Footprints Without Feet - Supplementary Reader in English for Class X 2. The Thief's Story - RUSKIN BOND Glossary, Summary, Questions ...
Footprints Without Feet - Supplementary Reader in English for Class X
2. The Thief's Story - RUSKIN BOND
Glossary, Summary, Questions and Answers.
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Glossary -
1. Flattery - insincere praise.
2. Grunting -making low guttural sounds.
3. Fits and starts - rarely.
4. Appealing - attractive.
5. Modestly - without boasting, in a humble way.
6. Unlined - showing no sign of worry or anxiety.
7. Damp - wet.
Summary - The story, " The Thief's Story" is written by the writer Ruskin Bond, he was born in India and spent the maximum time of his life in India, he is supposed to be an Indian writer, so his character's name is Hari Singh and Anil. Hari Singh is a 15-year-old boy, generally involved in stealing and robbing innocent people like Anil after gaining their confidence. Once he met Anil near the wrestling court and he judged that Anil could be his next prey. So he approaches Anil for some household jobs but as Anil was a struggling writer and not in a position to pay him, Anil hired him for food and a place to live in return.
One day, When Anill receives a good amount of money from the editor of the magazine for which he writes, his inner thief awakes, and decides to rob him, and in the night he steals 650 rupees when Anil is sleeping, he hurriedly reaches to the railway station, but misses the train, and as it was a rainy night, and he had no place to live he comes back to Anil's room. Even after knowing the reality of Hari Singh, Anil forgives him and promises him to teach the basics of the language. In this way, because of his sympathetic behavior, Anil succeded in changing the thief into a gentleman, rather than a gentleboy, that is no more the thief.
READ AND FIND OUT; (page no. 8)
1. Who does 'I' refer to in this story?
Ans - In this story, ' I ' refers to Hari Singh, a 15-year-old boy and a thief, who is the narrator of the story.
2. What is he" a fairly successful hand" at?
Ans - Hari Singh is an experienced thief and has a successful hand at stealing and robbing people by taking them in confidence.
3. What does he get from Anil in return for his work?
Ans - In return for his work, he gets food and a place to live because at that time Anil was not in a position to pay him.
READ AND FIND OUT; (page no.10)
1. How does the thief think Anil will react to the theft?
Ans - The thief thinks that Anil would become very sad after knowing his reality, not because of the loss of money but the loss of faith, he had in the thief.
2. What does he say about the different reactions of people when they are robbed?
Ans - He says that the reactions of people are different when they are robbed. The greedy man showed fear, the rich man showed anger, and the poor man showed acceptance.
3. Does Anil realize that he has been robbed?
Ans - Yes, Anil realizes that he has been robbed of the fact that, the very next day he gives a fifty rupee note to Hari Singh which is wet and damp, but still he does not say anything to Hari Singh.
Think about it -
1. What are Hari Singh's reactions to the prospect of receiving an education? Do they change over time? What makes him return to Anil?
Ans-Hari Singh was very happy and excited when he started receiving the basics of education from Anil because he knew that a well-educated man could achieve anything in life. No, it does not change with time, rather his intense desire to learn forced him to return to Anil.
2. Why does Anil not hand the thief over to the police? Do you think most people would have done so? In what ways is Anil different from such employees?
Ans - Anil does not hand over the thief to the police, because Hari's return showed him that the thief realized his mistake and wants to learn. Most of the people would have definitely handed over to the police, in this way, Anil is totally different from other employees because he wanted to give a second chance to Hari so that he could live a respectful life.
Talk about it -
1. Do you think people like Anil and Hari Singh are found only in fiction, or are there such people in real life?
Ans - It is rather difficult to find people like Anil and Hari Singh in real life, but it is not impossible, we may come across people like Anil who always believe in the goodness of a person, and always look for a brighter side of a person, but it is very rare to find people like Hari Singh who returns back for the sake of education, because as per quotation, " Once a thief, always a thief".
2. Do you think it is a significant detail in the story that Anil is a struggling writer? Does this explain his behavior in any way?
Ans - Yes, there are significant details given in the story. First, he does not pay anything to Hari, many times he has to wait for the cheque, and even in a money crisis, he has to borrow, and a clear quote is given, " Anil made money by fits and starts" meaning rarely, shows that he is a struggling writer.
3. Have you met anyone like Hari Singh? Can you think and imagine the circumstances that can turn a fifteen-year-old boy into a thief?
Ans - Not exactly like Hari Singh, but yes, when I was in 7-8 class, he was my class met, and he used to sit behind my bench in the classroom, and he used to steal some stationary items from my compass box, such as new pen, pencil or an eraser. For many days I couldn't find him, but one day, I bought him red-handly in the recces time, he simply apologized to me, and I gladly forgave him, and then he became my very good friend.
Yes, mainly it happens because of extreme poverty, lack of education, unemployment of the parents, living atmospheres like slum areas, and so on. At the start, they become a thief to fulfill their basic needs like food, and clothes, but if ignored and not timely counseled, they may become serious thieves.
4. Where is the story set? Which language or languages are spoken in these places? Do you think the characters in the story spoke to each other in English?
Ans - I think the story is plotted around the city of Lucknow because there is mention of Jumna sweet shop, Lucknow Express in the story, so I guess it must be Lucknow, and as the city is located in the Uttar Pradesh of India, so I can say that the characters must be speaking Hindi Language, not English language because in the northern states of India, maximum people speak Hindi, not English.
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