The Thief's Story Class 10: Summary, Characters and Themes
Updated 14 October 2026 · Fact-checked
The Thief's Story is a short story by Ruskin Bond in Footprints without Feet. A 15-year-old thief, Hari Singh, robs his trusting employer Anil but returns the money and chooses a better life. The board asks 40-50 word short answers and 100-120 word long answers on character, trust, change of heart and inference.
What The Thief's Story is about
The Thief's Story is a prose short story by Ruskin Bond from your supplementary reader, Footprints without Feet. It is told in the first person by a 15-year-old thief who calls himself Hari Singh. In one line, it is about how one man's quiet trust and kindness change a young thief's heart.
In the board paper, this chapter comes in Section C. There is no extract-based question on this book. You can get a 3-mark short answer of 40-50 words in Q9 (you answer two of three), or a 6-mark long answer of about 100-120 words in Q11 (you answer one of two). Long answers may ask about theme, plot, interpretation, inference, a character sketch or extrapolation beyond the text.
In real board papers: asked in 15 of the 21 board papers we hold (2023 to 2026), on average 4.4 marks per paper. See the questions
The Thief's Story: summary
In our own words, in the order of the text. Read the NCERT text itself too: the board quotes from it.
The narrator is a 15-year-old thief who is already experienced and fairly successful. He meets Anil, a tall, lean man of about 25, at a wrestling match. Anil looks easy-going, kind and simple, so the boy decides he is the right target. He flatters Anil, says his name is Hari Singh (a lie, since he takes a new name every month to stay ahead of the police and his former employers) and asks to work for him.
Anil says he cannot pay him. Hari asks if Anil can feed him, and lies that he can cook. Anil takes him to his room over the Jumna Sweet Shop and lets him sleep on the balcony. The first meal Hari cooks is so bad that Anil gives it to a stray dog and tells him to leave. But Hari stays, smiling his most appealing smile, and Anil laughs. Anil then promises to teach him to cook, teaches him to write his name and says he will soon teach him whole sentences and numbers. Hari is grateful, because he believes education will open every door.
Life with Anil is pleasant. Hari makes tea, buys supplies and keeps about a rupee a day from the shopping. He thinks Anil knows but does not mind. Anil earns money by fits and starts by writing for magazines. One evening he brings home a bundle of notes from selling a book to a publisher and tucks it under his mattress.
Hari has a key and complete freedom. Anil is the most trusting person he has ever met, which makes robbing him difficult. Still, Hari tells himself he is out of practice, that Anil will waste the money on friends, and that Anil does not pay him anyway. That night, in the moonlight, he slides the notes out from under the mattress and runs. He counts 600 rupees in fifties.
At the station he plans to jump onto the 10.30 Express to Lucknow as it moves out, but he hesitates for a reason he cannot explain and misses it. Alone on the empty platform, he has no friends and nowhere to go. He thinks about the faces of people he has robbed: the greedy show fear, the rich anger, the poor acceptance. Anil, he knows, will show only sadness, for the loss of trust rather than money.
He sits in the maidan on a chilly early-November night as heavy rain soaks him, then shelters at the clock tower at midnight. Feeling the damp notes, he realises that by stealing he has lost the chance to learn to write whole sentences, which could one day bring him far more than a few hundred rupees and make him a clever, respected man. He decides to go back.
Nervously, he slips the notes back under the mattress while Anil sleeps. Next morning Anil hands him a fifty-rupee note, saying he made money yesterday and will now pay him regularly. Hari sees the note is still wet from the rain. Anil says they will start writing sentences today. Hari understands that Anil knows, yet Anil shows nothing. Hari smiles, and for the first time the smile comes naturally.
Themes and message
Trust and its power to transform
Anil trusts a stranger completely. He gives Hari a key, lets him come and go, and keeps money where Hari can find it. Ironically, this trust is exactly what makes the theft hard. Hari can rob a greedy man easily, but robbing someone who trusts him feels wrong. In the end, it is the thought of Anil's sadness at losing trust, not losing money, that stays with Hari. The story suggests that trust can change a person more deeply than punishment ever could.
From the text: Hari admits, "He was the most trusting person I had ever met." At the station he imagines Anil's face showing sadness "Not for the loss of money, but for the loss of trust."
Kindness, compassion and forgiveness
Anil never shouts, threatens or calls the police. When Hari cooks a terrible meal, Anil laughs and offers to teach him. When Hari cheats on shopping, Anil seems not to mind. Most strikingly, when Anil finds the wet notes, he quietly forgives Hari and even starts paying him. We can infer that Anil sees the good in Hari and gives him a second chance instead of a label. His silent forgiveness gives Hari dignity and space to change.
From the text: Anil hands over a fifty-rupee note and promises regular pay; the narrator notes, "He knew. But neither his lips nor his eyes showed anything."
