Try each question on your own first. Use the Show Answer button only after you have selected your option, then read the explanation and revise the related concept from your chapter notes.
1. Who is the author of 'The Thief's Story'?
A. Ruskin Bond
B. James Herriot
C. Robert Arthur
D. Victor Canning
Answer: A. Ruskin Bond
Explanation: 'The Thief's Story' is written by the famous Indian author Ruskin Bond.
2. How old was the narrator (the thief) when he met Anil?
A. 15 years old
B. 20 years old
C. 25 years old
D. 12 years old
Answer: A. 15 years old
Explanation: The narrator states he was 15 years old, yet already an experienced and fairly successful thief.
3. What name did the narrator choose when introducing himself to Anil?
A. Hari Singh
B. Ram Singh
C. Anil Kumar
D. Shyam Lal
Answer: A. Hari Singh
Explanation: He took a new name every month to stay ahead of the police and his former employers, choosing 'Hari Singh' this time.
4. How old was Anil when Hari Singh met him?
A. About 25 years old
B. About 20 years old
C. About 30 years old
D. About 35 years old
Answer: A. About 25 years old
Explanation: Anil was a tall, lean 25-year-old fellow who looked easygoing and simple.
5. Where was Anil standing when Hari Singh first approached him?
A. Watching a wrestling match
B. Buying groceries in the market
C. Sitting in a tea shop
D. Waiting at the railway station
Answer: A. Watching a wrestling match
Explanation: Hari Singh approached Anil while Anil was absorbed in watching a wrestling match.
6. What work did Hari Singh initially offer to do for Anil?
A. Cook food for him
B. Teach him writing
C. Wash his clothes
D. Clean his house
Answer: A. Cook food for him
Explanation: Hari Singh lied that he could cook, hoping to get employment and shelter in Anil's house.
7. What happened to the meal cooked by Hari Singh on his first night at Anil's place?
A. It was so terrible that Anil gave it to a stray dog
B. Anil ate it with great relish
C. Hari Singh ate it all himself
D. They threw it in the trash bin
Answer: A. It was so terrible that Anil gave it to a stray dog
Explanation: The meal must have been terrible because Anil gave it to a stray dog and told Hari to be off.
8. Where was Anil's room located?
A. Over the Jumna Sweet Shop
B. Near the railway station
C. Above a bookstore
D. Next to the police station
Answer: A. Over the Jumna Sweet Shop
Explanation: Anil lived in a room situated above the Jumna Sweet Shop, where he allowed Hari to sleep on the balcony.
9. How did Anil make a living?
A. By fits and starts (writing for magazines)
B. Working as a government clerk
C. Running a sweet shop
D. Professional wrestling
Answer: A. By fits and starts (writing for magazines)
Explanation: Anil wrote for magazines to earn an irregular living, celebrating whenever he received a cheque.
10. How did Hari Singh make a small daily profit while working for Anil?
A. By keeping about a rupee a day from daily grocery purchases
B. By selling Anil's books
C. By taking money from Anil's wallet directly
D. By working part-time at the sweet shop
Answer: A. By keeping about a rupee a day from daily grocery purchases
Explanation: When buying the day's supplies, Hari Singh usually made a profit of about a rupee a day, which Anil knew but ignored.
11. Besides feeding him, what crucial skill did Anil promise to teach Hari Singh?
A. Reading, writing full sentences, and adding numbers
B. Cooking delicacies
C. Wrestling techniques
D. Driving a vehicle
Answer: A. Reading, writing full sentences, and adding numbers
Explanation: Anil taught him to write his name and promised to teach him to write whole sentences and add numbers.
12. Why did Hari Singh value learning to read and write?
A. He knew there would be no limit to what he could achieve as an educated man
B. He wanted to get a office job
C. He wanted to write stories like Anil
D. He wanted to read newspaper crime news
Answer: A. He knew there would be no limit to what he could achieve as an educated man
Explanation: Hari realized education could open unlimited opportunities beyond mere petty thievery.
13. One evening, Anil came home with a bundle of notes. How much money was it?
A. 600 rupees (in 50-rupee notes)
B. 500 rupees
C. 1000 rupees
D. 200 rupees
Answer: A. 600 rupees (in 50-rupee notes)
Explanation: Anil had earned 600 rupees in fifty-rupee notes by selling a book to a publisher.
14. Where did Anil put the money before sleeping?
A. Under the mattress
B. Inside an iron safe
C. Under his pillow
D. Inside his suitcase
Answer: A. Under the mattress
Explanation: Hari watched Anil tuck the bundle of notes safely under the mattress.
