The Thief's Story Class 10 English Exam Questions

Please refer to The Thief’s Story Class 10 English Exam Questions provided below. These questions and answers for Class 10 English have been designed based on the past trend of questions and important topics in your class 10 English books. You should go through all Class 10 English Important Questions provided by our teachers which will help you to get more marks in upcoming exams.

Class 10 English Exam Questions The Thief’s Story

Class 10 English students should read and understand the important questions and answers provided below for The Thief’s Story which will help them to understand all important and difficult topics.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question. What was Anil’s job? How did he spend the money when he got it?
Ans. Anil was a freelance writer. He wrote for various magazines. His income was not regular. However, he spent with an open heart when he got money more than he needed. But in the absence of money, he would have to borrow it.

Question. What made this thief successful?
Ans. He always changed his name after stealing. He even managed to change the place and tried his best to appear pleasing and innocent so the employers never suspected him of being a thief or stealing.

Question. Why was he about to be dismissed? What made Anil reinstate him?
Ans. He cooked a very terrible meal which infuriated Anil. He gave the food to the stray dog and asked the thief to go away. The thief however, was a good flatterer so, he got his job back by flattering Anil who was a simple and large-hearted man.

Question. And that is why it was so difficult to rob him. It’s easy to rob a greedy man, because he can afford to be robbed; but it’s difficult to rob a careless man —sometimes he doesn’t even notice he’s been robbed and that takes all the pleasure out of the work.
(a) Why is it so difficult to rob Anil?
(b) Do you infer that the narrator is an honest thief?
Ans. (a) For the narrator, it was difficult to rob Anil because he thought it wrong to rob a man who trusted him. Anil’s trust in the narrator made him careless with his possessions around him.
(b) The narrator says clearly that it was easier and more fun to rob a ‘greedy man’ and not satisfying to rob a person who trusts you and is careless with his belongings.

Question. Why did Hari Singh approach Anil?
Ans. Hari Singh was a thief who had not much luck in his work recently. So, he approached Anil with the intention of robbing him, as he seemed to be an easygoing and simple man. According to Hari, winning Anil’s confidence was an easy task.

Question. Was Hari Singh successful in robbing Anil? Was Anil the only one who was robbed or did Hari also rob himself of something?
Ans. Yes, Hari Singh was successful in robbing Anil. But Anil was not the only one who was robbed at that time. Hari had robbed himself as well. He had lost the chance of receiving education and being literate. He had robbed Anil monetarily but he had robbed himself of the chance for a better and brighter future, which was much more valuable.

Question. How would you assess Griffin as a Scientist?
Ans. Griffin is a brilliant scientist which is evident from his drug of invisibility. But he seems to enjoy the feeling of power which he got out of his invisibility. The power to hurt anybody without getting noticed can give sadistic pleasure to somebody. A true scientist makes discovery for the larger benefit of the society.

Question. What was the explanation of ‘mystery’?
Ans. The two boys followed muddy footprints, being made fresh without seeing anybody making the prints, which was a ‘mystery’ for them. The explanation was that the bewildered boys had been following a scientist who had just discovered how to make the human body transparent and thus invisible, by swallowing certain drugs.

Question. Why was he about to be dismissed? What made Anil reinstate him?
Ans. He cooked a very terrible meal which infuriated Anil. He gave the food to the stray dog and asked the thief to go away. The thief however, was a good flatterer so, he got his job back by flattering Anil who was a simple and large-hearted man.

Question. Why did Hari Singh decide to return the stolen money?
Ans. Hari Singh decided to return the stolen money because he did not want to break Anil’s trust. Also, he realised that by learning to write and add, he would have a brighter future than in continuing to rob people.

Question. How did the thief win the heart of Anil?
Ans. The thief told Anil that he wanted to work for him. Anil told him that he couldn’t pay him. The thief asked him if he could feed him. Anil told him that if he could and would cook, he could feed him to which the thief replied in affirmative. Anil let the thief work for him as he had told him that he could cook. This way, the thief had won Anil’s heart.