Education as the road to a better life
Learning to read and write is the one thing Anil offers that money cannot buy. At first Hari wants education as a tool for success. Later, sitting in the rain, he sees it more clearly: stealing is easy but risky, while education can make him a big, clever and respected man. This realisation is the practical reason he returns. The story shows education as a path to self-respect, not just a skill.
From the text: Hari reflects, "But to be a really big man, a clever and respected man, was something else." Anil's final words promise they will start writing sentences that day.
Conscience and change of heart
Hari's inner conflict runs through the second half of the story. He makes excuses before the theft, then hesitates at the station for a reason he cannot explain. This suggests his conscience is already working. The cold, the rain and his loneliness make him think honestly. Returning the money is harder than stealing it, which shows real moral effort. The final natural smile, after many practised ones, signals that a genuine change has begun inside him.
From the text: He hesitates as the Lucknow Express leaves and misses it. On returning he says "it is much easier to steal something than to return it undetected." The story ends: "And the smile came by itself, without any effort."
Characters
Hari Singh (the narrator)
A 15-year-old thief who tells the story; he plans to rob Anil but returns the money and chooses to learn.
- Cunning and manipulative at the start
- Sharp observer of people
- Ambitious for education and respect
- Lonely, with no friends
- Has a conscience and is capable of change
He uses flattery ("A little flattery helps in making friends"), lies about his name and cooking, and takes a new name every month. He has made a study of how greedy, rich and poor men react to theft. He believes writing like an educated man will bring him success. He has no friends, thinking they are more trouble than help. He hesitates at the train, returns the notes and ends with a smile that comes without effort.
Anil
A struggling writer of about 25 who takes Hari in, teaches him and quietly forgives the theft.
- Deeply trusting
- Kind and generous
- Forgiving and non-judgemental
- Easy-going and careless with money
- Quietly wise and perceptive
He gives Hari a key and lets him come and go. He feeds him without being able to pay, and teaches him to cook and write. He seems not to mind the rupee a day Hari keeps. He borrows one week and lends the next, and celebrates as soon as a cheque arrives. On finding the wet note, he says nothing, starts paying Hari and announces they will begin writing sentences, showing he understands and forgives.
How it is written
| Device | Example | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| First-person narrative by the thief | The story opens with the thief himself: "I WAS still a thief when I met Anil." | You see events through Hari's mind, so you follow his excuses, doubts and change of heart from the inside. It also means you only learn that Anil knows at the same moment Hari does, which makes the ending powerful. |
| Irony | Hari finds it hard to rob Anil precisely because Anil trusts him; he says robbing a careless man takes the pleasure out of the work. | The reversal is gently humorous and makes the main point: trust disarms a thief more than suspicion. Another irony is that Anil pays Hari with the very note Hari had stolen. |
| Symbolism | The fifty-rupee note is "still wet from the night's rain"; Hari's practised "most appealing" smile becomes one that comes "by itself". | The wet note silently tells Hari that Anil knows, so no words are needed. The change in the smile symbolises the change from a manipulative thief to a sincere young man. |
| Contrast | The greedy man shows fear, the rich man anger, the poor man acceptance, but Anil would show only sadness. | This contrast shows how different Anil is from ordinary people and stresses that what he values is trust, not money. |
| Understatement and an open ending | "He knew. But neither his lips nor his eyes showed anything." | Nothing is spoken about the theft. The quiet ending lets you infer Anil's forgiveness and Hari's new start, and makes the moment more moving than a dramatic confrontation. |
Key quotations
Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.
I WAS still a thief when I met Anil.
narrator: The opening line of the story.
The word "still" hints from the start that the narrator will not remain a thief, preparing you for his change.
A little flattery helps in making friends.
narrator: Hari praises Anil as a wrestler at their first meeting.
Shows Hari's cunning and how he manipulates people to win their confidence.
He was the most trusting person I had ever met.
narrator: Hari reflects on how Anil gave him a key and full freedom.
Explains why robbing Anil is difficult and introduces trust as the central theme.
Not for the loss of money, but for the loss of trust.
narrator: At the station, Hari imagines how Anil's face will look when he finds the theft.
Reveals that Hari understands Anil's values; this awareness weighs on his conscience.
But to be a really big man, a clever and respected man, was something else.
narrator: Sheltering at the clock tower at midnight, Hari weighs stealing against education.
Marks the turning point: Hari sees education as the way to real respect and decides to return.
it is much easier to steal something than to return it undetected.
narrator: Hari hurries back to Anil's room, nervous, to replace the notes.
Shows that doing right takes more courage than doing wrong, highlighting Hari's moral effort.
He knew. But neither his lips nor his eyes showed anything.
narrator: Next morning Hari notices the note Anil gives him is still wet.
Reveals Anil's silent forgiveness and his dignified way of giving Hari a second chance.
And the smile came by itself, without any effort.
narrator: The last line, as Hari smiles at Anil.
His once-practised smile is now sincere, symbolising his inner transformation.
The Thief's Story in real life
Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.
