thinner than a creascent 10th Class English - full story

thinner than a creascent 10th Class English - full story 

Here is the full story of “Thinner Than a Crescent” (10th Class English) written in simple and exam-oriented language, suitable for Bihar Board / State Board students.

Thinner Than a Crescent – Full Story

Author: Khwaja Ahmad Abbas

“Thinner Than a Crescent” is a touching short story that highlights human emotions, poverty, love, sacrifice, and silent suffering. The title itself is symbolic and refers to a condition that is even weaker or more delicate than the thin crescent of the moon.

Full Story

The story revolves around a poor Muslim family living in a small house. The main characters are a mother, her young son, and the father, who struggles daily to earn enough money to support the family. Their life is full of hardship, yet bound by deep love and understanding.

One evening, the little boy looks at the thin crescent moon in the sky and becomes fascinated by it. He asks his mother innocent questions about the moon. The mother smiles sadly, hiding her worries and pain. Her health is very weak due to hunger and continuous sacrifice for her family.

The family does not have enough food. Many nights, the mother pretends that she has already eaten, so that her husband and son can have food. Slowly, her body becomes weaker and thinner, symbolizing the title of the story—thinner than a crescent.

The father works hard but earns very little. He feels helpless because he cannot provide proper food and medical care to his wife. Despite this, the mother never complains. She continues to care for her son with love and affection.

One night, the child notices how thin and weak his mother has become. Innocently, he compares her to the crescent moon, saying she looks even thinner than it. These words deeply move the father. He realizes the silent sacrifice his wife has been making for the family.

The story ends on an emotional note, showing the pain of poverty, the strength of a mother’s love, and the quiet dignity of suffering. It teaches us that true love often remains unspoken and unseen.

Theme of the Story

• Poverty and hunger
• Mother’s sacrifice
• Silent suffering
• Human emotions and compassion

Moral / Message

The story teaches us that true love lies in sacrifice. It also shows how poverty can silently destroy lives, and why we should be kind, grateful, and compassionate toward others.

Below are exam-ready notes for “Thinner Than a Crescent” – 10th Class English in simple language, exactly in the format usually asked in board exams.

Thinner Than a Crescent – Summary

“Thinner Than a Crescent” by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas is a sensitive story about poverty, sacrifice, and a mother’s silent suffering. The story presents a poor family struggling to survive. The father earns very little, and the family often faces hunger.

The mother sacrifices her share of food so that her husband and son can eat. Due to continuous hunger, she becomes very weak and thin. However, she never complains and always hides her pain behind a smile.

One night, the little boy notices the thin crescent moon in the sky and innocently compares his mother’s thin body to it, saying she is thinner than a crescent. This comparison deeply affects the father and reveals the silent sacrifice of the mother.

The story highlights the harsh reality of poverty and glorifies a mother’s selfless love.

Short Answer Questions (30–40 words)

Q1. Why is the story titled “Thinner Than a Crescent”?

Answer:

The title symbolizes the mother’s extreme weakness caused by hunger and poverty. She becomes thinner than the crescent moon due to her continuous sacrifice for her family.

Q2. What role does poverty play in the story?

Answer:

Poverty creates hunger, suffering, and helplessness in the family. It forces the mother to sacrifice food, leading to her poor health and silent pain.

Q3. Describe the character of the mother.

Answer:

The mother is loving, patient, and self-sacrificing. She silently bears hunger and illness to ensure her family’s happiness and never complains.

Q4. How does the child contribute to the emotional impact of the story?

Answer:

The child innocently compares his mother to the crescent moon, unknowingly revealing her suffering and deeply touching the father’s heart.

Q5. What feeling does the story create in the reader?

Answer:

The story evokes sympathy, sadness, and respect for a mother’s sacrifice and makes readers aware of the harsh effects of poverty.

Long Answer Questions (100–120 words)

Q1. Describe the theme of the story “Thinner Than a Crescent.”

Answer:

The main theme of the story is poverty and sacrifice. It shows how hunger silently destroys health and happiness in poor families. The story highlights a mother’s selfless love as she gives up her food for her husband and child. Her suffering remains unnoticed until the child’s innocent words reveal the truth. The author also emphasizes human dignity and emotional strength despite poverty. The story reminds us that real love does not demand attention or praise; it survives quietly through sacrifice.

Q2. Sketch the character of the mother in the story.

