Extra Questions for The Lost Child Class 9 Moments English
Important Questions1
He could not suppress the desire of his heart, even
though he well knew the cold stare of refusal in their eyes.
a. What does ‘he’ well know?
b. What ‘desire of his heart’ is being talked of?
c. Why has the narrator said that ‘he’ couldn’t suppress
his heart’s desire?
d. What did the child do when he couldn’t suppress his
desire?
Answer
a. The child knows it well that his parents will refuse to
buy anything, he will ask for.
b. The child has the desire to get the toys from the shops
in the fair.
c. The narrator said that he couldn’t suppress his heart’s
desire as the child demanded the toy to his father even though he knew well
that he would not get it.
d. The child asked for the toy when he couldn’t suppress his
heart’s desire.
2
Thinking to humour his disconsolate charge by a gift
of sweets, the man took him to counter of sweet shop.
a. Who is ‘the man’ being referred here?
b. What was the man trying to do?
c. What was the real intention of the man?
d. What do you mean by the phrase-to humor the
disconsolate charge?
Answer
a. He was the kind man who was helping the child to find his
parents.
b. First of all, the man was trying to comfort the child who
was frantically searching his father and mother.
c. The man intended to pacify the child know something about
his parents.
d. To humor the disconsolate charge means the man was
trying to make the sad and unhappy child feel comfortable.
3
“Look! Can you smell those nice flowers, child! Would
you like a garland to put round your neck?’’
a. Who is the speaker in the above lines?
b. What does he want to offer?
c. Why does the speaker want do so?
d. How did the child react to this?
Answer
a. The kind hearted man who was helping the child spoke the
given lines.
b. The man wants to offer the child the garland of gul mohur
flowers.
c. The speaker simply wanted to divert the child’s attention
to comfort him for the time being.
d. The child turned his nose away from the basket and
reiterated his sob.
4
Having run to and fro in a rage of running for a
while, he stood defeated, his cries suppressed into sobs.
a. What is the child’s state of mind being described
here?
b. What was the child exactly doing?
c. Why do you think, he stood defeated?
d. Explain the phrase-cries suppressed into sobs.
Answer
a. The extract describes the child panic stricken after
getting lost.
b. The child was running to and fro in search of his
parents, at last stood crying when couldn’t find them anywhere.
c. He stood defeated as his efforts to see them were
exhausted and as if he had no hope.
d. It means that the child was almost on the verge of crying
but was controlling.
5
His father looked at him red-eyed, in his familiar
tyrant’s way.
a. Who father is spoken of in the above lines?
b. What made the father angry?
c. Why do you think ‘familiar tyrant’s way’ mean?
d. How did the mother react to this?
Answer
a. The extract speaks about the father of the lost child.
b. The child’s demand for the toy made the father angry.
c. The phrase means the unkind looks of father which the
child was familiar with.
d. The mother tried to distract the child elsewhere.
6
But he half knew his parents as he begged that his
plea would not be headed because his parents would say he was greedy.
a. What was the child hesitating for?
b. What was the child’s plea?
c. Why do you think his father was not granting his plea?
d. What nature of the father is being reflected from the
above extracts?
Answer
a. The child was hesitating to ask for his favourite sweet,
burfi.
b. The child wished his father to get him sweets.
c. The father might not want the child to be pampered, so he
didn’t grant him his wishes.
d. The father seems to be unkind, but basically practical
person.
7
“How did you get here, child? Whose baby are you?’’
the man asked as he steered clear of the mass.
a. Who spoke the above lines?
b. What has exactly happened?
c. Describe the child’s situation.
d. What do you mean by ‘steered clear of the mass.’
Answer
a. The kind man picked the child up and spoke the above
lines.
b. The man finds the child crying alone in the trampling
crowd , lifts the child in his arms.
c. The child was running quickly towards the shrine, in the
hope that he would meet his parents.
d. The phrase ‘steered clear the mass’ means making the way
through the crowd.
8
The man, still trying to make the child happy, bore
with him to the gate where the flower seller sat. “Look! Can you smell those
nice flowers, child! Would you like a garland to put round your neck?’’
a. Why was the man trying to make the child happy?
b. Where did they reach?
c. How was the man trying to make the child happy?
d. What do you think was the child’s response to this?
Answer
a. The man was trying to make the child happy and
comfortable with him as he had realized that the child had been lost.
b. They reached the place near where the flower seller was
selling the flowers.
c. The man was trying to get him the gulmohur garland which
he thought would make him happy.
d. The child turned away his nose indicating his disapproval
for it.
1
What aspects evidently show that the child was a nature
lover?
Answer
The child is curiously attracted to the flowering mustard
fields on the way. He is a keen observer of natural elements around like dragon
flies, bees, butterflies, insects and worms. He forgets his parents when he
busied himself collecting showering petals of the flowers, also leaves the
petals quickly and gets attracted to cooing doves in the grove. This clearly
shows the child’s love for nature.
