CBSE Class 9  >  Class 9 Notes  >  English   >  Very Short Question Answer: The Lost Child

Very Short Question Answer: The Lost Child

Q1: In which season is the story set?
Ans: 
The story is set in the spring season.

Q2: What were the people doing?
Ans: 
People were coming out of their houses, walking, and some were being carried in bamboo or bullock carts.

Q3: Why did the child lag behind?
Ans:
The child lagged behind because he was attracted by the toys at a stall and stopped to look at them.

Q4: What did the child ask from his father?
Ans: 
The child asked for a toy from his father.

Q5: What is the third reason for the child lagging behind?
Ans: 
The child lagged behind again because he stopped to watch little insects and worms along the footpath, which were coming out to enjoy the sunshine.

Q6: What did the child start gathering after entering the grove?
Ans:
After entering the grove, the child started gathering the falling petals in his hands.

Q7: Write the meaning of "capers"?
Ans:
"Capers" here means running or moving in a playful manner.

Q8: How did they reach the village fair?
Ans: 
They reached the village fair by walking through the narrow, winding footpath through a mustard field.

Q9: Write the meaning of "Throng"?
Ans: 
"Throng" means a large crowd of people.

Q10: Write the names of the sweets mentioned in the story.
Ans:
The sweets mentioned in the story are Gulab jamun, rasgulla, burfi, and jalebi.

Q11: What answer did the child expect to get from his parents if he asked for a balloon?
Ans:
The child expected his parents to tell him that he was too old to play with such toys, implying they might deny him a balloon.

Q12: Why did the child not go near the snake charmer?
Ans: 
The child did not go near the snake charmer because his parents had warned him not to listen to such coarse music.

Q13: Finally, what did the child request from his parents?
Ans: 
Finally, the child requested to go on the round-about ride.

Q14: What were the ultimate words uttered by the child after getting lost?
Ans:
After getting lost, the child kept repeating "I want my mother, I want my father."

Q15. Why couldn't the child get a garland of flowers for himself?

Ans: The child wanted a garland of Gulmohar flowers but spoke in a half-murmur. He knew his parents would likely refuse, claiming the flowers were cheap.

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FAQs on Very Short Question Answer: The Lost Child

1. What is the main theme of "The Lost Child" story by Mulk Raj Anand?
Ans. The Lost Child explores how childhood innocence clashes with harsh social reality through a boy's journey from joy to despair. The narrative examines poverty, parental neglect, and exploitation of vulnerable children in society. Anand uses the child's perspective to critique social indifference toward marginalised groups. The story emphasises how economic hardship forces families apart and destroys youthful wonder, revealing the dark underbelly of Indian society through a simple yet powerful account of loss and abandonment.
2. Why does the lost child keep asking his parents for things in the story?
Ans. The lost child's repeated requests for toys, balloons, and sweets represent his innocent desires and natural curiosity about the world. His parents, exhausted and poor, consistently refuse him, highlighting the gap between childhood needs and parental capability. These requests reveal the child's yearning for joy and normalcy despite economic hardship. Through the child's unfulfilled wishes, Anand demonstrates how poverty silences children's voices and crushes their aspirations, making their pleas seem like burdens rather than legitimate expressions of childhood.
3. How does the lost child feel when he finally finds his parents after getting separated?
Ans. Upon reuniting with his parents, the lost child experiences overwhelming fear and misery instead of joy or relief. He forgets all his previous desires for material possessions and yearns only for safety and belonging. This emotional shift reveals the profound trauma of separation and the child's vulnerability. The ending powerfully illustrates that parental love and security matter far more to children than toys or treats, and that abandonment causes irreversible psychological damage to the innocent and defenceless young.
4. What does the fair setting represent in "The Lost Child" CBSE chapter?
Ans. The fair symbolises a world of freedom, wonder, and accessible joy that contrasts sharply with the child's constrained home life. It represents temptation, distraction, and the allure of material possessions beyond the family's means. Through the bustling fair atmosphere, Anand depicts a society of abundance and celebration that excludes the poor. The colourful setting emphasises the tragic irony: the child is surrounded by happiness yet separated from his parents, making the fair emblematic of both childish delight and underlying social inequality.
5. How does Mulk Raj Anand use the lost child's perspective to criticise society in this short story?
Ans. Anand employs a child's innocent viewpoint to expose adult indifference toward poverty and child welfare. The narrative shows how societal neglect forces vulnerable children into exploitation and suffering. By narrating events through the lost child's eyes, Anand humanises marginalised communities and challenges readers' complacency. The story critiques economic disparity, parental desperation, and systemic failure to protect children, making profound social commentary accessible through simple, poignant storytelling that reveals institutional cruelty toward the defenceless.
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