NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Moments Chapter 1 - The Lost Child

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 variety of things on his way to the fair, including toys, a flowering mustard field, dragon-flies, insects and worms, a sweetmeat seller, a flower-seller, balloons, a snake-charmer, and a roundabout. He lags behind because he is fascinated by these things and keeps stopping to observe or admire them.

The Lost Child

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

Ans:  At the fair, the child wants a burfi from the sweetmeat seller, a garland of gulmohur flowers, colorful balloons, and a ride on the roundabout. However, he moves on without waiting for an answer because he knows his parents would not fulfill his requests, as they would consider them frivolous or think he is too old for some of these things.

Q3: When does he realize that he has lost his way? How have his anxiety and insecurity been described?
Ans:  The child realizes he has lost his way when he turns around to ask his parents for a ride on the roundabout and finds them missing. His anxiety and insecurity are described vividly: he cries out in fear, his face is flushed, tears roll down his cheeks, and he runs around in a panic, calling for his mother and father. His clothes become muddy, and he feels utterly lost and defeated.

Q4: Why does the lost child lose interest in the things that he had wanted earlier?
Ans:  Once the child realizes he is lost, he loses interest in the sweets, toys, flowers, and other attractions that previously excited him. His only desire is to find his parents, as he feels insecure and scared without them. The joy he felt earlier is replaced by a desperate longing to be reunited with them.

Q5: What do you think happens in the end? Does the child find his parents?
Ans:  The story leaves the ending open, and it is not explicitly stated whether the child finds his parents. However, a kind man tries to comfort the child by offering him sweets and other things, though the child keeps insisting on finding his mother and father. Readers can interpret that the story either ends with the hope that the child might find his parents or underscores the depth of his attachment to them over material things.

Talk About It

Q1: How to ensure not to get lost?
Ans: It is essential for children to stay close to their parents in crowded places and for parents to keep an eye on their children to prevent such situations. Parents can teach children to recognize landmarks and where to go in case they get separated.