Question 1:
What are the things the child sees on his way to the fair ? Why is he lagging behind ?
Answer:
First of all, the child sees a toy-shop. Then he sees dragon-flies in the mustard-field. He is attracted by the little insects along the footpath. In a grove, flower petals fall on him and he starts gathering them. Every time, the child lags behind because his parents keep moving. Every time, they say, “Come, child, come.”
Question 2:
In the fair, the child wants many things. What are they ? Why does he move on without waiting for an answer ?
Answer:
First of all, the child wants his parents to buy him a toy. Then he expresses his desire for a burfi. But he knows his request will not be heeded. So he moves on without waiting for an answer.
Question 3:
When does the child realise that he has lost his way ? How has his anxiety and insecurity been described ?
Answer:
The child sees a roundabout. He wants to have a ride on it. He makes a request but there is no reply. He turns round to look at his parents. But they are not there. The child realises that he has been lost. A full, deep cry comes from his dry throat. With a sudden jerk, he starts running. In great fear, he cries, “Mother, Father.”
Question 4:
Why does the lost child lose interest in the things he had wanted earlier ?
Answer:
The child has lost his parents. He is in great fear. He is crying. Without his parents, he feels himself unsafe. That is why he loses interest in all other things. Now he wants only his father and his mother.
Question 5:
What do you think happens in the end ? Does the child find his parents ?
Answer:
The man who rescues the child seems to be very kind and loving. I think he will look for the child’s parents. He will find them somewhere and hand over the child to them.
Question 6:
In the story, ‘The Lost Child’, what fascinated the boy in the mustard-fields and what did he do ?
Answer:
A group of dragon-flies were bustling about in the mustard-field. They fascinated the boy. He would run after one of them and try to catch it.
Question 7:
How did the mother distract the child’s mind from the toy-seller ?
Answer:
The mother pointed towards a flowering mustard-field. The child was attracted by the beauty of the field. He began to run after the colourful dragon-flies.
Question 8:
There were some things the child knew his parents would not buy for him, so he did not ask for them. What were these ?
Answer:
The child wanted to have a garland of gulmohur flowers. Next, he wanted to buy the colourful
balloons.
But he knew that his parents would not buy these things for him. So he did not ask for these
things.
Question 9:
Who rescued the child ? What did he offer to buy him ?
Answer:
The child ran to a temple. It was crowded with people. A man in the crowd heard his cry. He lifted him up in his arms. He offered to buy him a garland, balloons and some sweets.
Question 10:
Why did the child go towards the temple ? What happened there ?
Answer:
The child was panic-stricken. He ran towards a crowded temple. He hoped to find his parents
there.
He began to cry loudly for his parents. A man in the crowd heard his cry. He lifted him up
in his arms.
Question 11:
Describe the things that attracted the child at the fair.
Answer:
At the corner of the entrance to the fair, a sweetmeat-seller was calling out to the crowd. The child’s mouth watered for a burfi. He murmured slowly that he wanted to have a burfi. Next, a man was selling colourful balloons. The child wanted to have them all. A snake-charmer stood playing a flute to a snake. The child went towards him. But his parents had forbidden him to hear the coarse music of snake-charmers. So he moved further. A roundabout was going on in full swing. He wanted to go on it. These were the things that attracted the child at the fair.
Question 12:
How was the child lost in the fair ?
Answer:
The child sees many things in the fair. He feels attracted and wants to have them. But every time, his parents say, “Come, child, come.” The child sees a roundabout. He wants to have a ride on it. He makes a request but there is no reply. He turns round to look at his parents. But they are not there. They have already moved on. Thus the child finds himself lost in the fair.
Question 13:
The story ‘The Lost Child’ at every step teaches us the importance of loved ones. How can you say so ? Write in not more than 80-100 words with reference to the lost child.
Answer:
All through the story, we are reminded of the role of parents in the life of a child. As long as a child is with his parents, he feels himself quite safe. He wants to have all the little things that he wants to eat or play with. But all these things lose their charm when the child finds himself without his parents. Thus it becomes the duty of parents to take all care of the child, with love and affection.