English Summary
The story 'The Lost Child' by Mulk Raj Anand depicts a simple yet profound incident at a spring festival. A young child is excitedly going to the fair with his parents. He is captivated by every little thing on the way—the toys in the shops, the sweetmeats (burfi, gulab-jamun), the colourful balloons, the snake-charmer's music, and the roundabout swing. Each time he asks his parents to buy something, they sternly refuse, telling him it's not good for him or that he is greedy. The child, though tempted, suppresses his desires and moves on, holding his father's finger.
The crowd at the fair is huge and bustling. As the child is mesmerized by the sight of the roundabout swing, he turns to request his parents to let him ride it. To his horror, he realizes they are nowhere to be seen. He is lost. Panic-stricken, he runs helter-skelter, crying desperately for his mother and father. The once-attractive fair now becomes a terrifying place of strange, crushing legs and confusing faces. A kind man finds him, tries to console him, and offers him all the things he had previously desired: a balloon, sweets, a garland, and a ride on the swing. But the child, overwhelmed by the loss of his parents, pushes everything away and only wails, "I want my mother, I want my father!" His deepest desire is no longer for material things but for the security and love of his parents.
Chapter 1: The Lost Child - Hindi Summary (हिंदी सारांश)
मुल्क राज आनंद द्वारा लिखी कहानी 'द लॉस्ट चाइल्ड' वसंत ऋतु के एक मेले में घटित एक साधारण पर गहरी घटना को दर्शाती है। एक छोटा बच्चा अपने माता-पिता के साथ मेले में जाने को उत्साहित है। रास्ते में हर छोटी चीज़ उसे आकर्षित करती है—दुकानों में खिलौने, मिठाइयाँ (बर्फी, गुलाब-जामुन), रंग-बिरंगे गुब्बारे, सपेरे का संगीत और झूले। हर बार जब वह अपने माता-पिता से कुछ खरीदने के लिए कहता है, वे सख़्ती से मना कर देते हैं, यह कहते हुए कि यह उसके लिए अच्छा नहीं है या वह लालची है। बच्चा, लालच होते हुए भी, अपनी इच्छाओं को दबा देता है और अपने पिता की उंगली पकड़े आगे बढ़ जाता है।
मेले में भीड़ बहुत अधिक और हलचल भरी है। जब बच्चा झूले को देखकर मंत्रमुग्ध हो जाता है, तो वह झूलने की अनुमति मांगने के लिए अपने माता-पिता की तरफ मुड़ता है। भय से स्तब्ध, उसे पता चलता है कि वे कहीं नज़र नहीं आ रहे। वह खो गया है। घबराहट में, वह इधर-उधर भागता है, अपनी माँ और पिता के लिए बेतहाशा रोता हुआ। जो मेला एक बार आकर्षक लगता था, वह अजनबी, कुचलने वाले पैरों और भ्रमित करने वाले चेहरों का एक डरावना स्थान बन जाता है। एक दयालु आदमी उसे पाता है, उसे सांत्वना देने की कोशिश करता है और उसे वे सभी चीजें देता है जिनकी उसे पहले इच्छा थी: एक गुब्बारा, मिठाई, एक माला और झूले की सवारी। लेकिन बच्चा, अपने माता-पिता के खोने के दुःख से व्यथित, हर चीज़ को धक्का दे देता है और केवल विलाप करता है, "मुझे अपनी माँ चाहिए, मुझे अपने पिता चाहिए!" उसकी गहरी इच्छा अब भौतिक चीजों के लिए नहीं, बल्कि अपने माता-पिता के सुरक्षा और प्यार के लिए है।
Character Sketch
The Lost Child: An innocent, obedient, and curious young boy full of wonder. He is easily fascinated by the vibrant sights and sounds of the spring fair—toys, sweets, balloons, and swings. While he desires these things, he obeys his parents when they refuse. His primary attachment is to his parents, which becomes starkly clear when he gets lost. His material desires vanish instantly, replaced by an all-consuming panic and desperate yearning for the security and love of his mother and father. He represents universal childhood innocence and the primal need for parental safety.
