The story of the thief - about the author
Ruskin Bond is a famous Indian writer in English. He was born on 19 May 1934. Ruskin's father was in the Royal Air Force. At the age of ten, after his father's death in 1944, Ruskin began living with his grandmother in Dehradun. He spent four years in London, where he began writing his first novel, The Room on the Roof. Ruskin Bond is now recognized as a leading writer in the English language, particularly known for his short stories. He currently lives in Landour, Mussoorie's Ivy Cottage, which has been his residence since 1964.
A short summary of the story of the thief
"The Tale of a Thief" by Ruskin Bond is more than just a thief story. The story is about basic human values and relationships. It is easier for a thief to rob a miser. Even a thief finds it difficult to rob a careless and honest person. Hari Singh stole Anil's money but could not run away with it. He had no friends because he saw them as trouble rather than help. The only person he really knew was the man he robbed. Moreover, Anil was ready to educate Hari Singh. The thief's conscience pricked him. He returned to Anil and crept up to his bed. He slipped the money under the mattress from where he stole it a few hours ago.
Summary of the story of the thief in English
Hari Singh is the narrator of this story. He is a sophisticated thief. One day he met a twenty-five-year-old named Anil at a wrestling match. He gave him a fake smile. He wanted to meet him to become his next victim. Anil avoided him. Hari Singh followed Anil after the match was over. He asked Anil for a job. He was ready to work for Anil if he could feed him. Anil agreed to involve Hari Singh if he could cook food for both of them. The thief lied that he was a good cook because Anil had to throw the bad food prepared by Hari Singh to the dogs on the first day.
Anil decided to teach him how to cook, read and write. The thief made morning tea and bought the day's supplies. Anil was aware of the fact that Hari Singh was making a profit from the purchases.
Anil was not a rich man. He occasionally borrowed money, but paid back the loan whenever he earned money writing for magazines. The thief saw it as a strange way of making money.
One day Anil sold the book to the publisher and brought home a bundle of notes. He put the money under the mattress. The thief hasn't stolen anything in the month he's been working there. He had no desire to rob a careless person who blindly trusted him. But he couldn't resist the temptation to get the notepads. When Anil went to sleep, the thief quietly got up. He took the money and slipped out of the room. He had six hundred rupees in his possession. He reached the station just as the Lucknow Express was picking up speed. He could have boarded, but something held him back. The train soon disappeared from his sight. Hari Singh was left alone on the platform. He was in a dilemma where to go. He had no acquaintances there. He didn't like to go to the hotel so as not to be suspected.
The thief thought that Anil would not be sad because of the loss of money, but because of the loss of the trust he had placed in him. It was a cold night. When he went to the Maidan and sat down on a bench, it was drizzling. His clothes were soaked. He returned to the bazaar. There he hid under the clock tower. It was midnight. He thought and realized that he had passed up a chance to become a decent man. Anil tried to teach him to read and write. He decided to go back to Anil and reached home. Anil was still sleeping. He put the money in the usual place. He slept until late.
Anil made the tea before Hari Singh woke up. Anil offered him a fifty rupee note. He also promised to pay him regularly. The note was still wet. Anil understood everything but did not detect the thief's actions. Instead, Anil said that they would start writing sentences that day. Hari Singh felt guilty and smiled sheepishly.
The moral of the thief's story
The moral of the story is that human values and relationships are important in life and such values can change a person.
You must be logged in to post a comment.