15. Which train did Hari Singh plan to catch after stealing the money?
A. The 10:30 Express to Lucknow
B. The 9:00 Howrah Mail
C. The Midnight Frontier Mail
D. The 11:15 Delhi Express
Answer: A. The 10:30 Express to Lucknow
Explanation: Hari's plan was to steal the cash and board the 10:30 Express to Lucknow.
16. Why was robbing Anil particularly difficult for Hari Singh, compared to other men?
A. Because Anil was so trusting and careless
B. Because Anil guarded his money fiercely
C. Because Anil had hired security guards
D. Because Anil was physically stronger
Answer: A. Because Anil was so trusting and careless
Explanation: Hari noted that it's easy to rob a greedy man, but hard to rob a careless, trusting man who doesn't even notice he's been robbed.
17. What happened when Hari Singh reached the railway station platform?
A. He hesitated and let the moving train pull away
B. He boarded the train immediately
C. The police caught him on the spot
D. The train had already departed
Answer: A. He hesitated and let the moving train pull away
Explanation: Although the train was slowly picking up speed, an inner hesitation stopped Hari from jumping aboard.
18. Where did Hari Singh go and sit down when it started raining heavily?
A. In the shelter of the clock tower in the maidan
B. Under the awning of the sweet shop
C. Inside a vacant train compartment
D. Inside a hotel porch
Answer: A. In the shelter of the clock tower in the maidan
Explanation: He went to the maidan and sat down under the clock tower as rain drenched his clothes and damp notes.
19. According to Hari Singh, how do different men react when they lose their money?
A. Greedy men show fear, rich men anger, poor men acceptance
B. All men cry bitterly
C. Greedy men fight back, poor men flee
D. Rich men show fear, poor men show anger
Answer: A. Greedy men show fear, rich men anger, poor men acceptance
Explanation: Hari reflected on faces he'd seen: the greedy showed fear, the rich showed anger, and the poor showed acceptance.
20. What reaction did Hari Singh expect on Anil's face upon discovering the theft?
A. A touch of sadness—not for loss of money, but for loss of trust
B. Intense anger and rage
C. Fear of poverty
D. Indifference and boredom
Answer: A. A touch of sadness—not for loss of money, but for loss of trust
Explanation: Hari knew Anil's face would show only sadness for the broken trust, not for the lost cash.
21. What ultimate realization drove Hari Singh to return to Anil?
A. The desire to learn to read and write full sentences
B. Fear of police arrest
C. Lack of shelter in the city
D. Guilt over taking wet money
Answer: A. The desire to learn to read and write full sentences
Explanation: The urge to become a respected, educated man through Anil's teaching brought Hari back to the room.
22. How did Hari Singh place the stolen money back under the mattress?
A. Stealthily slipped his hand under the mattress while Anil was asleep
B. Handed it directly to Anil with an apology
C. Dropped it on the table near Anil's bed
D. Tucked it inside Anil's coat pocket
Answer: A. Stealthily slipped his hand under the mattress while Anil was asleep
Explanation: Hari crept back into the dark room and carefully slid the notes back under the mattress.
23. What did Anil give Hari Singh the next morning?
A. A wet fifty-rupee note
B. A hundred-rupee note
C. A cup of tea only
D. A new book to read
Answer: A. A wet fifty-rupee note
Explanation: Anil handed Hari a fifty-rupee note that was still damp from the previous night's rain.
24. Did Anil let Hari know that he was aware of the theft?
A. He knew through the wet note, but neither his lips nor his eyes showed it
B. He called the police immediately
C. He scolded Hari severely
D. He was completely unaware of the event
Answer: A. He knew through the wet note, but neither his lips nor his eyes showed it
Explanation: Anil knew everything because of the wet note, but he silently forgave Hari without mentioning or showing it.
25. What core theme does 'The Thief's Story' highlight?
A. Love, trust, and human kindness can reform a criminal
B. Strict punishment deters crime
C. Writing is an unprofitable profession
D. Never trust strangers easily
Answer: A. Love, trust, and human kindness can reform a criminal
Explanation: The story shows how Anil's unconditional trust and forgiveness transformed a young thief into an honest human being.
This page contains a chapter-wise objective practice set. Try the questions without checking the answer first, then use the explanation to understand the point you missed. The current page contains 25 questions, so you can practise in smaller sets when you are revising.
Quick revision tip
After the practice set, write down the question numbers you missed and revise only those concepts once more. This makes MCQ practice more useful than repeatedly attempting the same questions without reviewing mistakes.