Question. What was the thief’s immediate reaction on stealing the money?
Ans. On stealing the money from under the mattress, Hari Singh ran through the streets to the railway station hoping to board the 10:30 express to Lucknow. He tucked all the money into the string of his pyajamas and ran towards the train without buying a ticket.

Question. What made the thief come back to Anil?
Ans. The thief had a change of heart. He thought about something. He thought that if he learnt reading and writing, he could earn more money. He would also be a respectable person.

Question. What was Anil’s job? How did he spend the money when he got it?
Ans. Anil was a freelance writer. He wrote for various magazines. His income was not regular. However, he spent with an open heart when he got money more than he needed. But in the absence of money, he would have to borrow it.

Question. Why did the thief smile without any effort towards the end of the story?
Ans. The thief smiled without any effort in his most appealing way. It was because he wanted to please Anil. He wanted to win his favour and trust. Secondly, he did so because he felt that he had been forgiven by Anil for him being a thief.

Question. What made this thief successful?
Ans. He always changed his name after stealing. He even managed to change the place and tried his best to appear pleasing and innocent so the employers never suspected him of being a thief or stealing.

Question. What made the thief return to Anil’s room even though he had stolen Anil’s money and escaped?
Ans. The thief thought that six hundred rupees were nothing in front of an educated life. He wanted to lead a respectable life. He could become educated in the company of Anil. So, he didn’t run away with that money. In fact, he returned to Anil’s room and put the money back under Anil’s mattress.

Question. In which queer way did Anil make a living?
Ans. Anil made money by fits and starts. He would borrow one week, lend it the next. As soon as his cheque arrived, he would go out to celebrate. He also made a living by writing for magazines.

Question. Why does Anil not hand Hari Singh over to the police?
Ans. Anil does not hand Hari Singh over to the police because he realises that beyond his identity as a thief, Hari Singh is a good person and has learnt a lesson. Anil understands that Hari Singh has changed now otherwise he wouldn’t have put the stolen money back in its place. Anil has a humble nature so he wants to give Hari Singh a chance and forgives him for stealing money.

Question. ‘He was the most trusting person I had ever met.’ Why does Hari Singh say so?
Ans. Anil overlooked the little money that Hari stole the very day. He had also given him the key to his house to come and go as he pleased. This made Hari realise that Anil was the most trusting person he had ever met.

Question. What work did the thief do for Anil?
Ans. The thief made tea for Anil and for himself in the morning. Then he would go to the market to buy various things of daily need. He would save about a rupee per day and pocket it daily.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question. What made the narrator steal Anil’s six hundred rupees? What did he do after this?
Ans. Anil had got six hundred rupees. The narrator saw him putting that money under his mattress. So, he couldn’t help stealing the amount. He thought that Anil would waste this money on his friends as he had not been paying him also. So, he stole the money.
After stealing the cash, the narrator thought that he would live like a Sheikh. He went to the railway station. The Lucknow Express was just leaving the platform. He could jump into one of its compartments but he missed it intentionally. Then he walked through the bazaar and sat down in a park. It started raining. So, he took shelter under the clock tower and at last, he returned to Anil as he realised that it was really hard for him to cheat Anil .

Question. Write a character sketch of the thief.
Ans. The narrator of the story is a young thief. He would pass his time by stealing or working at different places. He needed a place to live in. So he made friends with Anil. He worked for Anil. He buys things for Anil from the market. He made about a rupee a day from this. But the company of Anil brought a change in his mind. The thief stole Anil’s money but the narrator wanted to go to Lucknow. But he did not go. He found his heart completely changed. He wanted to be an educated person. He came back to Anil’s room. He put the money back.

Question. What impression do you form of Hari Singh after reading ‘The Thief’s Story’?
Ans. Hari Singh is a small boy who has had a rough life. The experience of life that he had from close quarters had made him rigid about survival. He had not one to guide or correct him and hence, he chose whichever path he felt was appropriate. He had to resort to robbing to make ends meet. Despite this, when he got an opportunity to change his ways, he did so. He realised that being educated and earning money would bring him respect which robbing and stealing won’t. He was a boy of strong character and was one who knows right and wrong. He was ready to learn from his mistakes and take the right path to success.