2
When did the child feel that his parents would call him
‘greedy’?
Answer
The child was sure every time about the negative reactions
of his parents. When he came across beautifully arranged, multi colored sweets
at the sweet shop, his mouth watered for his favorite ‘burfi’. He was sure
that his parents would not purchase him the burfi, instead they would call him
‘greedy’.
3
Describe the moment when the child realizes that he is
lost.
Answer
The child was deeply fascinated by many objects in the fair.
There was a roundabout in full swing. The child stood watching men, women and
children carried in whirling motion, screaming and laughing joyfully. When he
requested his parents for a ride and received no response from them, made him
realize that he was lost.
4
What was the child’s reaction when the man took him to
the balloon seller?
Answer
When the kind man took the child to the balloon seller in
the hope that those attractive and colourful balloons would quieten him. Surprisingly,
the child turned his eyes away from the balloons, sobbed and just asked for his
parents.
5
Why was the child lagging behind in the crowd?
Answer
There were many things in the fair to fascinate the small
child. For sure he might have not got such frequent opportunity to derive joy
from all these fascinations like sweets, flower garlands, snake charmer’s tune,
toys etc. Very often, he was losing the track of his parents in the crowd as it
was difficult for him to ignore all the attractions.
6
What excuse will the parents provide for not buying the
flowers for the child?
Answer
The child in the story knows very well that his parents turn
his every demand down by some or the other reasons. He thinks that father would
not buy him the flowers saying that they were cheap, whereas he was
irresistibly drawn by those gulmohur garlands.
7
What were the things the child enjoyed on his way to the
fair?
Answer
The child enjoyed many things on his way to the fair. He
could see attractive toys, beautiful mustard fields, dragon flies, butterflies,
bees and insects, flower petals and cooing doves in the grove. As he came
closer to the crowded center of the fair, he was tempted by the sweets,
colorful balloons, flower garlands which were being sold by flower seller, a
snake charmer entertaining the people etc. Finally the child missed his parents
when he was lost watching merry faces of men, women, children at roundabouts.
8
How did the child feel when he saw the sweets?
Answer
When the child came across a sweetmeat seller hawking gulab
jamun, rasagulla, burfi, jalebi. All of them were nicely arranged, decorated
with leaves of silver and gold, he stared with open eyed and his mouth watered
looking at them. He wished to have his favorite burfi but avoided thinking
that his request would not be listened.
9
What do you think, what happens in the end?
Answer
The author Mulk Raj Anand has not provided any solid end to
the story. It’s the readers’ guessing. I think the kind man must have helped
the child to be united with his parents. As it might have been a smaller place,
it would have been possible for that man to hand over the child to his parents
with little efforts.
10
Why did the child lose interest in all those things which
he wanted earlier?
Answer
The child refused all those things which he earnestly wanted
earlier like sweets, balloons, garland etc. The reason is quite obvious, after
getting separated from his parents in the crowd, he lost his interest in all
those things. He just wanted to see his parents and ensure his own safety and
security.
11
How did the child enjoy in the grove?
Answer
The nature lover child was already fascinated by the passing
fields, butterflies, insects etc. His parents called him from the shade of a
grove. As he entered the grove, a shower of young flowers fell upon the child.
He enjoyed gathering the petals. Next, he heard the cooing of the doves. When
his parents called him, he was running in wild capers round the banyan tree.
12
What message does the author wish to convey through the
story?
Answer
The story is open for many interpretations. The message we
receive is that we will have many temptations on our way of life, but we must
know what is ultimately important for us. Enjoy the things, have the variety of
experiences like the child in the story; but not at the cost of our safety.
13
Why didn’t the child wait to listen the snake charmer’s
music?
Answer
The child was attracted towards snake charmer’s music which
made the snake raise its head .The child went to the snake charmer but he
didn’t dare to wait there as he knew his parents had forbidden him from
listening such kind of coarse music.
14
How and where does the child meet the man?
Answer
The child was frantically searching the parents after
getting lost. He ran towards the shrine where he could see the rushing crowd.
Every little inch of space was crowded with people. The child was struggling to
get his way through the trampling crowd. He might have been crushed underfoot,
if he had not cried loudly. A kind man saw him and lifted him gently into his
arms.
15
What does the child do when the man took him to the snake
charmer?
Answer
When the kind man took the child to the snake charmer in the
hope that he would stop crying, the child shut his ears with his fingers and
shrieked in double pitched tone for his father and mother. It shows his loss of
interest in the things which he was interested in earlier.
16
Describe the way the child enjoyed with the dragon flies
and butterflies.
