MOMENTS CH-1(THE LOST CHILD)

 

The Lost Child  Central Idea

During the spring season, the village people came out to enjoy the fair. A child along with his parents was going to the fair and he was looking cheerful and happy. He seems to be attracted to everything in the fair and his father was scolding him. His mother was being a mediator trying to cool down the situation. They both try to divert his attention towards other things. But once again the child moved and lagged behind because his eyes caught other things. 

When he was picked up by any stranger he just forgot the rest of the fairy things there and just wanted his parents. He was offered balloons, sweets swings, etc but he didn’t care about anything and just wanted to meet his parents. 

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Summary Of The Lost Child

During the springtime, the child goes to the fair with his parents and other people walked, some rode on horses and some came in bullock carts. The child was with his parents and was overjoyed and asking for different things like sweets, balloons, toys, etc. his father was scolding him and the mother became the mediator. The boy continuously asked for things and he was being scolded by his parents. 

He has then attracted to mustard fields and dragonflies over them. The child tries to reach them but he is again called by his mother. He ran towards her call and then got stuck to see the dove and banyan tree. His parents again called him and distracted his imagination. 

Soon the child reached the fair and heard the voice of a sweetmeat seller called Gulab Jamun and other sweets. The child was looking at those sweets with his mouth-watering. He asked for his favorite sweet barfi. The parents again scolded him and took him forward. 

Then the child was fascinated by a flower seller selling garlands of Gulmohar. He wanted to buy one but again his parents took him away from the shop.  So, he moved on and saw one balloon seller who had various balloons on his pole. The child knew that he would again be reprimanded by his father. So he moved on

The child then saw a snake charmer who was playing the flute (been) to the snake and it was dancing to his tunes. But he knew his parents would refuse him to go further so he went ahead. He then saw a merry-go-round and wanted to enjoy it, so once again he asked his parents if he wanted a ride and to his surprise, he didn’t get any reply.  

The child was lost and he was crying bitterly and running here and there. A man heard his cry and lifted him up in his arms and tried to locate his parents.  He asked the names of his parents but he only replied he wants his mom and dad. 

The man offered him sweets, balloons, horse rides, etc but he refused all and wanted union with his parents only. He refused everything and wanted his parents there. Now he was no more fascinated by sweetmeat sellers balloons snake charmers etc but he wanted his parents and all things had lost their charm for the boy

 

Question and Answers

Q1. What are the things the child sees on his way to the fair? Why does he lag behind?

On his way to the fair, the child lagged behind because he was fascinated by toys, sweets, snake-charmer playing been, Gulmohar garland, a swing, etc. 

Q2. In the fair, he wants many things. What are they? Why does he move on without waiting for an answer?

The child wants everything he was able to see on the way and constantly was fascinated towards colorful balloons, tempting sweets, a garland of Gulmohar flute of the snake charmer, etc. he asked again and again to buy these kinds of stuff and was refused by his parents. So, after that, he moved on without waiting for an answer. 

Q3. When does he realize that he has lost his way? How have his anxiety and insecurity been described?

When he saw a roundabout and got attracted to it. He wishes to have a ride on it and asks his parents about it. His parents gave no response and after this, he realizes that he has lost his way. He started crying bitterly and ran to and fro to find them. 

Q4. Why does the lost child lose interest in the things that he had wanted earlier?

He got lost in the fair and lost all his interest in all the stuff he wanted to enjoy earlier. Now he just wanted to reunite with his parents. He was feeling unsafe and now just wishes to have his parents by his side

Q5. What do you think happens in the end? Does the child find his parents?

I feel he has found his parents at last and both of them must be having a sigh of relief. The person must have helped him to reunite with his parents. The parents have also searched for him and left no stone unturned in finding his beloved child.

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Q6. How did the mother distract the child’s mind from the toy seller?

The mother distracted the child by pointing toward the mustard field and the child also rushed to see and catch the dragonflies. 

Q7. How was the child separated from his parents?

The boy was enraptured by everything he saw on the way to the fair. He was attracted to sweets, balloons, toys, mustard fields, and dragonflies. As soon as he saw a roundabout, he wanted to have a ride on it and asked for it from his parents and then only he came to know that his parents were nowhere and he had lost in the fair.

Q8. What happened when the lost child reached the temple door?

 When he reached the temple door the people were jostling each other and he was knocked and pushed aside. He would have been squashed if he had not screamed at his highest pitch. 