The Father & Mother: The child's parents are protective, strict, and cautious. They are focused on navigating the crowd and keeping the child safe. Their refusals to his requests ("I want that toy," "I want that sweet") stem from a desire to curb greed and perhaps financial practicality, not from unkindness. They represent the safe, familiar world from which the child is tragically separated, highlighting their irreplaceable role in his life.
The Kind Man: A compassionate stranger who finds the lost child. He represents society's potential for empathy and kindness. He tries to soothe the child by offering him all the attractions of the fair. However, he fails to understand that the child's deepest need is not for toys or sweets, but for his parents. His actions underscore the story's theme that emotional security and love surpass all material possessions.
10 Previous Year Questions & Solutions
1. What were the things the child saw on his way to the fair? Why did he lag behind? (2020)
Answer: On his way, the child saw toys in shops, colourful balloons, a garland of gulmohur flowers, a snake-charmer playing the flute, and a roundabout swing. He lagged behind because he was captivated by each of these attractions. He would stop to look at them closely, drawn by their colour, sound, or movement, which slowed his pace compared to his parents who were walking through the crowd.
2. How did the mother distract the child's mind from the toy-seller? (2022)
Answer: When the child was drawn to the toys and asked for one, his mother gently diverted his attention by pointing towards a flowering mustard field. She drew his notice to the dragonflies, butterflies, and little insects and worms in the field, shifting his focus from the man-made toys to the beauties of nature.
3. Why did the child not ask for his favourite things (burfi, balloon, etc.) after he was lost? (2019)
Answer: After getting lost, the child was overwhelmed by a terrifying fear and desperation to find his parents. His previous desires for material things like burfi or a balloon became meaningless in the face of losing his ultimate source of security and love. His only need now was the emotional comfort and safety provided by his mother and father.
4. "The man, still trying to make up, took him to the roundabout." Why was the man 'trying to make up'? Did he succeed? (2023)
Answer: The man was 'trying to make up' for the child's distress and loss by offering him pleasures to console him. He wanted to compensate for the child's sadness by giving him the things he thought the child wanted. No, he did not succeed. The child refused all offers—the balloon, sweets, flowers, and the ride—because his deepest need was for his parents, which the man could not provide.
5. What change did the child notice in the fair once he was separated from his parents? (2018)
Answer: Before getting lost, the fair was a place of wonder, full of enticing colours, sounds, and smells. After separation, the same fair transformed into a threatening, frightening place. The crowd seemed like a forest of crushing legs, the noises became overwhelming and scary, and the previously attractive sights lost all their charm, highlighting his isolation and fear.
6. Describe the kind man's efforts to help the lost child. (2021)
Answer: The kind man picked up the child, wiped his tears, and tried to calm him down. He asked about his parents. Then, he tried to distract and please the child by offering him a colourful balloon, some sweets, a flower garland, and finally a ride on the roundabout swing. He did everything he could think of to alleviate the child's sorrow with material offerings.
7. What is the central theme of the story 'The Lost Child'? (2022)
Answer: The central theme is the supreme importance of parental love and security over material possessions. The story contrasts the child's fleeting desires for toys and sweets with his fundamental, unchanging need for his parents. It highlights that in times of true crisis, emotional bonds matter more than any object, and a child's greatest fear is separation from caregivers.
8. How does the story portray the conflict between innocence and the harsh reality of the world? (2020)
Answer: The child's innocence is shown through his wonder, obedience, and simple desires. The harsh reality is represented by the dense, indifferent crowd that separates him from his safety net (his parents). The conflict arises when his innocent world shatters instantly upon getting lost, exposing him to fear, danger, and the realization that the world can be a lonely and scary place.
9. What message does Mulk Raj Anand convey through this story? (2023)
Answer: Mulk Raj Anand conveys that love, especially the bond between a child and parents, is the most precious thing. Material attractions are temporary and superficial. True happiness and security lie in human relationships. The story also subtly reminds parents to be vigilant and understanding of a child's perspective in crowded places.
10. The child wanted many things but said, "I want my mother, I want my father!" Why? (2019)
Answer: This shift signifies the story's core message. The toys, sweets, and balloons represented 'wants'—superficial desires. But his parents represented his fundamental 'need'—for love, identity, and safety. In his moment of ultimate crisis, his instincts cut through all trivial wants, and he voiced his most basic human need: the protective presence of his caregivers.
