he say about the different reactions of people when they are robbed?
Does Anil realize that he has been robbed?
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?
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?
Read the following passage and do the activities:
A1. Choose the correct alternatives from the given options and rewrite the sentences :
(appealing, casually, flattery, well-oiled) (2)
(1) I followed ….........
(2) Anil talked about the ….........wrestlers.
(3) I gave him my most ….........smile.
(4) A little …......... helps in making friends.
I was still a thief when 1 met Anil. And though only 15, was an experienced and fairly successful hand.
Anil was watching a wrestling match when I approached him. He was about 25 — a tall, lean fellow — and he looked easy-going, kind and simple enough for my purpose. I hadn’t had much luck of late and thought I might be able to get into the young man’s confidence.
“You look a bit of a wrestler yourself,” I said. A little flattery helps in making friends.
“So do you,” he replied, which put me off for a moment because at that time I was rather thin.
“Well, I said modestly, “I do wrestle a bit.”
“What's your name ?”
“Hari Singh,” I lied. I took a new name every month. That kept me ahead of the police and my former employers.
After this introduction, Anil talked about the well-oiled wrestlers who were grunting, lifting and throwing each other about. I didn't have much to say. Anil walked away. I followed casually.
“Hello again,” he said.
I gave him my most appealing smile. “I want to work for you”. I said.
“But I can't pay you.”
I thought that over for a minute. Perhaps I had misjudged my man. I asked, “Can you feed me ?”
“Can you cook ?”
“I can cook,” I lied again.
“If you can cook, then may be I can feed you.”
He took me to his room over the Jumna Sweet Shop and told me I could sleep on the balcony. But the meal I cooked that night must have been terrible because Anil gave it to a stray dog and told me to be off. But I just hung around, smiling in my most appealing way, and he couldn’t help laughing.
A2. Complete the following web-chart: (2)
A3. Find the similar meaning words from the passage for the following : (2)
(1) endearing
(2) miscalculated
(3) humbly
(4) awful
A4.
(1) “I want to work for you,” I said. (1)
(Change it into indirect speech)
(2) I can’t pay you. (1)
(Rewrite making it affirmative)
A5. “We should learn from our own mistakes.” Explain. (2)
Answer the following question in 30-40 words:
What made Hari Singh come back to Anil?
Complete the web diagram.
Pick out from the story 3 or 4 examples of Code-mixing (Indian words used in English).
Complete the given sentence.
Hari was grateful ____________
Complete the given sentence.
Hari continued making money ____________
Complete the given sentence.
The moral of the story is ________.
Think and write in your own words, in your notebook.
What did Hari learn from Anil in the beginning?
Think and write in your own words, in your notebook.
Do you feel Anil’s way of handling a thief like Hari was effective? Justify your answer.
Think and write in your own words, in your notebook.
‘And the smile came by itself without any effort.’ Say why. When do people give fake smiles?
Fiction writers prefer creating grey characters rather than black and white. Analyse this in detail, with reference to both the characters of The Thief’s Story.
A character arc is the transformation or development of a character throughout a story and refers to the changes a character undergoes as a result of their experiences, challenges, and interactions with other characters.
In the light of the above information, trace the character arc of the thief in Ruskin Bond’s The Thief’s Story, in about 120 words.
Answer the following in about 100-120 words:
Trust and compassion can reform a person. Justify this statement in the light of the lesson 'The Thief's Story'.