Answer:

The mother is the most powerful character in the story. She represents patience, love, and sacrifice. Despite living in extreme poverty, she never complains about her suffering. She often pretends that she has eaten to save food for her family. Her health deteriorates, yet she continues to care for her child with affection. She hides her pain behind a smile, showing emotional strength. Through her character, the author glorifies motherhood and selfless love.

Q3. How does the story reflect the harsh realities of life?

Answer:

The story reflects the harsh reality of poverty, hunger, and helplessness. The father’s low income fails to meet the family’s basic needs. The mother’s health suffers due to lack of food, showing how poverty affects human life silently. The emotional pain is more intense because it remains unspoken. The story realistically portrays how many families suffer quietly without complaints, making it deeply moving and realistic.

Very Short Question–Answer (for quick revision)

Q1. Who is the author of the story?

→ Khwaja Ahmad Abbas

Q2. What does the crescent symbolize?

→ Extreme thinness and suffering

Q3. Who sacrifices the most in the story?

→ The mother

Q4. What is the central message?

→ Love and sacrifice in poverty

Below are exam-oriented practice questions for “Thinner Than a Crescent” – 10th Class English, written in simple language and useful for board preparation.

MCQs (Multiple Choice Questions)

Q1. Who is the author of “Thinner Than a Crescent”?

(a) R. K. Narayan

(b) Khwaja Ahmad Abbas

(c) Mulk Raj Anand

(d) Premchand

Answer: (b) Khwaja Ahmad Abbas

Q2. The story mainly highlights the problem of—

(a) Illiteracy

(b) Poverty

(c) Superstition

(d) Corruption

Answer: (b) Poverty

Q3. What does the crescent moon symbolize in the story?

(a) Beauty

(b) Hope

(c) Extreme thinness

(d) Darkness

Answer: (c) Extreme thinness

Q4. Who compares the mother to the crescent moon?

(a) The father

(b) The neighbor

(c) The author

(d) The child

Answer: (d) The child

Q5. Why does the mother often remain hungry?

(a) She is ill

(b) She dislikes food

(c) She sacrifices for her family

(d) She is fasting

Answer: (c) She sacrifices for her family

Q6. The story ends on a note of—

(a) Happiness

(b) Humor

(c) Tragedy and emotion

(d) Surprise

Answer: (c) Tragedy and emotion

Q7. What quality of the mother is shown most clearly?

(a) Anger

(b) Pride

(c) Sacrifice

(d) Fear

Answer: (c) Sacrifice

Q8. The father feels helpless mainly because—

(a) He is lazy

(b) He is uneducated

(c) He earns very little

(d) He is ill

Answer: (c) He earns very little

One Word / Definition Questions

Q1. Name the literary form of “Thinner Than a Crescent.”

→ Short story

Q2. The thin shape of the moon is called—

→ Crescent

Q3. The central theme of the story is—

→ Poverty

Q4. A person who gives up something for others—

→ Self-sacrificing

Q5. The feeling of deep sadness—

→ Sorrow

Q6. Who shows silent suffering in the story?

→ The mother

Q7. The story shows strong emotional feeling known as—

→ Pathos

Very Short Question–Answer

Q1. Who is the central character of the story?

→ The mother

Q2. What weakens the mother’s body?

→ Hunger

Q3. What does the child notice about his mother?

→ She has become very thin

Q4. What does the story teach us?

→ Love and sacrifice

Short Question–Answer (30–40 words)

Q1. Why does the mother hide her hunger?

Answer:

The mother hides her hunger because she wants her husband and child to eat properly. She sacrifices her share of food out of love and responsibility.

Q2. How does the crescent moon add meaning to the story?

Answer:

The crescent moon symbolizes extreme thinness. When the child compares his mother to it, her suffering and sacrifice become clear.

Q3. What makes the story emotional?

Answer:

The silent suffering of the mother, the helplessness of the father, and the child’s innocent words make the story deeply emotional.

Q4. What message does the author convey?

Answer:

The author conveys that true love lies in sacrifice and poverty often causes unseen pain and suffering.

Thinner Than a Crescent – 50 Important Objective Questions

Choose the Correct Answer

Q1. Who is the author of “Thinner Than a Crescent”?

(a) R. K. Narayan

(b) Khwaja Ahmad Abbas

(c) Mulk Raj Anand

(d) Premchand

Ans: (b)

Q2. The story mainly deals with—

(a) War

(b) Poverty

(c) Adventure

(d) Crime

Ans: (b)

Q3. What does the crescent symbolize?

(a) Hope

(b) Beauty

(c) Thinness

(d) Light

Ans: (c)

Q4. Who compares the mother to the crescent moon?

