Footprints ch02 The Thiefs Story - CBSE Test Papers

CBSE Test Paper 01
The Thiefs Story
  1. How did Hari Singh justify to himself his intention of stealing Anil’s money?
  2. How did Hari Singh know that Anil had forgiven him?
  3. Why did Hari Singh return to Anil, although he had stolen money and escaped easily?
  4. What did Anil do? How did he spend money?
  5. Why did Hari Singh (the thief) want to become an educated man? Who helped him in it?
  6. Who was Anil? How did he transform Hari Singh’s character?
  7. Sometimes deception is a way of life. Explain this statement by citing facts from the lesson 'The Thief's Story'.
  8. Describe Anil’s qualities as a man and as an employer.
CBSE Test Paper 01
The Thiefs Story
Solution
  1. Hari Singh justified to himself his intention of stealing Anil’s money by thinking that Anil had not paid him even a single penny, though he had been working for Anil for one month. He had got a bundle of notes after selling his book to a publisher. So, it was the right time for him to rob Anil.
  2. Hari Singh knew that Anil had forgiven him because Anil got up early in the morning and himself prepared the tea. Anil offered tea to Hari Singh and said that he would now be paid regularly. He gave him a fifty rupee note.
  3. Hari Singh returned to Anil although he had stolen money and escaped easily because his conscience stopped him from cheating on Anil. He recalled the good times he had spent with Anil and how Anil had treated him with trust and respect.
  4. Anil was a writer by profession. He earned money by fits and starts. He would borrow money one week and lend the next. He would wait for his next cheque, but as soon as it would arrive,  he would go out and celebrate. Whenever he got some money, he spent it on his friends.
  5. The thief, Hari Singh wanted to become an educated man, because he thought that he could earn and get everything in his life by becoming educated. Anil helped him by teaching him to read, write and add numbers.
  6. Anil was a twenty-five years old man. He was a tall and lean fellow. He looked easy-going, kind and simple. He was a writer by profession, who wrote for a magazine. He was a practical man who transformed the character of a thief. He was the most trustworthy man that Hari Singh, a thief had ever met. Hari Singh's habit compelled him to steal the bundle of money from Anil. But Anil’s love, trust and confidence forced him to come back and put the bundle from where he had taken it. Anil’s faith in Hari Singh forced him not to rob him. Anil taught him to write his name and also said that he would teach him to write whole sentences and to add numbers. It gave new hope to Hari Singh. He thought that if he could write like an educated man, there would be no limit to what he could achieve. A desire to get educated and follow the path of honesty cultivated in Hari Singh. His interaction with Anil brought a positive change in his character. Thus, Anil's kind behaviour and true faith transformed Hari Singh’s character.
  7. For some people, deception is a way to lead life easily. Such people deceive others by changing their own names, identities and making excuses to devise a new way of making money. Anil was the most trustworthy person Hari Singh had ever met. But Hari Singh was a thief and couldn't be expected to be honest with Anil. He came to Anil with a false identity. He took undue advantage of his trust. Anil had blind faith in human nature. He employed him just out of sympathy and compassion for him. He trusted him and ignored his misdeed. He handed over all the financial transactions without any verification. In a way, he gave him a chance to improve. He knew everything when Hari Singh stole money and came back but he didn't say anything. It made Hari Singh realise his mistake and leave the style of deception as a way of life.
  8. Anil was a kind, simple and easy going young man. He was tall and lean in stature and interested in sports like wrestling. He was a writer who wrote for magazines and made money in fits and starts. The narrator met Anil when he was watching a wrestling match. During this match, the narrator started talking to him to make him his friend. Anil was not very rich and could not afford to employee Hari as a cook, yet he became ready to have him in his room on his request. He had the patience and goodness to not only teach Hari to cook but also to read, write and add numbers. Many times he himself made tea and cooked food and served it to Hari Singh. Though he knew that Hari was stealing little bits of money from him, he ignored this fact. He was a very trustworthy person. Even when he earned a large amount of money, he kept the money under his mattress and not under lock and key. He was generous and paid Hari whenever he got some money. Hari had tried to steal the money from him. He was forgiving and he forgave Hari for the theft and continued to be good to him.