The Lost Child

Chapter 1 – The Lost Child

Think about it

Question 1. What are the things the child sees on his way to the fair? Why does he lag behind?

Answer: Following are the things that the child sees on his way to the fair:

I. Shops of toys.

II. A flowering mustard field that is stretched far away.

III. A group of dragonflies, butterflies flying in search of sweetness from the flowers.

IV. A huge crowd of people entering the fair

V. Sweet shops selling gulab-jamun, rasagulla, burfi, jalebi etc.

VI. A flower-seller hawking a garland of gulmohur

VII. A man holding a pole with yellow, red, green and purple balloons flying from it.

VIII. A snake charmer playing the flute and a roundabout swing with men and women sitting on it.

He lags behind because he is fascinated by the things he sees on his way to the fair. Every time he stops at some shop and expresses his desire to buy something from there. His parents call him again and again so that he does not get lost in the fair

Question 2. At the fair, he wants many things. What are they? Why does he move on without waiting for an answer?

Answer: The things that he wants at the fair are as follows:

• Toys

• Sweets from the sweet shop.

• A garlands of gulmohur.

• Balloons.

• Watching the snake dancing to the tune of the flute of the snake charmer.

• Going on the roundabout swing.

He moves on without waiting for an answer because he knows that his father will not buy him those things.

Question 3. When does he realize that he has lost his way? How have his anxiety and insecurity been described?

Answer: The child realises that he has lost his way when he doesn’t get any reply from his parents for his request to have a ride on the roundabout. He turns back to look for his parents but he finds neither his father nor mother.

His anxiety and insecurity have been described in the following ways.

I. A deep cry rises within his dry throat and with a sudden jerk of his body, he runs from where he stood.

II. Tears roll down from his eyes.

III. His face is convulsed with fear.

IV. He runs in all directions but doesn’t know where to go.

Question 4. Why does the lost child lose interest in the things that he had wanted earlier?

Answer: The lost child loses interest in the things, he had wanted earlier, when he understands that he has lost his parents. The child then forgets everything and starts crying, and runs hither and thither for his parents.

Question 5. What do you think happens in the end? Does the child find his parents?

Answer: I think the child would have got his parents in the end.

His parents must have searched for him everywhere to find their child; and the man, who had rescued the child from being trampled at the entrance of the temple, would have also tried his best to find his parents. Finally, they all would have met together.