Trust and its power to transform
Imagine your class teacher makes a boy who often bunks classes and gets into trouble the class monitor. Some students laugh, but within a month he is reaching school early and keeping the register carefully.
Compare the teacher's decision with Anil's treatment of Hari Singh. Why can trust change someone's behaviour? Answer in about 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Both show faith in someone others have given up on.
- Trust gives the person a good name worth protecting.
- Anil's key and lessons slowly made Hari value honest work.
- The monitor's duty works the same way.
Answer: Like Anil, the teacher shows faith in a boy others have given up on. Trust gives him a reason to protect his good name. Anil's key and lessons slowly made Hari value honest work; the monitor's duty may similarly make the boy want to deserve it.
Memory hook: The monitor's badge is Anil's key: trust handed over becomes a reason to change.
Education as the road to a better life
Suppose a fifteen-year-old boy who works at the tea stall in your colony asks you to teach him to read the signboards and write his name. He says he wants to do more than pour tea all his life.
How is this boy's wish similar to Hari Singh's realisation in the story? Answer in about 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Both see learning as a door that hard work alone cannot open.
- Hari believed whole sentences could bring more than a few hundred rupees.
- Hari wanted to be a clever, respected man.
- For the tea-stall boy, literacy means better jobs and self-respect.
Answer: Like Hari, the boy sees that reading opens doors that hard work alone cannot. Hari believed whole sentences could one day bring him more than a few hundred rupees and make him respected. For the tea-stall boy, literacy could mean better jobs and self-respect.
Memory hook: Whole sentences are worth more than a pocket full of notes.
Conscience and change of heart
Imagine a shopkeeper in the market gives you 100 rupees extra in change by mistake. You walk off happily, but on the bus home you feel uneasy and cannot stop thinking about it.
Compare your unease with Hari Singh's hesitation at the station. What should you do, and why? Answer in about 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- The unease is conscience, like Hari's unexplained hesitation.
- Hari's hesitation stopped him boarding the train.
- Returning money is awkward but right.
- Hari found returning harder than stealing, yet it gave him a future.
Answer: My unease is my conscience, just as Hari's hesitation on the platform was. He could not explain it, yet it stopped him boarding the train. Returning the money, though awkward, is right. Hari found returning harder than stealing, but it gave him peace and a future.
Memory hook: That uneasy feeling on the bus is Hari standing still on the platform.
Kindness, compassion and forgiveness
Suppose your younger cousin secretly takes 200 rupees from your Diwali gift money. The next day you notice he has quietly put it back in your drawer, without saying a word.
Should you scold him or respond as Anil did? Give reasons linked to the story. Answer in about 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Returning the money shows a waking conscience, like Hari's.
- Scolding may shame him into hiding mistakes.
- Calm trust protects his dignity.
- Anil's silence is what changed Hari.
Answer: I would respond like Anil. Putting the money back shows his conscience has woken, as Hari's did. Scolding might shame him into hiding mistakes. A calm word, or simply trusting him again, lets him keep his dignity and learn honesty, just as Anil's silence changed Hari.
Memory hook: Money quietly returned deserves a quiet response, the Anil way.
Topics in this chapter
- The Thief's Story Character Sketch of Hari SinghComing soon
- Character Sketch of Anil in The Thief's StoryComing soon
- The Thief's Story Theme: Trust and Change of HeartComing soon
- The Thief's Story Question AnswersComing soon
- The Thief's Story Summary and PlotComing soon
How the board asks The Thief's Story
The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.
| Question type | How it is asked | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Short answer on a character or event (Q9, 3 marks) | A direct question in 40-50 words, such as why Hari finds it pleasant to work for Anil, or why he returns the money. | Answer the question in your first sentence, then give two specific details from the story as support. Stay within 50 words and write in clear, correct sentences, since 1 mark is for expression. |
| Compare or trace a change (Q9, 3 marks) | You are asked to compare Hari or Anil at two points, for example Hari's first approach to Anil and his final smile, and say what the change reveals. | Name the earlier behaviour with evidence (flattery, lies, practised smile), name the later behaviour (returning money, natural smile), then state what the change shows in one clear line. |
| Inference from a detail (Q9, 3 marks) | Questions on what a detail suggests, such as the wet note, Hari's hesitation at the train, or Anil not minding the shopping profit. | State what literally happens, then say what it suggests using words like "this suggests" or "we can infer". Link the inference to a character trait or theme. |
| Character sketch (Q11, 6 marks) | A 100-120 word long answer on Hari Singh or Anil, sometimes framed around one idea such as trust or empathy. | Open with a one-line overview of the character. Give three or four traits, each backed by a specific event. End with how the character changes or what he teaches. Content carries 3 marks, expression 2 and accuracy 1. |
| Theme elaboration (Q11, 6 marks) | A statement to elaborate, such as how Anil's love, trust and compassion transform Hari, or how forgiveness shows generosity. | Agree with the statement, explain the theme in your own words, trace it through the plot in order (trust, theft, hesitation, return, wet note, smile) and conclude with the message. |
| Extrapolation or value-based question (Q11, 6 marks) | You may be asked whether Anil was right not to call the police, or how trust can reform a person in real life. | Take a clear stand, support it with evidence from the story, then extend it sensibly to real life. Keep claims about the text accurate and avoid adding events not in the story. |
Tricks to remember The Thief's Story
Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.