(a) Father

(b) Mother

(c) Child

(d) Neighbor

Ans: (c)

Q5. The mother becomes weak due to—

(a) Illness

(b) Age

(c) Hunger

(d) Work

Ans: (c)

Q6. The mother hides her hunger because—

(a) She is fasting

(b) She dislikes food

(c) She sacrifices for her family

(d) She is sick

Ans: (c)

Q7. The father feels helpless because—

(a) He is ill

(b) He is lazy

(c) He earns very little

(d) He is old

Ans: (c)

Q8. The story highlights which human value?

(a) Greed

(b) Sacrifice

(c) Pride

(d) Anger

Ans: (b)

Q9. The mother’s suffering is mostly—

(a) Loud

(b) Complaining

(c) Silent

(d) Violent

Ans: (c)

Q10. The story ends on a note of—

(a) Joy

(b) Humor

(c) Emotion

(d) Adventure

Ans: (c)

Fill in the Blanks

Q11. “Thinner Than a Crescent” is a __________ story.

Ans: short

Q12. The crescent is a thin shape of the __________.

Ans: moon

Q13. The central theme of the story is __________.

Ans: poverty

Q14. The mother often pretends that she has already __________.

Ans: eaten

Q15. The story reflects the harsh reality of __________.

Ans: life

True / False

Q16. The mother complains about her suffering.

Ans: False

Q17. The child understands the mother’s sacrifice fully.

Ans: False

Q18. The father is rich.

Ans: False

Q19. The story shows strong emotional feeling.

Ans: True

Q20. The crescent is used as a symbol in the story.

Ans: True

One-Word Answer

Q21. Author of the story?

Ans: Abbas

Q22. Literary form of the story?

Ans: Short story

Q23. Main sufferer in the story?

Ans: Mother

Q24. Feeling created in the reader?

Ans: Sympathy

Q25. Main human value shown?

Ans: Sacrifice

Very Short Answer

Q26. Who is the central character?

Ans: The mother

Q27. What weakens the mother’s body?

Ans: Hunger

Q28. What does the crescent compare to?

Ans: Mother’s thin body

Q29. Who earns money for the family?

Ans: Father

Q30. What does the story teach?

Ans: Love and sacrifice

Choose the Correct Option

Q31. The story mainly focuses on—

(a) Education

(b) Poverty

(c) Religion

(d) Politics

Ans: (b)

Q32. The mother sacrifices food for—

(a) Herself

(b) Neighbors

(c) Family

(d) Guests

Ans: (c)

Q33. The crescent moon appears in the—

(a) Morning

(b) Evening sky

(c) Afternoon

(d) Noon

Ans: (b)

Q34. The child’s words are—

(a) Planned

(b) Innocent

(c) Angry

(d) Rude

Ans: (b)

Q35. The story reflects—

(a) Fantasy

(b) Romance

(c) Reality

(d) Comedy

Ans: (c)

Match the Following

Q36. Author —

Ans: Khwaja Ahmad Abbas

Q37. Crescent —

Ans: Thin moon

Q38. Mother —

Ans: Sacrifice

Q39. Father —

Ans: Helplessness

Q40. Child —

Ans: Innocence

Additional Objective Questions

Q41. The story creates a sense of—

Ans: Pathos

Q42. Hunger leads to the mother’s—

Ans: Weakness

Q43. The mother’s love is—

Ans: Selfless

Q44. The family belongs to a __________ background.

Ans: Poor

Q45. The mother’s pain remains mostly—

Ans: Unspoken

True / False (More)

Q46. The story glorifies luxury.

Ans: False

Q47. Themother’s character shows patience.

Ans: True

Q48. Poverty is shown as destructive.

Ans: True

Q49. The child intentionally hurts his mother.

Ans: False

Q50. The story promotes human compassion.

Ans: True

Outro: Thinner Than a Crescent

In conclusion, “Thinner Than a Crescent” is a deeply moving story that brings out the harsh reality of poverty and the silent strength of a mother’s love. Through simple events and innocent words, the writer shows how hunger and deprivation can slowly weaken the body, yet fail to break the spirit. The mother’s quiet sacrifice, her patience, and her selfless concern for her family make her character unforgettable. The crescent moon becomes a powerful symbol of her fragile condition and unspoken pain.

The story leaves a lasting impact on the reader by reminding us that true love often remains unseen and unpraised. It teaches us to look beyond words and appearances and recognize the hidden struggles of those around us. Above all, the lesson of this story is compassion—towards mothers, towards the poor, and towards every human being who suffers silently.