Question. How did the narrator find Anil as man and as an employer?
Ans. Anil finally agreed to let the narrator work for him provided he did all the cooking. The narrator had lied as he couldn’t cook but wanted to stay with Anil. When he cooked, Anil had to give the cooked meal to a stray dog because it was so poorly cooked. Anil asked him to get away, but later agreed to let him live in the room. Anil told him that he would teach him how to cook. He also taught him to write his name. He also tought him to add numbers. The narrator found Anil to be a kind-hearted and generous person. That’s why, he accepted that it was very difficult to rob a trusting person.

Question. Hari Singh says- “He knew it but neither his lips nor his eyes showed anything.” Anil successfully addressed the situation by not addressing it at all. Elaborate based on your reading of The Thief’s Story.
Ans. Anil successfully addressed the situation by not addressing it at all. Despite knowing that the money had been taken, which he could have realised with the dampness of the notes, Anil chose to remain silent on the matter and pretended that all was normal. He was a smart man and had realised that Hari Singh’s honesty had prevailed over his temptation. He was touched by the honesty of the teen and wanted to encourage him by rewarding him. He realised that discussing the theft would have been counterproductive. He also made sure that the teen knew his worth and how his future was in his hands to mould the way he wanted to.

Question. Money can’t make a man as much as education can. Elucidate the statement.
Ans. The statement stands true in almost all the aspects of life. Money may buy us all the luxuries and fulfil our needs but it cannot buy us knowledge, civilized thinking, skills and abilities to achieve our dreams. Education lays the platform for all to act upon our goals according to our abilities. Education enables us to keep up with the fast moving world. It opens the door to opportunities we do not know even exist. Money, on the other hand, can assist us to a certain level. It can buy us a plan but education gives us the knowledge of its execution. Just as in the story ‘A Thief s Story’, Hari Singh prioritized the chance of being literate over a few hundred rupees, we must understand that education can help us to achieve whatever we desire.

Question. Hari Singh says- “He knew it but neither his lips nor his eyes showed anything.”
Anil successfully addressed the situation by not addressing it at all. Elaborate based on your reading of The Thief’s Story.
Ans. Anil successfully addressed the situation by not addressing it at all. Despite knowing that the money had been taken, which he could have realised with the dampness of the notes, Anil chose to remain silent on the matter and pretended that all was normal. He was a smart man and had realised that Hari Singh’s honesty had prevailed over his temptation. He was touched by the honesty of the teen and wanted to encourage him by rewarding him. He realised that discussing the theft would have been counterproductive. He also made sure that the teen knew his worth and how his future was in his hands to mould the way he wanted to.

Question. What extraordinary things happen at the inn?
Ans. The landlord of the inn and his wife were surprised to see the doors of Griffin’s room open. They looked inside and found that nobody was inside the room and decided to investigate. They found it strange that his room’s door was open as he never liked anyone even trying to enter his room. All of a sudden, while investigating, Mrs Hall heard a sniff next to her ear and was hit by Griffin’s hat on the face. Then the chair in the room charged towards Mrs Hall and hit her in her legs. As they both turned in terror, the chair pushed both of them out of the room and the door was slammed and suddenly a locking sound was heard. Mrs Hall was scared and felt that the furniture was haunted by spirits and it was the stranger’s work. The nearby people started talking that the work was that of a witchcraft.

Question. I awoke late next morning to find that Anil had already made the tea. He stretched out his hand towards me. There was a fifty-rupee note between his fingers. My heart sank. I thought I had been discovered. “I made some money yesterday,” he explained. “Now you’ll be paid regularly.” My spirits rose. But when I took the note, I saw it was still wet from the night’s rain.
(a) Why had he come back from the platform?
(b) Do you think Anil really knew? If yes, then why did he not say anything?
Ans. (a) The narrator had come back from the platform because he did not want to cheat a man who trusted him so much. He also wanted an education to become a respected man.
(b) Yes. Anil knew what had happened the previous night. He did not say anything because the boy had returned and he deserved a second chance.