The plot in one sentence
'We Rarely Steal; Rain Returns Smiles': Wrestling match (they meet), Room over the Jumna Sweet Shop (the job), Steals 600 rupees, Railway station (misses the Lucknow Express), Rain at the maidan and clock tower, Returns the money, Smile that comes by itself.
Use it when: Use it to keep events in the right order in a 6-mark plot or theme answer.
The faces chart
Greedy = Fear, Rich = Rage (anger), Poor = Peace (acceptance), Anil = Sad (for lost trust, not money). Say it as 'Fear, Rage, Peace, Sad'.
Use it when: For any question on how victims react or why Anil is different.
The number line
15 (Hari's age), 25 (Anil's age), about 1 rupee a day (shopping profit), 600 in fifties (the theft), 10.30 (the Express to Lucknow), early November (the chilly night), midnight (the clock tower), one fifty-rupee note, still wet (the proof).
Use it when: Accurate details make short answers precise and earn content marks.
Three smiles
Smile 1: the 'most appealing smile' to get the job. Smile 2: smiling after the terrible meal so Anil laughs. Smile 3: the smile that comes 'by itself, without any effort'. The first two are tricks; the last is real.
Use it when: Use the smiles to show Hari's change in a character sketch or a compare question.
Themes as TKEC
'Trust Kindles Every Conscience': Trust, Kindness and forgiveness, Education, Conscience and change of heart.
Use it when: Recall all four themes from part 1 when planning a long answer.
The Thief's Story: board-level solved questions
Ordered from board level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.
Example 1: How Hari Singh got the job · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level
How did Hari Singh manage to find work with Anil? Answer in about 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Hari Singh, a 15-year-old thief, met Anil at a wrestling match.
- He judged Anil to be easy-going, kind and simple, an easy target.
- He flattered Anil by saying he looked like a wrestler.
- When Anil said he could not pay, Hari asked to be fed instead and lied that he could cook.
- Anil took him to his room over the Jumna Sweet Shop.
Answer: Hari Singh, a fifteen-year-old thief, spotted Anil at a wrestling match and found him kind and simple. He flattered Anil, claiming he wrestled too. When Anil said he could not pay, Hari asked for food instead and lied that he could cook. Anil took him home.
Example 2: Reading faces after a theft · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
What had Hari Singh learnt from studying the faces of people he robbed? Why did he expect Anil's reaction to be different? Answer in about 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- A greedy man showed fear; a rich man showed anger; a poor man showed acceptance.
- Anil's face would show only a touch of sadness.
- The sadness would be for the loss of trust, not for the money.
- Inference: Anil valued faith in people more than wealth.
Answer: Hari Singh had noticed that a greedy man showed fear, a rich man anger and a poor man acceptance. Anil, he knew, would show only a little sadness, not over the money but over the broken trust. This suggests Anil valued faith in people above wealth.
Example 3: Hari Singh's changing view of education · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Trace how Hari Singh's idea of education changes from his early days with Anil to his night under the clock tower. Answer in about 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Early on: he is grateful and thinks that writing like an educated man would mean no limit to what he could achieve.
- Under the clock tower: he sees that stealing is simple, but so is being caught.
- He now sees education as the way to become a clever, respected man, worth more than a few hundred rupees.
- This new understanding makes him return to Anil.
Answer: At first Hari saw writing as a tool: once educated, there would be no limit to what he could achieve. Sitting wet under the clock tower, he understood more. Stealing was easy and so was being caught, but education could make him a clever, respected man. So he returned.
Example 4: Character sketch of Anil · 6 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Anil is simple, but his simplicity hides real strength of character. Write a character sketch of Anil in about 100-120 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Introduction: about 25, a writer for magazines, lives in a room over the Jumna Sweet Shop.
- Kind and generous: feeds and shelters Hari without wages; after the terrible meal offers to teach him cooking, writing and numbers.
- Trusting: gives Hari a key to the door; Hari calls him the most trusting person he has met.
- Careless with money: borrows one week, lends the next, celebrates each cheque; does not seem to mind Hari's cheating on the shopping.
- Forgiving and wise: knows about the theft but says nothing, pays Hari regularly, starts sentence lessons.
- Conclusion linked to theme: his silent forgiveness reforms the thief.
Answer: Anil, about twenty-five, is a struggling writer living in a room over the Jumna Sweet Shop. He is kind and generous. Though he cannot pay Hari, he gives him food and shelter, and after a terrible first meal he offers to teach him cooking, writing and numbers. He is extremely trusting, giving a key to a boy he barely knows. He is careless with money, borrowing one week and lending the next, and he overlooks Hari's small cheating on the shopping. His finest quality appears at the end. The wet note tells him the money was stolen, yet he says nothing, pays Hari and announces sentence lessons. This suggests that his silent forgiveness, not punishment, reforms the thief.