Answer
The child followed the dragon flies in the air with his
gaze, till one of them would still its wings and rest, he would try to catch
it. But it would fly fluttering its wings, when he thought he had almost caught
it. This shows his enjoyment on the way.
17
What efforts has the child made before meeting the man?
Answer
The child, after getting lost tried to look for them all
around. A full deep cry rose from his dry throat and he called for father and
mother in fear. He jerked his body and ran to and fro in search of them. He
tried to look the yellow patches in the crowd. He displayed his presence of
mind to find his parents till he could meet the kind man.
18
What picture do we get about the child’s mother?
Answer
The child’s mother appears to be simple and considerate
lady. When the child asks for something, she is well aware that the father
wouldn’t fulfil his wish. So she tries to divert his attention to something
else. We can conclude her concern as she frequently gives him cautionary calls.
19
What did the child do when was taken again to the
roundabout?
Answer
When was taken to the roundabout, the man asked him if he
would like to have ride on the horse. The child had lost his interest in it. So
he just screamed or his father and mother.
20
What did the child immediately do when he realized that
he was lost?
Answer
The child turned back and realized that he had been
separated from his parents, he gave a full, deep cry. He gave a jerk to his
body and started finding his parents. He cried in fear and shouted ‘father and
mother,’
21
What has been referred by the author’s expression ‘his
feet obedient to their call’?
Answer
The author has used the expression ‘his feet obedient to
their call’, to indicate that though the child was interested in various
things, whenever had been called by his parents he quickly rushed to them. Here
the author makes the figurative use of synecdoch.
22
Why did the child drop the flower petals?
Answer
The child dropped the flower petals which he had collected
in his hands as he heard the cooing of the doves. He at once forgets or lost
interest in the showering petals and got attracted towards the doves. It shows
his quickly shifting interests.
23
Explain -he was filled with an overwhelming desire to
possess them all.
Answer
The author mentions that the child had an overwhelming
desire of possessing them all. This refers to the colourful balloons the child
had seen with the balloon seller. He wished to have them all for him.
24
What could the child see when they neared the village?
Answer
The child was going to the village fair along with his
parents. As they neared the village, he could see many footpaths full of
throngs, converging to the whirlpool of the fair and felt at once repelled and
fascinated by the confusion of the world he was entering into.
1
The author beautifully depicts the typical village fair.
Explain in detail.
Answer
The author Mulk Raj Anand, through his short story gives the
minute and very realistic picture of a typical village fair. He also gives us
the clear idea of various details of his contemporary period. The author begins
with the description of narrow and crowded lanes where people were rushing for
the fair. We get the clear idea of the transport means used during that time. His
vivid account of the natural elements, while a couple with their child is
walking their way to the fair, amuses us greatly. The author successfully
describes the throngs of people gradually turning into the whirlpool. On such
backdrop, the author reveals the child’s fascination towards the charming and
unusual things. He couldn’t resist himself from getting attracted by the
hawkers selling sweets, balloons, garlands of flowers, the snake charmer and
his snake, roundabouts, toys in the shops etc. A very live and detailed description
given by the author creates visual imagery.
2
Though the author has beautifully depicted the village
fair, he has been more successful in depicting child psychology in the story.
Elucidate.
Answer
The author undoubtedly has given an excellent account of a
typical village fair but we can’t neglect the theme of the story. It throws
light on the childish curiosity as well as child psychology. On the backdrop of
a village fair, the writer deals with the psyche of a small child. He describes
that how when being with parents, he acts carelessly, rather he is confident that
his parents are promptly keeping his track, giving him cautionary calls, so he
never thought of getting lost. The author has keenly observed curious, eager
behavior of the small children when he minutely describes the child’s
fascination for toys, sweets, balloons, flowers, snake charmer etc. He gets
enchanted by every unusual thing and also reads well the manner his parents
would react and reject all his demands. The same child when realizes that he is
lost in the unknown crowd becomes frantic, tries to call and search his
parents, fortunately comes across a kind man. This time all those things which charmed
him a moment before, failed to attract him now. He insists only one thing that he
wants his parents and nothing else.
3
Compare and contrast the child’s reactions to the
different things he saw before and after getting lost?
Answer
The story ‘The Lost Child’ gives a beautiful description of
the childish curiosity and psychology. The author Mulk Raj Anand successfully
brings out the difference in the reactions of the child to the same set of
things when he is in different situation. The way we act and react to the
people and the things largely depends on our own mind set. The child in the
story gets attracted to various things, objects on his way to the fair. He even
neglects calls given by his parents. He badly wanted toys. When the sweet meat seller
was hawking the sweets, he was staring at them with open eyes and his mouth watered.