Q9. Who rescued the lost child? What did he offer to buy him?

The man in the temple rescued him safely. He carried him in his arms and tried to comfort him. He offered all the things on the way from a ride on a roundabout to sweets and toys but now the child loses interest in all these worldly pleasures and just wished to reunite with his parents.  

Q10. Parents were in a hurry to reach the fair but the child was delaying them. How?

The child was attracted to all the things on his way to the fair but the parents wanted to reach him early. Out of his innocence and enjoying all the pleasures of his childhood, he delayed his parents

Q11.What are the things the child sees on his way to the fair?
Answer:
He sees people gaily dressed, some on horses, some in bamboo or bullock carts. He also sees toys, dragon ‘flies, insects, worms, flowers, and doves on his way to the fair.

Q12.Why does the child lag behind?
Answer:
He lags behind because he is attracted by several of the things he sees on the way like toys, sweetmeats, dragonflies, flower garlands, the snake charmer and the roundabout

Q13.
What are the things that he wants at the fair?
Answer:
At first he wanted a burfi, then a garland of gulmohur flowers, next some colourful balloons, after that he was attracted by the snake charmer and finally he wanted a ride on the roundabout.

Q 14.
Why does the child move on without waiting for his parents’ answer whenever he asked for things that attracted him?
Answer:
He moves on without waiting for an answer because he knew they would not pay attention to his demands or give him what he asked for.

Q15.
When does the child realize that he had lost his way?
Answer:
At the roundabout, when he turned to request his parents to allow him to sit on the ride, he did not get any reply. When he looked around for them he realized he had strayed away from his parents and lost his way.

Q1 6.
How has the lost child’s anxiety and insecurity been described?
Answer:
His anxiety and insecurity have been described through his reaction to his realisation that he was lost. Tears rolled down his cheeks, his throat became dry, his face flushed and convulsed with fear and he ran in all directions in panic without knowing where to go

Q 17.
Why does the lost child lose interest in the things that he had wanted earlier?
Answer:
He lost all interest in the things that he had wanted earlier because he felt fearful and insecure at being separated from his parents and all he wanted was to be reunited with them.

Q18.
What do you think happens in the end? Does the child find his parents?
Answer:
This question can be answered in either way. In my opinion the child is reunited with his parents who are also searching for him and find him crying in a stranger’s lap.
OR
No, the child is not reunited with his parents but is taken by the man who finds him and is brought up by him.

Q19.
Why was the fair being held in the village?
Answer:
It was being held to celebrate the spring season.

Q20.
What tells us that the little boy was excited about going to the fair?
Answer:
The fact that the little boy has been described as “brimming over with life and laughter” tells us that he was happy and excited to be going to the fair.

Q21.
Compare the reactions of the father and mother at the child’s request for a toy.
Answer:
The father glared at him angrily ‘in his familiar tyrant’s way’ while the mother looked at him tenderly and diverted his attention from the toys.

Q22.
What made the mother caution the child?
Answer:
The fact that the child had wandered off into the mustard field trying to catch a butterfly made the mother call out to him to come back on to the footpath.

Q23.
What was the boy engrossed in when his parents sat in the shade of a grove, near a well?
Answer:
The boy was engrossed in watching little insects and worms that were teeming out along the footpath

Q24.
What diverted the child’s attention from the shower of flower petals in the grove?
Answer:
The cooing of doves diverted the child’s attention from the raining flower petals.

Q25.
How did the boy react on nearing the village where the fair was being held? Why?
Answer:
He felt both attracted and repelled at the sight of the large number of people who had converged at the village to enjoy the fair.

Q26.
Why did the child not ask his parents to buy him the burfi?
Answer:
The child knew that his parents would not listen to his request and would call him greedy for wanting

Q27.
Why did the child move away from the flower seller without asking his parents for a garland?
Answer:
He was aware that his parents would refuse to buy him a garland and say that they were cheap.

Q28.
Why did the child not ask his parents to buy him balloons even though he was fascinated by them?
Answer:
He knew his parents would say that he was too old to play with the balloons so he did not ask his parents to buy them for him

Q29.
What made the child move on from the snake charmer?
Answer:
The child had been forbidden by his parents from listening to the music being played by the-snake charmer,which they had termed as coarse, so he moved away from the snake-charmer.

