मराठी
महाराष्ट्र राज्य शिक्षण मंडळएस.एस.सी (इंग्रजी माध्यम) इयत्ता १० वी

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. - English

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प्रश्न

Read the following passage and do the activities. 

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 ?"

"Harl 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 may be I can feed you."

A1. Complete the given boxes with who said to whom:    (2)

  Statement Who To whom
(i) You look a bit of a wrestler yourself.    
(ii) If you can cook, then may be I can feed you.    

A2. Complete the cluster diagram mentioning the characteristics of the main character of the passage:  (2)

A3. Choose the correct meanings of the following words from the given options:  (2)

  1. Flattery -
    1. insincere praise
    2. appreciation
    3. creating false impression
    4. unfaithful behaviour
  2. Appealing -
    1. good conduct
    2. attractive
    3. charming
    4. beautiful

A4. Do as directed:   (2)

  1. I took a new name every month.
    [Frame 'Wh' question to get the underlined part as an answer.]
  2. I was an experienced hand.
    [Underline the determiners from the given sentence.]

A5. Why do you think Hari Singh gave his most appealing smile?   (2)

आकलन

उत्तर

A1. 

  Statement Who To whom
(i) You look a bit of a wrestler yourself. Hari Singh Anil
(ii) If you can cook, then may be I can feed you. Anil Hari singh

A2. 

A3.

  1. Flattery - insincere praise
  2. Appealing - attractive

A4.

  1. What did you take every month?
  2. I was an experienced hand.

A5. Hari Singh intended to find his next victim and steal money from them. Anil struck him as a simple, easygoing, and kind man. A perfect target for exploitation. So he gave his most appealing smile to gain his trust. He intended to deceive him by working for him and then stealing his money when the opportunity arose.

shaalaa.com
The Thief’s Story
  या प्रश्नात किंवा उत्तरात काही त्रुटी आहे का?
2021-2022 (March) Set 1

संबंधित प्रश्‍न

What is he “a fairly successful hand” at?


What does he say about the different reactions of people when they are robbed?


What are Hari Singh’s reactions to the prospect of receiving an education? Do they change over time? (Hint: compare, for example, the thought: “I knew that once I could write like an educated man there would be no limit to what I could achieve” with these later thoughts: ‘Whole sentences, I knew, cloud one day bring me more than a few hundred rupees. It was a simple matter to steal − and sometimes just as simple to be caught. But to be a really big man, a clever and respected man, was something else.”) What makes him return to Anil?


Why does not Anil hand the thief over to the police? Do you think most people would have done so? In what ways is Anil different from such employers?


Read the story carefully and complete the table:

Total no. of characters Names Ages Physical appearance

Earned money by

Qualities
           
           

Complete the given sentence.

Anil kept Hari as a cook because ____________


Complete the given sentence.

Hari was grateful ____________


Think and write in your own words, in your notebook.

What did Hari learn from Anil in the beginning?


Read the following passage and do the activities.

A1. Relate the following qualities with the two characters of the story:

 

  Narrator Anil
(1)    
(2)    

 

He took 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 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, and 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.

A2. State whether true or false:

  1. Anil liked what the narrator cooked.
  2. Anil taught the narrator to write his name.
  3. Anil was a wealthy person.
  4. Anil made money by fits and starts.

A3. Match the words to their meanings.

(1) Pleasant Strange
(2) Fits and starts Satisfactory
(3) Queer Give
(4) Lend Irregular bursts of activities

A4. Do as directed:

Frame 'Wh' questions with reference to the phrases underlined below. (Change the first person pronouns to second person)

  1. He taught me to write my name.
  2. I think he knew I made a little money this way but he did not seem to mind.

A5. Give a brief description of Anil and the narrator's characters.


Fiction writers prefer creating grey characters rather than black and white. Analyse this in detail, with reference to both the characters of The Thief’s Story.


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