English Language & Literature — CBSE Class 10 board question

In 'The Thief's Story,' Ruskin Bond powerfully demonstrates that trust and compassion have the power to reform a person.

Anil, a struggling writer, employs Hari Singh — a young thief — without demanding credentials. He teaches him to cook and promises to educate him, trusting him completely. This unconditional trust plants a seed of conscience in Hari Singh.

When Hari steals ₹600 from under Anil's mattress, he hesitates at the railway station and cannot board the Lucknow Express. He reflects that "whole sentences could one day bring me more than a few hundred rupees." He realises that education and respect matter more than easy money.

He returns the notes undetected. The next morning, Anil hands him a fifty-rupee note — still wet from the rain — yet says nothing, showing compassion rather than anger. His silent forgiveness moves Hari deeply, and his smile "came by itself, without any effort," signalling genuine inner reform.

Thus, Anil's trust and compassion succeed where punishment never could.

Source: 'The Thief's Story', Ruskin Bond — Chapter 2

---

• What examiners look for: A clear thesis statement, evidence from the text (the theft, the hesitation, the return of money, Anil's silent forgiveness), and a conclusion linking back to the theme.
• Key quote to include: "Whole sentences could one day bring me more than a few hundred rupees" — shows Hari's internal change.
• Wet note detail is crucial: it proves Anil knew but chose compassion over confrontation — examiners reward this specific observation.
• Keep paragraphs tight; one idea per paragraph works best for 6-mark literary answers.