📖 Class 10 English – Footprints Without Feet – The Thief's Story
Original Visual Revision Notes Aligned with the Class 10 English syllabus. Independently created study material. Not affiliated with or endorsed by NCERT.

📌 Table of Contents 1. 📚 Classroom Notes 2. 🎨 Easy Illustrations 3. ✏️ Worked Examples 4. 📋 Cheat Sheet 5. 🏠 Take-Home Handout 6. 🃏 Revision Flashcards 7. 🧠 Mind Map

📝 Section 1 — Classroom Notes

✍ About the Author

👷 Main Characters

🏠 Setting

🔓 How Hari Singh Meets Anil

📚 Life with Anil

💵 The Theft at Night

🔄 The Change of Heart

💡 Anil's Wise Response

💡 Theme and Moral

🎨 Section 2 — Easy Illustrations

Wrestling Match Anil — watching Hari Singh — planning "I can work for you!" Hari Singh spots Anil at the wrestling match and makes his move.

Hari Singh carefully chose Anil as his target — he looked kind and easy to trick.

Path of Theft 600 rupees stolen Alone, cold, in rain No future, no friends Dead end! Path of Education Learn to write sentences Earn respect Become a "big man" Real future! VS Hari Singh chooses education over 600 rupees.

Hari Singh's dilemma: steal the money OR return to Anil for education?

12 Hari Singh — cold, wet, thinking "Sentences are worth more than 600 rupees!" Midnight — the turning point

Sitting in the cold rain at midnight, Hari Singh makes his most important decision.

Wet 50-rupee note Anil KNOWS — but says nothing Anil says: "Today we'll start sentences." Anil's silence = the greatest act of trust and forgiveness.

The wet note tells us Anil knew — his silence was his way of forgiving and trusting Hari Singh.

✏️ Section 3 — Worked Examples

❓ Question 1 — Character Study

What kind of person is Anil? How is he different from most people?
1 Think about how Anil reacts to Hari Singh's bad cooking.
2 Think about what Anil teaches Hari Singh and why.
3 Think about his reaction after the theft.
✅ Answer: Anil is unusual because he is kind, trusting, and generous without expecting anything in return. He laughs at the bad cooking but keeps Hari Singh. He teaches him reading and writing freely. He probably knows Hari Singh steals a rupee daily from shopping money but says nothing. After the theft, he gives Hari Singh a wet note — showing he knows — yet starts teaching sentences. He values people's potential more than their faults.

❓ Question 2 — Turning Point

Why did Hari Singh return the money? What made him change his mind?
1 Consider what was going through his mind at the station.
2 Think about what he stood to lose if he ran away.
3 Recall his thoughts about education and becoming a "big man."
✅ Answer: Hari Singh returned the money because he realised that education was far more valuable than 600 rupees. At the station, alone in the cold rain, he thought: stealing is easy but being a "really big man — a clever and respected man" needs education. If he ran away, he would lose the chance to learn. Anil's kindness also made him feel guilty. He chose future respect over present money.

❓ Question 3 — Significance of Detail

Why is it important that the 50-rupee note Anil gives Hari Singh is wet?
1 Recall that the stolen notes were soaked in the rain.
2 Think about what a wet note means — Anil must have noticed.
3 Consider why the author puts this detail in the story.
✅ Answer: The wet note is a crucial detail. The stolen money got wet in the rain when Hari Singh sat outside at midnight. When he returned the notes, they were still damp. By giving Hari Singh a wet fifty-rupee note the next morning, Anil silently shows he knows about the theft — but chooses not to say so. This detail proves Anil's extraordinary understanding and forgiveness without words.

❓ Question 4 — Theme

What does the story say about trust and its effect on people?
1 Think about how Anil treated Hari Singh from the start.
2 Consider how this treatment affected Hari Singh's choices.
3 Reflect on the ending and what it suggests.
✅ Answer: The story shows that trust has transforming power. Anil trusted Hari Singh completely even though he was a thief. This trust made it "difficult to rob" Anil — the thief felt guilt rather than triumph. When Hari Singh returned the money, his smile "came by itself, without any effort" — showing genuine change. Trust, not punishment, reformed the thief. The story argues that kindness and trust are stronger than suspicion or law.

📋 Section 4 — Cheat Sheet

Key vocabulary from "The Thief's Story" with simple meanings.

