Chapter 1.2
Q1. What is the narrator quite successful at?
Answer : The narrator is quite successful at robbing.
Q2. Who does ‘I’ refer to in this story?
Answer : ‘I’ refers to the narrator, who is a thief.
Q3. Why did the narrator change his name every month?
Answer : He changed his name every month to stay ahead of the police and his employers.
Q4. What favours did Anil do for the narrator?
Answer : Anil taught the narrator how to cook and write his name, and promised to teach him to write full sentences.
Q5. What proves that the narrator still practiced deceit?
Answer : He made a profit of about a rupee a day while buying supplies, which shows he was still cheating Anil.
Q6. What could have caused the scars on Hari’s face?
Answer : The scars may have been caused by escaping from the police, fights, or struggles during his earlier thefts.
Q7. Why did Hari hesitate to board the train?
Answer : He felt guilty for robbing kind and trusting Anil, and his conscience stopped him from running away.
Q8. Why does Hari believe that friends were more trouble than help?
Answer : Hari believed friends were trouble because they might betray him or lead the police to him.
Q9. What is face reading?
Answer: Face reading is the art of understanding a person’s character by looking at their facial features.
Q10. What were Hari’s regrets as he pondered over his theft?
Answer : He regretted that he would lose the chance to learn cooking, writing, and becoming a respected man.
Q11. Why did Hari feel nervous?
Answer : He felt nervous because it was harder to return the stolen money without getting caught than to steal it.
Q12. Does Anil realise that he has been robbed?
Answer : Yes, he realizes it because the notes were damp from the rain.
Q13. Why did Hari give a genuine appealing smile?
Answer : He smiled genuinely because Anil forgave him and gave him a new chance in life.
14. Insert the appropriate word/phrase given below, in the sentences that follow.
(flattery, appealing, by fits and starts, dashed to, undetected, spirits rose )
(a) I _____ the school gate when I heard the school-bell ring.
Answer : dashed
(b) After the death of my pet dog, my _____ when dad got me a new pup.
Answer : spirits rose
(c) Do not stoop _____ to just to gain something from someone.
Answer : flattery
(d) The artist completes his paintings _____.
Answer: by fits and starts
(e) The crime went _____ for 11 years.
Answer : undetected
(f) When the baby saw its mother it gave an _____ smile.
Answer : appealing.
15. (a) Find from the text the collocation for the following.
(i) _____ dog
Answer : stray
(ii) _____ man
Answer : careless
(iii) ticket _____
Answer : office
(iv) _____ slowly
Answer : walked
(v) _____ drizzle
Answer : light
(vi) _____ sentences
Answer : whole
(vii) _____ spirits
Answer : risen
(b) Complete the compound words from the story.
(i) oil
Answer : rich
(ii) fifty
Answer : rupee
(iii) easy
Answer : going
(iv) tower
Answer: clock
(v) moon
Answer: light
16. (c) Pick out from the story 3 or 4 examples of Code-mixing (Indian words used in English).
Answer: bazaar, maidaan, pyjamas.
17. Complete the given sentences.
(a) Anil kept Hari as a cook because _____
answer : Hari needed a job and Anil thought he would be able to teach Hari to read and write in return for the food Hari would cook for him
(b) Hari was grateful _____
answer : for teaching him to cook and write his name.
(c) Hari continued making money _____
answer : by making small profits everyday while shopping for supplies.
(d) Anil didn’t hand Hari over to the police _____
answer : he believed that kindness and compassion would reform Hari.
(e) The moral of the story is _____
answer: love, kindness and trust have the power to change a criminal into a gentleman.
18. Think and write in your own words, in your notebook.
(a) Why did Anil employ Hari as a cook, although he could not afford to pay him?
Answer: Although Anil could not afford to pay Hari, he employed him as a cook because he thought Hari was a needy person. He planned to pay him in kind by teaching him how to cook, write his name, do basic math, and write sentences.
(b) What did Hari learn from Anil in the beginning?
Answer: In the beginning, Hari learnt how to cook and how to write his name from Anil.
(c) Why didn’t Anil hand over Hari to the police? What effect would it have had on Hari?
Answer : Anil didn’t hand Hari over to the police because he didn’t want Hari to turn into a hardened criminal. Getting arrested at a young age would leave a lasting negative impact on Hari. Instead, Anil chose to forgive him and guide him with kindness and sympathy, especially since Hari had returned the stolen money.
(d) Do you feel Anil’s way of handling a thief like Hari was effective? Justify your answer.
Answer: Yes, Anil’s way was very effective. Instead of punishing Hari, he focused on educating and reforming him. He believed that teaching Hari how to read and write would help him earn an honest living. His trust and forgiveness made Hari feel guilty and motivated him to change for the better.
(e) What tact had Anil used to change Hari’s dishonest ways?
Answer: Anil used kindness and trust. He taught Hari to write and promised to teach him to write full sentences and do math. He also planned to pay him for cooking. Above all, he trusted Hari completely, which made it hard for Hari to betray him.
(f) ‘And the smile came by itself without any effort.’ Say why. When do people give fake smiles?
Answer : The smile came naturally because Hari felt relieved and happy that Anil had forgiven him. He also looked forward to learning more and living honestly. People usually give fake smiles to hide their true feelings or to impress others.
19. Write a character sketch of ‘Hari Singh’ with the help of the following points, using the paragraph format.
Hari Singh’s background
His dishonesty
His aspirations
His courage to change himself
answer : Hari Singh is a small-time but experienced thief. He is a clever and manipulative young boy who has cheated his previous employers and managed to escape from the police. To avoid being caught, he uses different names and lies frequently.He has a clear plan for stealing—he gains the trust of people, works for them, and eventually robs them. Even after meeting Anil, a kind and trusting man, Hari continues his deceit by stealing a rupee a day while buying daily supplies. Eventually, he even steals all of Anil’s money and decides to run away.However, despite being dishonest, Hari shows that he has a softer side. He willingly learns cooking from Anil and is excited to learn reading and writing. These lessons give him hope for a better future. He begins to value Anil’s trust, friendship, and guidance more than the money he stole.His conscience stops him from betraying Anil completely. He returns the stolen money even though he knows Anil might find out and get him arrested. This act shows his courage and desire to change.In the end, Hari’s actions show that he is more human than criminal. We feel happy to see him reformed and choosing the right path in life.
20. Frame ‘Wh’ questions to get the answers underlined below. (Change the first person pronouns to the second person where necessary.)
(a) I hurried back to the room.
Answer: Where did you hurry back?
(b) I had made a study of men’s faces.
Answer: What had you made?
(c) I drew them out, without a sound.
Answer: How did you draw them out?
(d) The poor man showed acceptance.
Answer: Who showed acceptance?
(e) I made tea in the morning.
Answer: When did you make tea?
Answer by Dimpee bora
