NCERT Solutions - The Lost Child Notes | Study English Class 9 - Class 9

Page No.6 

Think About It

Q1. What are the things the child sees on his way to the fair? Why does he lag behind?

Ans: The child sees a number of things that fascinate him on his way to the fair: 

• Firstly, he saw toys at a shop.
  
• Then he saw a flowering mustard field. 
• In the fields, the child also saw dragonflies, butterflies fluttering their wings.
• Then while walking on the footpath, he was amazed by the insects and worms. 
• When he entered the grove, he saw doves which were cooing.
• As he neared the village with his parents, he saw huge crowds of people going to the fair.
• The child also came across a sweetmeat seller selling sweets like barfi and Gulab Jamun and a little further he came across a flower seller who was selling a garland of Gulmohar.
• Walking ahead, he saw a man selling rainbow colour balloons.
•  He also saw a snake charmer who stood to play the flute to a snake.
• Finally, before losing track of his parents, he saw a roundabout swing.

The reasons for his lagging behind:

• The child keeps lagging behind his parents on the way and his mother and father have to constantly call him so that he doesn’t lag behind. 
• This is because the child is fascinated by all the things he sees on his way. At times, he stops to be able to buy toys and at other times, he stops to admire the beauty of nature – collecting flowers, catching butterflies.
  
  

Q2. In the fair, he wants many things. What are they? Why does he move on without waiting for an Answer?

Ans: The child has many things in the fair.
They are:

• Toys and Balloons
• Sweets from the sweetmeat seller
• Garland of Gulmohar
• Watching the snake charmer play flute to a snake
•  A ride in the roundabout

The boy moved on without waiting for an answer because he knew that his request would be denied at each step.

Q3. When does he realize that he has lost his way? How have his anxiety and insecurity been described?
Ans:

• He realises that he has lost his way when on reaching the roundabout; he stopped to observe it moving in full swing, with men, women and children enjoying themselves on it. 
• Watching them intently he turned to his parents to ask for permission to go on the rounds, but there was no reply from them. 
• He turned to look for them, but they were not there. He looked all around, but there was no sign of them. 

His reaction when he realized that he had lost his way: 

• A full, deep cry rose within his dry throat and with a sudden jerk of his body, he ran from where he stood, crying out in real fear “Mother, Father.” 
• Tears rolled down from his eyes, his flushed face was convulsed with fear. 
• Panic-stricken, he ran from one side to the other, in all directions, knowing not where to go. His yellow turban came untied and his clothes became muddy.
  
  

Q4. Why does the lost child lose interest in the things that he had wanted earlier?
Ans: 

• The lost child loses interest in the things that he had wanted earlier because he was panic-stricken on being separated from his parents. 
• All he wanted was to be united with them. All the things that attracted him in the fair no longer appeal to him and now the only thing that matters is finding his parents.
  
  

Q5. What do you think happens in the end? Does the child find his parents?
Ans: 

• In the end, the parents, who continuously kept checking to see that he was with them right from the beginning of their journey may have suddenly realized that he was missing and came looking for the lost child. 
• The kind and understanding man who tried to console the little boy by offering him various things at the fair may have also asked him for some description of his parents and helped him to be reunited with them.