WordSimple Meaning
FlatterySaying nice things about someone to get what you want
ModestlyWithout boasting; in a humble, quiet way
AppealingAttractive or charming; able to win sympathy
UnlinedA face showing no signs of worry or age
GruntingMaking low, rough sounds like wrestlers do
ScrimmageA rough, confused struggle
DesertedEmpty of people; abandoned
DistraughtDeeply upset and troubled
DetectTo discover or notice something hidden
PyjamasLoose clothing worn at night
ProsperousSuccessful and having enough money
BetrayalBreaking someone's trust in a harmful way
ReformedChanged for the better; given up bad habits
ManuscriptA piece of written work, like a story or article

📄 Section 5 — Take-Home Handout

📝 Part A — Fill in the Blanks

  1. Hari Singh took a new __________ every month to stay ahead of the police.
  2. Anil taught Hari Singh to write his __________ and promised to teach him whole __________.
  3. Hari Singh found __________ rupees hidden under Anil's mattress.
  4. He sat under the __________ tower in the rain while thinking about returning.
  5. The next morning, Anil handed Hari Singh a __________ fifty-rupee note.

📝 Part B — True or False

  1. Hari Singh successfully caught the train to Lucknow. (True / False)
  2. Anil was a famous journalist who earned a fixed salary. (True / False)
  3. Hari Singh made a small profit by cheating on the daily shopping. (True / False)
  4. Anil openly accused Hari Singh of stealing the money. (True / False)
  5. Hari Singh's smile at the end was genuine and effortless. (True / False)

📝 Part C — Match the Columns

Column AColumn B
1. Hari Singh's real joba. Writing sentences
2. Anil's way of earningb. Professional thief
3. What Hari Singh most valuedc. Writing for magazines
4. Anil's gift next morningd. Education / literacy
5. The wet note symbolisese. Anil knew but forgave

📝 Part D — Short Answer Questions

  1. Why did Hari Singh hesitate at the railway station and miss the train?
  2. How does Hari Singh describe the different expressions on people's faces when they are robbed?
  3. Why does Anil's face show only "a touch of sadness" when robbed, not anger or fear?

📝 Part E — Think and Write

  1. If you were Anil and discovered the theft, would you confront Hari Singh or do what Anil did? Give your reason.
  2. The story says it is "easier to steal something than to return it undetected." What does this tell us about honesty?

✅ Detailed Answers

Part A Answers:
1. name   2. name / sentences   3. 600   4. clock   5. wet
Part B Answers:
1. False (he hesitated and missed the train)   2. False (he wrote for magazines irregularly)   3. True   4. False (he said nothing)   5. True
Part C Answers:
1–b   2–c   3–d   4–a   5–e
Part D Answers:
1. Hari Singh hesitated for reasons he himself could not explain — perhaps guilt about betraying Anil's trust stopped him from jumping on the train.
2. A greedy man shows fear; a rich man shows anger; a poor man shows sad acceptance. But Anil would show only "a touch of sadness" — not for money, but for lost trust.
3. Anil is not greedy or materialistic. Money means little to him. What hurts him is the loss of the trust and relationship he had built with Hari Singh. This makes him unusual and deeply human.
Part E Sample Answers:
1. I would do what Anil did — forgive silently. Confronting might push the person away. Anil's silent forgiveness gave Hari Singh a chance to change himself.
2. It is easy to take something secretly, but returning it means overcoming your own ego and fear. Honesty requires courage — it is always harder than dishonesty.

🃏 Section 6 — Revision Flashcards

Who wrote "The Thief's Story"?
Ruskin Bond — famous Indian English writer
What false name does the thief use?
Hari Singh — he changes his name every month
How much money did Hari Singh steal?
600 rupees (in fifty-rupee notes) from under Anil's mattress
Why did Hari Singh return the money?
He realised education and respect were worth more than stolen money
What does the wet note symbolise?
Anil knew about the theft but chose to forgive silently
What does Anil say the next morning?
"Today we'll start writing sentences."
How does Anil earn money?
By writing articles for magazines — irregular income
What is the central theme of the story?
Trust and education can reform a person; kindness is more powerful than punishment

🧠 Section 7 — Mind Map

Characters Hari Singh (thief, 15) Anil (writer, 25) The Theft 600 rupees taken from under mattress Missed Train Hesitated! Return of Money Midnight — puts wet notes back under mattress Theme Trust reforms people Wet Note Anil knew — but forgave silently Setting North India, November night Education Worth more than 600 rupees! The Thief's Story Lesson 2

Mind map showing the key ideas in "The Thief's Story".