Q30.
Where did the child finally decide to ask his parents to let him enjoy the delights at the fair? Why?
Answer:
At the roundabout the sight of the machine in full swing with men and women shrieking, crying and laughing out aloud in excitement, encouraged the child to ask his parents to be permitted to ride the roundabout.

Q31.
Where and how did the child meet his saviour?
Answer:
The child met his saviour near the entrance of a temple where he was almost at the point of being trampled under the feet of the jostling crowd.

Q32.
How did the man try to quieten the crying lost child?
Answer:
He first took him to the roundabout, then to the snake-charmer, next the balloon seller, after that to the flower-seller and finally to the sweetmeat seller, hoping to quieten the crying lost child.

Q33.
How was the boy’s reaction to the attractions of the fair different after getting separated from his parents?
Answer:
He lost all interest in the attractions of the fair and kept crying for his parents.

Q34.
Do you think the title of the story is appropriate?
Answer:
Yes, the title appropriately captures the essence of the story. It highlights the plight of a little child who is lost in a fair and it captures the emotions that the child goes through on being separated from his parents. It shows how the child who a moment ago is excited at the sights and sounds of the fair suddenly loses interest in all these sights once he realises that he is lost.

Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Describe in detail all the attractions that the child is drawn to till he gets lost in the fair.
Answer:
Right till the time he loses his parents, the child is attracted to it. several things that he sees on his way. At first it is the toys being sold at the wayside shops. Then he is attracted to the dragonflies in the mustard field. Next he is drawn to the worms and insects on the footpath and the shower of flower petals and the cooing of the pigeons. On reaching the fair he is first tempted by the goodies being sold by the sweetmeat seller and then by the colourful balloons of the balloon-seller. Next he is drawn by the sound of the snake charmer and finally he is mesmerized by the roundabout with children and adults enjoying the rides.

Question 2.
Do you consider the child’s behaviour as depicted in the story normal? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:
Yes, the child’s behaviour was normal. The story very clearly depicts the behaviour of a young child who is attracted by everything he sees around him. The child is not only attracted to toys and sweets but also fascinated by the natural wonders of the world like dragonflies, pigeons, flowers and snakes

This is a reflection of the universal phenomenon of a child’s attraction and fascination with the natural world. As mentioned in the story the child is both ‘repelled and fascinated’ by the colourful world around him which is normal for any young child. The crowds and noise repel a child while the colourful world and the sights of the fair fascinate him.

Question 3.
The story describes certain attractions which may not be so attractive to a modern child. Can you pick up some of them from the story – ‘The Lost Child’.
Answer:
A modem city child has very little interaction with nature on a daily basis, unlike the lost child. They have very little possibility of being allowed to run wild in a yellow mustard field or being interested in doing so. Technology has taken away a lot of their time and hence he or she does not have the time to run after dragonflies or butterflies or simply rejoice under the rain of flower petals from a gulmohur tree.

With their exposure to amusement parks and water parks with mechanised rides and an artificially created ambience, they would probably not even feel comfortable in natural surroundings. However if the child is allowed free rein to interact with nature he/she would probably find the natural affinity that a human being has for nature and behave in the same manner as the lost child in the story.

Question 4.
Describe the character of the child as depicted in the story.
Answer:
The child is very young, innocent and full of joy and energy. He finds everything around him exciting and fascinating, whether a dragonfly or toy displayed in a toy shop. Like any child he is easily distracted and his desires and interests keep on changing from sweetmeats to balloons to rides. He is not used to large crowds and is ‘repelled and fascinated’ by them.

His whole world revolves around his parents and he is deeply affected at his separation from them. He is obedient and disciplined and does not throw a tantrum to get his object of desire. He fears his father and approaches his mother whenever he is tempted by any of the objects he sees during his journey to the fair and at the fair itself.

Question 5.
How does the child in the story lose himself? How far is he responsible for his predicament?
Answer:
The child is wholly responsible for his predicament because at every stage we find him wandering off after one attraction or the other inspite of repeated instructions from his mother not to do so. Initially we find him staring down in front of the wayside toy shops. Next he wanders off into the mustard fields, chasing dragonflies. Then he slows down to admire the insects and worms that line the footpath.

After that he gets distracted by the rain of flower petals and the cooing of the doves and has to be pulled back to the main road by his mother. On entering the fair he again slows down in front of the sweetmeat seller, the flower seller, the snake charmer and the roundabout before realising that he is completely on his own