Example 5: Forgiveness or punishment? · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Suppose Anil had woken up, found the money missing and handed Hari Singh over to the police. Would the story have ended in the same way? Explain, with reference to the story, why forgiveness can change a wrongdoer more than punishment. Answer in about 100-120 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Clear stand: the ending would probably have been very different.
- Hari was a practised thief who changed his name every month to stay ahead of the police; fear of the police had not reformed him.
- He had no friends; arrest could have pushed him deeper into crime.
- Anil chose silence: he knew but said nothing, paid Hari and spoke of writing sentences.
- Effect: Hari's smile came by itself, a sign of genuine change.
- Evaluation: punishment controls from outside; forgiveness awakens conscience from within.
Answer: The story would probably have ended very differently. Hari was a practised thief who changed his name every month to stay ahead of the police. Arrest might have pushed him deeper into crime, since he had no friends and nobody who believed in him. Anil chose silence instead. He knew about the theft but neither scolded nor exposed Hari. He paid him and spoke of writing sentences, showing he still trusted the boy and cared about his future. This unspoken forgiveness touched Hari, and his smile came by itself, without effort. Punishment controls behaviour from outside, but forgiveness awakens conscience from within. In my view, a second chance reforms people more lastingly than a police station can.
Example 6: The meaning of Anil's silence · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
"He knew. But neither his lips nor his eyes showed anything." Why do you think Anil kept quiet, and what does his choice teach us about dealing with someone's mistake? Answer in about 40-50 words.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Anil realised the money had been returned by choice, a sign of a waking conscience (inference).
- Scolding would have shamed Hari and might have driven him away.
- By staying silent and offering wages and lessons, Anil protected Hari's dignity.
- Lesson: quiet understanding can correct better than accusation.
Answer: Anil probably sensed that Hari had returned the money by choice, which showed a conscience waking up. Scolding him would have shamed the boy and perhaps driven him away. By staying silent and offering wages and lessons, Anil let Hari keep his dignity. Quiet understanding can correct better than accusation.
Where the marks are
How a typical answer is marked: the value points the examiner looks for and the marks each earns.
Why did Hari Singh return the stolen money to Anil? (40-50 words, 3 marks) (3 marks)
| Step | Marks |
|---|---|
| Content: he hesitated at the station, missed the train, and had nowhere to go; alone in the rain he rethought his choice | 1 |
| Content: he realised education could make him a clever, respected man, more valuable than a few hundred rupees, so he went back to learn to read and write | 1 |
| Expression: clear, connected sentences within 40-50 words (up to 1 mark may be deducted for spelling and grammar errors) | 1 |
Anil's trust and silent forgiveness transform Hari Singh. Elaborate. (100-120 words, 6 marks) (6 marks)
| Step | Marks |
|---|---|
| Content: Hari at the start is a practised thief who targets Anil, flatters him and lies about his name and cooking | 1 |
| Content: Anil's trust and kindness are shown: food, shelter, a key, lessons in writing, overlooking the shopping profit | 1 |
| Content: the turning point and ending: hesitation at the station, return of the money, Anil knows but stays silent, pays him; the smile comes by itself | 1 |
| Expression: organised answer with an introduction, linked points and a conclusion on the theme | 2 |
| Accuracy: correct spelling, grammar and punctuation within about 100-120 words | 1 |
Where students lose marks in The Thief's Story
The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.
Mistake: Saying Anil caught Hari or forgave him openly
Anil never confronts Hari. The point of the ending is that he knows but says nothing.
Wrong working
Anil woke up, caught Hari stealing and told him he forgave him.
Right working
Anil realised the money had been taken, as the wet note showed, but neither his lips nor his eyes revealed it; he paid Hari and started lessons.
Do this: Remember: the forgiveness is silent. Mention the wet note as the clue.
Usually costs: Can cost 1-2 content marks, because the key event is wrong.
Mistake: Treating 'Hari Singh' as the boy's real name
The narrator admits he lied about his name and took a new name every month.
Wrong working
Hari Singh honestly told Anil his name and started working.
Right working
The boy called himself Hari Singh, a false name; he changed names every month to stay ahead of the police.
Do this: Use the name, but note that it was false when describing his dishonesty.
Usually costs: Can cost 1 content mark in a character question.
Mistake: Giving only the rain as the reason Hari returned
The rain adds to his discomfort, but the reason he gives is education and becoming a respected man.
Wrong working
Hari came back because it was raining and he had nowhere to sleep.
Right working
Cold and alone, Hari realised that learning to write could make him a clever, respected man, worth more than a few hundred rupees, so he went back.
Do this: Always link the return to education and conscience, not just the weather.
Usually costs: Can cost 1 content mark in a 3-mark answer.
