Class-10,chapter 2- The thief's story
I was still a thief when I met Anil. And though only 15, I 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 maybe 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. 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 to 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, 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. I had been working for Anil for almost a month and, apart from cheating on the shopping, had not done anything in my line of work. I had every opportunity for doing so. Anil had given me a key to the door, and I could come and go as I pleased. He was the most trusting person I had ever met. 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. Well, it’s time I did some real work, I told myself; I’m out of practice. And if I don’t take the money, he’ll only waste it on his friends. After all, he doesn’t even pay me.
Answer the following question based on the above paragraphs:-
Q.1) "He looked easy-going,kind and simple enough for my purpose" Who is 'He' here? What does the phrase "My purpose" mean?
Q.2) "A little flattery helps in making friends." Explain?
Q.3) Why did the author think that he had misjudged?
Q.4) What does "Fits and starts" means?
Q.5) Why it was difficult to rob Anil?
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Answers
Here are all the answers:
Explanation:
1. By 'He' the narrator is referring to 'Anil' who let Hari Singh work in his home.
2. The purpose of Hari Singh is to win Anil's trust and then rob him when he gets the chance.
3. "A little flattery helps in making friends," means that people easily trust you when you flatter them.
4. "Fits and starts' means to do something on an irregular basis.
Explanation:
1. A small-time 15-year-old thief, who calls himself Hari Singh, befriends a struggling writer, Anil. Hari’s purpose is to steal Anil’s money.
2. Anil is a good fellow who wants to teach Hari Singh how to read and write.
3. Gradually, Anil develops trust in Hari Singh. But Hari Singh has been waiting for the right moment to make a killing by doing what he is best at, i.e. stealing.
4. After stealing the money which Anil had earned by selling a book to a publisher, Hari Singh tries to run away forever.
5. But some inner voice stops him from doing so. He returns to Anil because he realises that he wants to live a life of respect.