He wished he should ask his favorite burfi. He couldn’t resist himself from demanding
a garland of gulmohur. He had an overwhelming desire of possessing all the colorful
balloons. He was enchanted by the music played by the snake charmer, but couldn’t
listen as his parents had warned him not to listen such coarse music. He was
lost in the crowd when he was attracted towards the roundabouts. When he
realized that he was no more with his parents, he was panic stricken. The kind man
offered him all those things to soothe him, but he then only wanted his father
and mother. He refused even to look at those things, turned himself away from
those attractions. He was badly in need of being with his parents.
4
What precautions do you think parents should take to
ensure that their children should not be lost?
Answer
The story ‘The Lost Child’ by Mulk Raj Anand evoke the
feelings of love and sympathy for the lost child in the story. Fortunately this
child finds a kind man who tries to comfort him, helps to find him his father
and mother. The story also teaches us the lesson that we neither parents nor
the children should be careless of inviting any mishaps for us. We can feel the
pains of such parents or even such children. The situation and people may not
always turn favourable for us. Precautions are better than finding cures. We,
as the parents, have to be little more smart to share the proper and clear
instructions with our children. We also fix certain spot or landmark where to
meet or come back in the situation if we are separated in the crowd. In case,
the child is very small, I think the parents can keep a tag of name and contact
numbers attached to the child. Training the child for such situation would also
make them courageous to deal with the problem. I feel that children should also
have to be more alert when they are in the similar situation even though the
ultimate responsibility of their off springs lie with the parents.
5
Describe the man’s helpful nature.
Answer
The story ‘The Lost Child’ gives a beautiful description of
the childish curiosity and psychology. The author Mulk Raj Anand describes the
details of the activities of the child who gets separated from his parents in
the fair. The child makes his own efforts to get back to his parents, but he
fails. He comes near the shrine and loudly keeps screaming for his father and
mother. No one in the crowd is sensible enough to pay heed to the child. Suddenly
a kind man hears the child lifts him in his arms. He understands well the
child’s situation. He wanted to help him finding his parents but also expects
child to be pacified. He takes the child to the roundabouts, balloon seller,
flower seller, sweetmeat vendor, the snake charmer and kindly asks the child if
he wanted those things. The man is also very well aware of the child’s mind. He
tries his best to help the child. The man stands for goodness, kindness among
the crowd of thousands of insensible hearts .
6
Narrate the child’s own activities to be united to his
parents?
Answer
The story ‘The Lost Child’ by Mulk Raj Anand evoke the
feelings of love and sympathy for the lost child in the story. Fortunately this
child finds a kind man who tries to comfort him, helps to find him his father
and mother. The story describes child’s activities before and after getting
lost. He appears to be very innocent child when he is with the parents and
keeps demanding the things of his interest. He seems to be sensible and
courageous when he searches his parents. He moves to and from keeps calling
them. He intently looks for yellow patches in the crowd as his parents might
have dressed yellow. This shows his presence of mind even when he is panic
stricken. He doesn’t lose his hopes. He meets the kind man who wants to help
him.
7
Describe the activities in the village fair in detail.
Answer
The author Mulk Raj Ananad has given a detail description of
a typical village fair. All the activities are described vividly. It had been
spring festival and the narrow lanes were crowded by people. Some were walking
or being transported in bullock carts. There had been shops of toys lined up
and the child in the story was attracted to them. There were beautiful mustard
fields along the way which were made more attractive by insects, butterflies
and dragonflies etc. There was a shady grove where the child and his parents
preferred to sit and rest. There had been thick crowd of people near the shrine
which ultimately had been center of attraction of the fair. One could see the
balloon seller selling colorful balloons, flower seller, sweet meat seller
hawking variety of different sweets. Many artists, performers had been trying
their skills and earning money like a snake charmer, roundabout runner etc. There
were lively colorfully dressed people gathered around such center of
attractions. In this way, the story gives a beautiful background and setting of
a village fair.
8
Write a detailed note on the child’s parents and their
behavior.
Answer
The story ‘The Lost Child’, rightly titled tells about the
psychology of a child. This child was lost in the crowd and lost his interest
in all those activities which he was interested earlier. The story comes with
the a good theme and useful message. It mainly throws light on the child’s
curious nature, but surely one can have a good understanding of the parental nature
too. The father appears to be a typical stern father who doesn’t entertain any
of the demands of his child. It's perhaps because that was not the time when
parents display the mentality of granting every wish of their children and
pampering them. Even the child knows this fact. He was well aware of his
father’s unkind nature. The author also uses certain phrases like familiar
tyranny to describe their non-considerate nature. They had lot of excuses with
them which even the child was fully aware of. The mother of the child appears
to be simple minded person. She was a bit careful about child’s feelings. After
every refusal, she used to divert the child to something else. They were
cautious enough to be attentive to the child in the crowd, but somewhere a
moment of negligence invited a mishap that they lost their child in the crowd.