Mistake: Retelling the story in a character sketch
A character sketch is marked for traits supported by evidence, not for the plot.
Wrong working
Anil met Hari at a wrestling match. Then he took him home. Then Hari cooked. Then Hari stole the money...
Right working
Anil is extremely trusting: he gives Hari a key to the room and lets him come and go as he pleases.
Do this: Begin each point with a trait, then add one detail as proof.
Usually costs: Can cost 1-2 of the 3 content marks in a 6-mark answer.
Mistake: Going far over the word limit
A 3-mark answer needs 40-50 words; long, rambling answers lose focus and waste time.
Wrong working
A 90-word answer to a 3-mark question that retells the whole night of the theft.
Right working
A 45-word answer that makes two or three clear points and stops.
Do this: Plan two or three value points before writing; count roughly as you go.
Usually costs: Can cost the expression mark and time needed for other questions.
Mistake: Missing the inference in a 'what does it reveal' question
Such questions want an interpretation, not only the event.
Wrong working
At the end Hari smiled at Anil.
Right working
The final smile came by itself, without effort, unlike his earlier practised smiles; this reveals a genuine change of heart.
Do this: After stating the fact, add 'This shows...' or 'This suggests...'.
Usually costs: Can cost 1 content mark.
The Thief's Story: previous year questions
- Asked in 15 of the 21 board papers we hold (2023 to 2026), on average 4.4 marks per paper; 16 questions in all, counting OR alternatives. In 2 of 4 sample papers.
Counted from the real papers on our previous year papers page, not estimated. Average marks are over every board paper we hold, with an OR pair counted once. Chapter tags are ours.
Solved board questions from The Thief's Story
Real questions from recent papers. Try each one first, then open our step-by-step solution with marks per step.
2026, set 2/2/1, Q9 · 6 marks · Short answer
Answer any two of the following three questions in 40 – 50 words each: (2×3=6)
- (i)3 marks
Why does Hari Singh find it pleasant to work for Anil, though he was a thief? (The Thief's Story)
- (ii)3 marks
How does Matilda face 'the horrible life of necessity'? (The Necklace)
- (iii)3 marks
The teacher built up Bholi's confidence on her first day at school. Discuss. (Bholi)
Try it first, then show our solutionSolution
- 3 marks
(i) Anil was kind, gentle and trusting. He made Hari Singh comfortable even though Hari could not cook. He never suspected or scolded him even when Hari stole from him, did not burden him with work, and even taught him to read and write. So Hari found it pleasant to work for him.
- 3 marks
(ii) Matilda faces her poverty bravely. To repay the heavy debt she cleaned utensils, washed clothes and floors, fetched water and bargained for every coin at cheap markets. She became like a woman of the street, and years of hard work ruined her beauty.
- 3 marks
(iii) Bholi had suffered neglect at home, but her teacher was gentle and spoke to her soothingly. She praised Bholi's small efforts, gave her books and promised that no one would laugh at her again. This encouragement gave Bholi the confidence to speak.
Answer: Model answers for sub-parts (i) to (iii) are given above; any two are required.
Where the marks are
- Each sub-part: two relevant value points (2 marks)
- Each sub-part: clear expression (1 mark)
- Any two sub-parts attempted (2 x 3 = 6 marks)
2025, set 2/1/1, Q6(b) · 5 marks · Reading comprehensionCompetency-based
Read the following extract and answer the questions:
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.
(The Thief’s Story)
- (i)1 mark
What does the following line tell us about the character of Anil?
“I think he knew I made a little money this way but he did not seem to mind.” - (ii)1 mark
Which of the following best describes the realization Hari Singh had while working for Anil?
(A) that he would become a rich person one day
(B) that Anil was a very intelligent master but a miser
(C) that he would be able to accomplish a lot if he gets educated
(D) that Anil made a lot of money from his job- (A)that he would become a rich person one day
- (B)that Anil was a very intelligent master but a miser
- (C)that he would be able to accomplish a lot if he gets educated
- (D)that Anil made a lot of money from his job
- (iii)2 marks
What did Anil promise to teach Hari Singh, and how did Hari Singh feel about the opportunity to learn? Answer in about 40 words.
- (iv)1 mark
Fill in the blank with the correct word from the brackets.
The narrator earned extra money by making a/an __________ (profit/investment) of about a rupee a day.
Try it first, then show our solutionSolution
- 1 mark
(i) Anil was generous and easygoing about money. He did not mind the small profit Hari Singh made, and he was kind in not exposing it.
- 1 mark
(ii) Option (C): he would be able to accomplish a lot if he got educated.
- 2 marks
(iii) Anil promised to teach him to cook, to write his name and whole sentences, and to add numbers. Hari Singh felt grateful, believing that once he could write like an educated man there would be no limit to what he could achieve.
