13. Summary of the lesson "The Thief's Story"

The lesson "The Thief's Story" is written by Ruskin Bond. The narrator of the story is a fifteen-year-old thief, Hari Singh. Hari met Anil while watching a wrestling event. Hari approached Anil and praised him for his appearance to develop a good connection with him. He informed Anil that he desired to work for him. On the other hand, Anil stated that he did not have any money. Hari offered to cook for him after hearing it. As a result, Anil brought Hari home and asked him to make food for him. Hari prepared the worst dinner, and after throwing the food at a stray dog, Anil asked him to go. But Hari remained there. On seeing that, Anil smiled and said he would teach him how to cook. Hari started making tea for Anil in the morning, buying groceries, and cooking dinner. When he used to buy groceries, he kept the remaining balance amount of one or two rupees with himself, but Anil didn't mind that. Anil also taught him how to read, write and cook. Anil didn't have a steady source of income, so he would borrow money from one person and lend it to another, and when he made a large sum of money, he would go out and spend it on his friends. One day, after publishing his work, Anil came up with a huge sum of 600 rupees. While Anil was sleeping, Hari took the money and went to the nearest railway station to board a train, but his pricked conscience wouldn't let him go any farther, and he returned. He knew no one in town except Anil, whom he had robbed, so he slept on a bench in the park. Because of the rain, all his money got wet. He then returned to Anil's house in the morning and put the notes beneath his mattress, where they had previously been placed. The following day Anil gave him 50 rupees out of 600 rupees, and the note was moist, implying that Anil had figured out Hari's misdeed, but there was no violent reaction. Hari was moved by Anil's authenticity and determined to change his habits and begin a new life.