The Thief's Story Class 10

The Thief’s Story

            by Ruskin Bond

Analysis :

·        The story ‘The Thief’s Story’ is written by Ruskin Bond, the first Indo Anglian novelist and poet. He is well known writer of children's stories.

·       The story depicts how education casts strong impact upon a thief and brought transformation in him who decides to live as an educated, respectful and trustworthy person.

     The story is about a boy of 15 years who became a thief due to some circumstances, bringing out a strong message that if a person is spoiled by the society, he can be transformed by the responsible people like Anil of the same society.

     The lesson employs the life like characters such as Anil and Hari Singh in a very realistic and striking manner.

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Summary  / Synopsis

·        Anil was a young writer of about 25 years, writing for magazines. He had a casual and irregular income. He was easy going, kind and simple man.

·        Ani went to watch a wrestling match where he met Hari, a 15 years old thief but it was not his real name. Hari changed his name for every new target. Hari wanted work but Anil said that he can’t pay but can feed him for his work.

·        Hari accepted the job of a cook though he didn’t know how to cook. First day, he cooked terrible food which was given to a stray dog.

·        Anil agreed to teach him how to read and write his name, sentences and numbers. Hari thought he would grow into a cleverer and smarter thief and would earn better. Anil taught him how to cook as well.

·        Hari started making profit of one rupee from buying the daily supplies. Anil could notice Hari’s stealings but ignored and didn’t seem to mind.

·        One day Anil sold his book to a publisher and brought home a bundle of 600 Rs. in fifties and kept it under the mattress.

·        Anil had given Hari the key to main door and he could come and go whenever he pleased. Anil was the most trusting person he had ever met.

·        Once, Anil was asleep, Hari stole the money and decided to escape catching the Lucknow Express at 10:30 p.m. as with that money he could live like a rich Arab for a week or two.

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·        Hari reached the station. The Lucknow express came and went but Hari Singh didn’t dare to take the train as he couldn’t break Anil’s trust. He couldn't bear to see gloominess on his face due to breach of trust. He didn’t have any friend where he could go. He sat on a bench in a ‘maidan’ and it started raining. The notes became damp.

·        The education that he received from Anil brought a big transformation as now he wanted to live as an educated, respectful and trustworthy person like Anil.

·        Hari came back in time and kept money at its place, and without uttering a word about the night resumed his work.

·        Next morning Anil giving a fifty rupee note to Hari said that every month he would get his salary and he would teach him sentences.

·        Touching the damp note Hari Singh thought that Anil might have suspected his theft but his gestures and lips didn’t reveal any sort of suspicion.

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Message

Ruskin Bond through ‘The Thief’s Story’ very beautifully brought out the age old saying ‘Education is that which liberates’. The prospect of getting education changed a thief’s mind and he decided to change his ways. It became impossible for him to cheat a simple, kind and trusting person like Anil.

 

Important Question - Answers

Q1.  What are Hari Singh’s reactions to the prospect of receiving education? Do they change over time? What makes him return to Anil?

Ans. Hari Singh’s reactions to the prospect of receiving an education changed over time. Initially, he wanted to be literate so that he would become a cleverer and smarter thief. Later, during his stay with Anil he developed a wish to earn respect and be a part of civilized society in life like his employer who has influenced to the very core. Now, he wanted to be an educated, happy, respectful and trustworthy person like Anil.

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Q2. 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?

Ans. Anil could have suspected Hari’s attempt of robbery to feel the dampness of notes. However, Anil may have been pleased to realise that Hari didn’t break his trust and returned all the notes. Possibly, Anil wanted to give Hari one more chance to change the course of his life and that’s why he did not hand over Hari to police. Probably, due to this, now he seemed more interested in providing education to Hari Singh. This large heartedness and trusting attitude of Anil put him on a high pedestal and make him different from other employers. People like Anil are hard to find. Most employers would have predictably handed Hari over to police.

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