- 1 mark
(iv) profit
Answer: (i) Anil was generous and unbothered about small amounts; (ii) C; (iii) cooking, writing and addition; Hari felt grateful and hopeful; (iv) profit
Where the marks are
- (i) Anil is generous/casual about money (1)
- (ii) C (1)
- (iii) What Anil promised to teach (1) and Hari's gratitude (1)
- (iv) profit (1)
Every The Thief's Story question, by year
Practice questions on The Thief's Story
Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.
Q1 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level
How did Anil earn his money, and what was his attitude towards it? Answer in about 40-50 words.
Hint
Look at the paragraph that begins with 'fits and starts' and the evening he comes home with a bundle of notes.
Answer
Value points:
- He wrote for magazines, so money came by fits and starts.
- He borrowed one week and lent the next.
- He worried about his next cheque but celebrated as soon as it arrived.
- He sold a book and brought home a bundle of notes.
- He was careless rather than greedy.
Model answer: Anil wrote for magazines, so his income came by fits and starts. He borrowed one week and lent the next, worried about his next cheque, then celebrated as soon as it came. He brought home a bundle of notes after selling a book. He was careless rather than greedy.
Q2 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level
What happened when Hari Singh reached the railway station with the stolen money? Answer in about 40-50 words.
Hint
Think about the ticket office, the Lucknow Express and the one thing Hari himself cannot explain.
Answer
Value points:
- He did not stop at the ticket office; he had never bought a ticket.
- He rushed to the platform as the Lucknow Express was moving out.
- He could have jumped in, but hesitated for a reason he could not explain.
- He lost the chance and stood alone on the deserted platform.
Model answer: He skipped the ticket office, as he had never bought a ticket, and ran to the platform. The Lucknow Express was just moving out and he could have jumped aboard, but he hesitated for a reason he could not explain and missed it. He stood alone on the deserted platform.
Q3 · 6 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Hari Singh is a thief, yet the reader ends up liking him. Write a character sketch of Hari Singh in about 100-120 words.
Hint
Show two sides: the clever, lying thief of the opening and the boy whose conscience wakes up by the end.
Answer
Value points:
- Fifteen, an experienced and fairly successful thief.
- Shrewd and manipulative: picks Anil as an easy target, uses flattery and an appealing smile.
- Dishonest: lies about his name and his cooking; changes names every month.
- Grateful and ambitious: values learning to write.
- Conflicted: hesitates at the station; realises education can make him respected.
- Reformed: returns the money; final smile comes without effort.
Model answer: Hari Singh, the fifteen-year-old narrator, begins as an experienced, clever thief. He judges people quickly, picks Anil as an easy target and uses flattery and his most appealing smile to win his confidence. He lies freely about his name and his cooking, changing names monthly to escape the police. Yet he is not heartless. He is grateful when Anil teaches him to write and dreams of what education could bring. After stealing the 600 rupees, he hesitates at the station and, cold and alone under the clock tower, realises that learning could make him a clever, respected man. He returns the money nervously. His final smile, which comes without effort, shows that trust has awakened his conscience.
Q4 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Hari Singh says that robbing a greedy man is easy but robbing a careless man is difficult. Explain his reasoning. What does it reveal about him at this point? Answer in about 40-50 words.
Hint
Ask what each kind of victim 'can afford' and what takes away the thief's 'pleasure'.
Answer
Value points:
- A greedy man can afford to be robbed.
- A careless man may not even notice, which takes the pleasure out of the work.
- Reveals Hari's twisted pride in his 'line of work'.
- Suggests Anil's trust is already making the theft uncomfortable for him (inference).
Model answer: Hari feels a greedy man can afford the loss, so robbing him seems fair. A careless man may not even notice the theft, which spoils the thief's pleasure. This reveals Hari's twisted professional pride, and suggests Anil's trust has already made the theft uncomfortable for him.
Q5 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
How does Hari Singh justify the theft to himself just before he steals? Are his excuses convincing? Answer in about 40-50 words.
Hint
He gives himself three reasons. Then weigh them against what Anil has already done for him.
Answer
Value points:
- He is out of practice and must do some real work.
- Anil would only waste the money on his friends.
- Anil does not even pay him.
- Judgement: weak excuses, since Anil fed, sheltered and taught him.
Model answer: Hari tells himself he is out of practice and must do some real work. He argues Anil would only waste the money on friends, and that Anil does not even pay him. These excuses are weak, since Anil fed, sheltered and taught him freely. They hide a guilty conscience.
Q6 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
How do the setting and the weather after Hari Singh misses the train reflect his state of mind? Answer in about 40-50 words.
Hint
Follow him from the platform to the maidan to the clock tower, and notice the cold, the rain and the damp notes.
Answer
Value points:
- Alone on a deserted platform, no friends, nowhere to go.
- Chilly early-November night; drizzle becomes heavy rain; cold wind.
- Physical discomfort mirrors loneliness and unease (interpretation).
- Damp notes at midnight under the clock tower lead him to rethink.
Model answer: After missing the train, Hari wanders alone through the bazaar to the maidan. It is a chilly November night; drizzle turns to heavy rain and cold wind. The discomfort mirrors his loneliness and growing unease, and the damp notes at midnight push him to rethink.
