Summary of The Thief’s Story Class 10 Footprints without Feet

Answer

The narrator of The Thief’s Story’ is a thief. He was just 15 years old when he met Anil, a writer of about 25 years. Anil was a tall, lean and thin fellow. He looked easy-going, kind and simple enough for the purpose of a thief like a narrator. The thief hadn’t much luck of late. He wanted to win Anil’s confidence. The narrator took a new name every month. He did so to avoid arrest from the police and his former employees. Recently, he introduced himself as Hari Singh.

The narrator wanted to work for Anil. But Anil was not a rich man. He couldn’t pay him. The narrator thought for a moment that he has misjudged his target. Anil asked Hari Singh, the thief if he could cook. Hari Singh lied that he could. The food he cooked on that day, was just terrible. Anil had to give it to a stray dog. Anil asked him to go away but the narrator didn’t budge from there. At last, Anil agreed to teach him cooking. Anil also taught Hari singh, the thief, to write his name and to write whole sentences and to add numbers.

Hari Singh wanted to be educated. He was grateful that, at least, Anil had given him the basic education. He knew that once he could write like an educated man, there would be no limit to what he could achieve. Had Singh found it quite pleasant to work with Anil? He made tea in the morning. He made a profit of one rupee from buying the day’s supplies. Anil knew everything about Had Singh’s stealings but didn’t seem to mind them.

Anil had no regular income. He made money by fits and starts. He seemed to write for magazines. The day he got the money he would go out and celebrate. Then, he would wait and worry about his next cheque.

One evening, Anil came home with a small bundle of notes. He had just sold a book to a publisher. At night, Hari Singh saw him tuck the money under the mattress. Anil had given him a key to the door and he could come and go as he pleased. Anil was the most trusting person he had ever met. It was very difficult to rob him. Sometimes, he didn’t notice that he had been robbed. It took all the pleasure out of Hari Singh’s work. Once, Anil was asleep. Hari Singh thought over the situation. If he stole the money, he could catch the 10:30 Express to Lucknow. He crept up to the bed and sliding his hand under the mattress. He found the notes and drew them out. Anil sighed in his sleep. He turned his side towards Had Singh. The thief (Hari Singh) was startled and quickly came out of the room. On the road, he counted them. They were 600 rupees in fifties. With that money, he could live like a rich Arab for a week or two.

The narrator (the thief) reached the station and dashed straight to the platform. The Lucknow Express was Just moving. He could jump in but hesitate. When the train had gone, he had no idea where to spend the night. He had no friends and didn’t want to stay at one of the hotels. The only person he knew was Anil whom he had robbed. He came to the `maidan’ and sat on a bench. The night was chilly and it had a light drizzle. The notes were damp from the rain.

Had Singh remembered that he had forgotten about his education in the excitement of the theft. He knew that education could one day bring him more than a few hundred rupees. To be a really big man, a clever and respected man, he was to learn reading and writing. He was to be educated. He hurried back to Anil’s room very nervous. He crept to the head of the bed. He held the notes in one hand and slipped them quietly under the mattress. Next morning, Anil stretched out his hand towards the narrator. There was a fifty rupee note between his fingers. Hari Singh’s heart sank. He thought that he had been discovered. Anil made an announcement. He said to Hari Singh that he made some money and Hari would be paid regularly. He also said to that he would teach Had Singh how to write sentences. Anil knew everything about the theft. But neither his lips nor his eyes showed anything.

Answer

• The narrator was a thief.
• Although only 15, he was experienced and successful in his work.
• Luck was against him and he thought of targeting Anil, a young man of 25 years.
• The narrator introduced himself to Anil as Hari Singh.
• He changed his name every month to escape arrest.
• Hari Singh wanted to work for Anil but Anil had no money to pay him regularly.
• Anil had no regular income and used to write for magazines.
• Anil asked if he could cook, and Hari Singh lied that he knew how to cook.
• Hari Singh cooked the food so terribly that it had to be thrown away to the stray dogs.
• Anil asked him to go away but the narrator didn’t leave his company.
• Later on, Anil softened and said to him that he would teach Hari Singh how to cook.
• He also taught Hari Singh to write his name and promised to teach him to write whole sentences and to add numbers.
• It was quite pleasant for Had Singh to work for Anil, and he made a rupee a day from buying the day’s supplies.
• One evening, Anil came home with a small bundle of notes as he had just sold a book to a publisher.
• Hari Singh saw Anil tuck the money under the mattress.
• Hari crept up to the bed, slid his hand under the mattress and took the money out.
• Anil sighed in sleep and Hari Singh startled and quickly left the room.
• When the narrator (the thief) was on the road, he counted the notes: 600 rupees in fifties.
• With that money, he could live like a rich Arab for a week or two.
• He could easily jump into the Lucknow Express but hesitated and remained standing at the platform.
• He had no friends to go and the only person he knew was Anil whom he had robbed a few hours ago.
• It was a chilly night and a light drizzle added to his problem.
• Hari Singh had forgotten about his education in the excitement of theft and realised that education could bring him Character Sketch more money than a few hundred rupees.
• Had Singh went back to the room and put the wet notes under the mattress from where he had stolen it.
• Next morning, Anil stretched out his hand towards the narrator (Hari Singh) holding a fifty-rupee note.
• Anil said to that he had made some money and he would pay Had Singh regularly.
• Actually, Anil knew everything about the theft but neither his lips nor his eyes showed anything.

