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Question
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?
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Solution
Hari regretted what he had done. He went back to Anil in order to get an education. He realised that Anil knew that he had been robbed. He was relieved and happy that Anil had decided to ignore what had happened and to teach him to write a whole sentence. He gave him a warm smile to ask for forgiveness for what he had done. People give fake smiles when they are not happy with the situation they are in, or they realise that the other person is trying to cheat them, or they want to get something.
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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.
What tact had Anil used to change Hari’s dishonest ways?
Write a character sketch of ‘Hari Singh’ with the help of the following points, using the paragraph format.
|
Hari Singh’s background His dishonesty His aspirations His courage to change himself |
Read the following passage and do the activities.
A1. Relate the following qualities with the two characters of the story:
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| Narrator | Anil | |
| (1) | ||
| (2) |
| He took 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. Later, he patted me on the head and said never mind, he'd teach me to cook. He also taught me to write my name and said he would soon teach me to write whole sentences and add numbers. I was grateful. I knew that once I could write like an educated man there would be no limit to what I could achieve. It was quite pleasant working for Anil. I made the tea in the morning and then would take my time buying the day's supplies, usually making a profit of about a rupee a day. I think he knew I made a little money this way but he did not seem to mind. Anil made money by fits and starts. He would borrow one week, and lend the next. He kept worrying about his next cheque, but as soon as it arrived he would go out and celebrate. It seems he wrote for magazines a queer way to make a living! One evening he came home with a small bundle of notes, saying he had just sold a book to a publisher. At night, I saw him tuck the money under the mattress. |
A2. State whether true or false:
- Anil liked what the narrator cooked.
- Anil taught the narrator to write his name.
- Anil was a wealthy person.
- Anil made money by fits and starts.
A3. Match the words to their meanings.
| (1) Pleasant | Strange |
| (2) Fits and starts | Satisfactory |
| (3) Queer | Give |
| (4) Lend | Irregular bursts of activities |
A4. Do as directed:
Frame 'Wh' questions with reference to the phrases underlined below. (Change the first person pronouns to second person)
- He taught me to write my name.
- I think he knew I made a little money this way but he did not seem to mind.
A5. Give a brief description of Anil and the narrator's characters.
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.
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.