Q7 · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
'Trust can change a person more than fear can.' Do you agree? Answer with reference to The Thief's Story and your own experience, in about 100-120 words.
Hint
Fear of the police never stopped Hari. List what Anil gave him instead, then add one example from your own life.
Answer
Value points:
- Clear stand.
- Fear only makes a person careful; Hari dodged the police by changing names, yet kept stealing.
- Anil's trust: food, shelter, a key, lessons, quiet forgiveness.
- Hari hesitated at the train and returned the money because he valued what Anil offered.
- Personal example of trust leading to responsibility.
- Conclusion.
Model answer: I agree. Fear makes a person careful about getting caught, but it rarely changes the heart. Hari Singh dodged the police by changing his name every month, yet fear never stopped him stealing. What changed him was Anil's trust: food and shelter without wages, a key to the room, lessons in writing, and quiet forgiveness when the wet note gave the theft away. Hari hesitated at the train and later returned the money because he valued what Anil offered. In my own life, when a teacher trusts me with responsibility, I work harder not to let her down. Trust gives people a reason to become better.
Q8 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Suppose Hari Singh had jumped onto the Lucknow Express. What might his life have become? Support your answer with details from the story. Answer in about 40-50 words.
Hint
Use the 600 rupees, his habit of changing names, and what he says about stealing and being caught.
Answer
Value points:
- He would have lived well for a week or two on 600 rupees.
- He would likely have gone back to stealing under a new name.
- He would have lost Anil's lessons and his chance to become a clever, respected man.
- Stealing is simple, but so is being caught.
Model answer: He would likely have lived well for a week or two on 600 rupees, then drifted back to stealing under a new name. Without Anil's lessons he would have lost his chance of becoming a clever, respected man. He might eventually have been caught.
Test your recall
Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.
1.Where did Hari Singh first meet Anil?Show answer
At a wrestling match.
2.How old were Hari Singh and Anil?Show answer
Hari was 15; Anil was about 25.
3.Where did Anil live, and where did Hari sleep?Show answer
In a room over the Jumna Sweet Shop; Hari slept on the balcony.
4.What happened to the first meal Hari cooked?Show answer
Anil gave it to a stray dog and told Hari to be off, but later offered to teach him to cook.
5.How much did Hari steal and in what notes?Show answer
600 rupees, in fifties.
6.Which train did Hari plan to catch, and why did he miss it?Show answer
The 10.30 Express to Lucknow; he hesitated for a reason he could not explain.
7.Which line shows Anil's reaction to theft would be about trust?Show answer
"Not for the loss of money, but for the loss of trust."
8.How did Hari know that Anil knew about the theft?Show answer
The fifty-rupee note Anil gave him was still wet from the night's rain.
Quick revision checklist
The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?
- Can you list the four ways Anil helps Hari before the theft (food, shelter, a key, lessons)?
- Can you explain Hari's three excuses for stealing and why they are weak?
- Can you say what the greedy man, rich man and poor man show when robbed, and what Anil would show?
- Can you trace Hari's night from the room to the station, the maidan and the clock tower?
- Can you compare Hari's first thought about education with his realisation under the clock tower?
- Can you explain why returning the money was harder than stealing it?
- Can you explain the importance of the wet note and Anil's silence?
- Can you contrast Hari's first 'appealing smile' with the final smile that came by itself?
The Thief's Story: frequently asked questions
Who is the narrator of The Thief's Story?
The narrator is a 15-year-old thief who calls himself Hari Singh. This is not his real name, because he takes a new name every month to stay ahead of the police and his former employers.
Why does Hari Singh return the money to Anil?
Sitting in the rain, Hari realises that by stealing he has lost the chance to learn to read and write. He sees that education could make him a clever, respected man and earn him far more than a few hundred rupees. His conscience and Anil's trust also weigh on him.
How does Anil come to know about the theft?
The story suggests Anil finds the notes wet from the night's rain. When he gives Hari a fifty-rupee note, it is still wet, and Hari realises Anil knows. Anil says nothing about it.
Why does Anil not hand Hari over to the police?
The text does not state his reason, but we can infer it from his behaviour. Anil is kind, trusting and forgiving, and the money has been returned. He seems to see goodness in Hari and chooses to give him a second chance through regular pay and education.
What is the significance of the ending of The Thief's Story?
Anil promises to pay Hari regularly and to start teaching him sentences, showing silent forgiveness. Hari's smile comes by itself for the first time. This shows that his transformation from a cunning thief to a sincere young man has begun.
What is the central message of The Thief's Story?
The story shows that trust, kindness and the chance to learn can reform a person more effectively than punishment. It also suggests that doing right, like returning stolen money, takes more courage than doing wrong.
Based on: CBSE English Language and Literature syllabus 2026-27; NCERT Footprints without Feet (Reprint 2026-27), The Thief's Story