Answer

Hari Singh: Hari Singh is a small-time thief. His real name is not Hari Singh, he keeps on changing names to escape from police. His Modus operandi is that he earns the trust of people and then robs them and flees. When he sees Anil, he thinks of robbing him and hence approaches him and asks for work. Anil, being a simple person lets his work and even starts teaching him how to cook. Had Singh is delighted when Anil starts teaching him to write as he plans to rob on a larger scale. Had steals a little money daily when he goes to buy daily groceries, and one day when he gets a chance he steals money from Anil and runs away. But at the station, he has a change of heart and comes back. He is now happy and contented to live with Anil.

Anil: Anil is a kind, simple and easy-going young man. He is tall and lean stature and has interest in sports like wrestling. He is not very rich and cannot offer to employ Had as a cook. He has the patience and goodness to not only teach Had to cook but also to read, write and add numbers. Though he knows about Hari’s stealing of little bits of money from the groceries, he ignores this fact.
Anil is a writer who writes for magazines and makes money in fits and starts. He is a very trusting person. Even when he earns a large amount of money, he keeps the money under his mattress and not in a safe box.
Anil is generous enough to pay Hari a certain portion of the money which Hari tried to steal from him earlier. He has a forgiving nature and forgives Had of his theft without letting him know of his discovery. He continues to be a good man to Hari.

Answer

हरि सिंह पंद्रह साल का एक नौजवान लड़का था मगर बह चोर और धोखेवाज था एक कुश्ती के मैच में उसकी मुलाकात अनिल से हुई उसने अनिल का विश्यास जीत लिया और उसके घर में नौकर के तौर पर आ गया

अनिल एक लेखक था और अधिक पैसा नहीं कमाता था इसलिए हरि सिंह ने केवल भोजन के बदले में बहां काम करना स्यीकार कर लिया हरि सिंह को भोजन बनाना आता था अनिल के लिए जो पहला भोजन उसने बनाया बह इतना बुरा था कि अनिल ने उसे कुत्तो के सामने डाल दिया मगर हरि सिंह की आग्रह भरी मुस्कराहटों ने अनिल को मजबूर कर दिया कि बह हरि को निकालने का निर्हररए त्याग दे

हरि सिंह अनिल के छोटे – मोटे काम करने लगा सुबह बह चाय बनाता था और तब बाजार से दिनभर के लिए सामान लाता था कई बार इन सामान की खरीददारी में से बह एक रूपया रोज कमा लेता था

अनिल की कोई नियमित आय नहीं थी यह पत्रिकाओं के लिए लेख और कहानियाँ लिखकर कुछ कमा लेता था मगर एक दिन अनिल नोटों का बंडल लेकर घर आया उसने हरि सिंह को बताया कि उसने अपनी एक पुस्तक बेचकर ६०० रुपए कमाए है पैसा देखकर हरि सिंह के मुहं में पानी आ गया उसने बह पैसा चुराने का फैसला किया अनिल ने पैसे गद्दे के नीचे रखे और सो गया

अब हरि सिंह कमरे में गया और चुपके से गद्दे के नीचे से पैसे निकाल लिए बह लखनऊ की गाढ़ी पकढ़ने के लिए स्टेशन पर गया मगर उसकी गाढ़ी छूट गयी और बह बाजारों में घूमता रहा शीघ्र ही बरसात आरम्भ हो गयी और हरि सिंह पूरी तरह भीग गया

तब हरि सिंह को अनिल की याद आयी उसने कल्पना की कि पैसे को चोरी हुआ पाकर अनिल कितना उदास होगा हरि सिंह को याद आया कि अनिल उसे पढ़ाया करता था उसने सोचा कि बिना शिछा के बह केवल चोर रहेगा मगर शिछा उसे इंसान बना सकती है इसलिए उसने बापस लौटने तथा पैसा बापस रखने का फैसला किया बह घर पंहुचा और उसने चुपके से पैसे गद्दे के नीचे रख दिए

अगली सुबह अनिल ने हरि सिंह को ५० रूपए का नोट दिया नोट अभी भी गीला था हरि सिंह ने सोचा कि उसका अपराध हो गया मगर अनिल ने उससे कहा कि उसने कुछ पैसा कमाया है अब बह उसे नियमित रूप से वेतन दिया करेगा