Class 9 English Chapter 1 Previous Year Questions - The Lost Child

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Q1: 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.

Q2: 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.

Q3: Write the meaning of "capers"?
Ans: "Capers" here means running or moving in a playful manner.

Q4: How did they reach the village fair?
Ans: They reached the village fair by walking through the narrow, winding footpath through a mustard field.

Q5: 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.

Q6: Finally, what did the child request from his parents?
Ans: Finally, the child requested to go on the round-about ride.

Q7: 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." 

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. Was the fair popular with people in general? Give reasons.
OR
Was the festival of spring an attraction for the people? 

Ans: The fair was certainly very popular with people in general because they had left their daily routine work, dressed up in their best, and had come to enjoy the spring festival. They were with their families and crowded the stalls and rides displayed at the fair.

Q2. Parents were in a hurry to reach the fair, but the child was delaying them. How? 

Ans: The child was getting tempted by the many distractions on the way to the fair. Sometimes he would stop by the toy shops while at other times he would start running after butterflies. The parents had to pause frequently and call him to walk beside them.

Q3. How can you say that the child was scared of his father? 

Ans: The child was tempted by many things, but he asked for them only in slow murmurs. This shows that he was scared of his father and could not express his demands as rightfully as some other children do.

Q4. How did the mother distract the child’s mind from the toy seller? 

Ans: The child’s mother drew his attention to the flowering mustard field to distract his mind from the toy seller. Here he saw colourful dragonflies with gaudy purple wings, black bees, and butterflies. He gazed at them as they flew in the air.

Q5. How did the child enjoy the beauty of nature on his way to the fair? 

Ans: On his way to the fair, the child saw a flowering mustard field. He stopped there to watch the little insects and worms that were coming out from their hiding places. He then tried to gather the petals of falling flowers and ran gaily in circles around a banyan tree.

Q6. Why did the child feel both repelled and fascinated by the fair? 

Ans: The child was amazed to see a huge crowd of people at the fair. This left him confused and a bit afraid. However, the natural sights, stalls of eatables, rides, games and toys at the fair fascinated him.

Q7. What did the child see at the sweetmeat shop? How did he react to this sight?

Ans: At the sweetmeat shop on the entrance of the fair, the child saw an architecture of many-coloured sweets that made his eyes open wide and left his mouth filled with water. He longed to have his favourite burfi but instinctively knew that his parents would not buy him any. So, he moved on without waiting for an answer.

Q8. How did balloons fascinate the child? Was he able to buy any? Why/Why not? 

Ans: The sight of many-coloured balloons flying in the air from the balloon sellers pole blew the child over and his heart was filled with an overwhelming desire to possess all those balloons. But alas, just like the burfi and the flowers, he could not dare to ask his parents to buy him balloons for fear of getting a ‘no’ from them on the pretext that he was too old to play with balloons.

Q9. How did the sight of a snake-charmer leave the child spellbound? 

Ans: As the child walked away from the balloon-seller, his eyes caught the sight of a snake-charmer playing on a flute to a snake. He was fascinated by the swinging hood of the snake swinging gracefully like the neck of a swan. The music of the flute equally mesmerized both the snake and the boy.

Q10. What plea did the child finally make to his parents? Was his plea heard? 

Ans: The child finally pleaded with his parents to let him go on a ride on the roundabout. Sadly, this plea was not heard because his parents weren’t standing behind him at that time. He had been separated from them and hence they could not hear him.

Q11. The fair lost all its charm and attraction for the child. When did this happen?
OR 
How was the child separated from his parents?

Ans: Tempted by the sight of a sweetmeat seller, a balloon-seller, a flower-seller, a snake-charmer and finally the roundabout in motion, the child failed to keep pace with his parents and got separated. This separation filled him with panic and he lost interest in the fair.

Q12. What happened when the lost child reached the temple door?

Ans: On reaching the temple door, the lost child got caught between the legs of the crowd that was jostling with each other to get into the shrine. The child got knocked down and would have got trampled if the ‘kind man’ had not rescued him after hearing his loud cry.

Q13. Who rescued the lost child? What did he offer to buy? 

Ans: A kind man in the shrine heard the child’s cry and lifted him in his arms. To pacify the wailing child, he offered to buy all those things that he had asked for from his parents – horse ride, a multi-coloured balloon, garland, snake-charmers show, and a sweetmeat.

Q14. Why did the man offer to buy things for the child?

Ans: The child kept weeping inconsolably in the arms of the man who had rescued him from getting trampled at the shrine. The man offered to buy him things in order to pacify the child, to make him feel secure, and to ask him about his parents and home.

Q15. What do you think happens in the end? Does the child find his parents?

Ans: The lost child was fortunate enough to have been picked up by a kind and affectionate soul. This man must have gone out of his way to trace the lost child’s mother and father and succeeded in reuniting him with his parents.

Q16. Why did the parents forbid the child from listening to the snake charmer’s music?

Ans: They refused the flute’s music to the child because they considered it coarse music. The child suppressed his feelings and kept on moving.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. What were the things that the boy wanted to possess when he was with his parents?
Ans: The child went to a village fair with his parents. He saw several stalls of sweets and toys. At first. he liked a beautiful toy. He asked his parents to buy him that toy. But his father called him away from that shop. Then he tried to catch a butterfly. But he did not succeed. After that, he saw a sweets-seller. He wanted to have some burfi. But his father rejected his demand. Then he saw someone selling garlands of gulmohur flowers. The child wanted to buy a garland. But this demand was also rejected. After that, he wanted to buy a balloon. His father did not buy it for him. Then the child saw a juggler. He wanted to stop and hear the music of his flute. But he feared his father. So he went on. In the end, he wanted to have a ride in a roundabout. But his parents were nowhere to be seen.

Q2. Describe the condition of the child after he had lost his parents at the fair.
Or
Describe the changes that occurred in the child in the spring festival.
Ans: The child went to the fair along with his parents. He was very happy. He was attracted by the colourful and beautiful things. He saw balloons, flower garlands, toys and sweets. He saw a juggler showing tricks. He also saw a roundabout. But he was sad because his parents rejected all his demands. They did not purchase anything for him. He could not enjoy the juggler’s tricks. Then he wanted to have a ride on the roundabout Ile turned to ask his parents. But he found them missing. He was separated from them. Now a sudden change came in the child. He started crying for his parents. A kind man tried to console him. But the child lost interest in everything. He wanted to join his parents again. He cried, “I want my mother. I want my father!” 

Q3. The man who had rescued the child was compassionate and kind. Discuss.
Or
What values of humanity are reflected through the character of the kind man?
Ans: The man who had rescued the child had a heart full of goodness. He did not ignore the painful shrieks of the boy calling for his parents. Risking his own safety, he bent down in the crowd to rescue the child from getting trampled. He forgot his own purpose of visiting the shrine did his best to comfort and soothe the scared boy. He talked to him very kindly and inquired about his parents. When he did not get any response from the child, he did not lose patience. Instead, he tried to make him feel at ease b offering him the little things that children love. The man sincerely tried to pacify the child so that he could help him to find his parents. His character thus reflects the human values of kindness, compassion, care and love.

Q4. The child was denied everything by his parents. Why then did his love for them not lessen in any way?
Ans: The child had come to the fair with his parents to have fun and to enjoy the festive spirit like others. Although he wanted to have many things at the fair, he knew that he could not have them because his parents disliked those things. Although he was denied everything that he asked for, his love for them did not lessen. He enjoyed the natural beauty and satisfied himself by simply looking at the things he liked but could not have. He accompanied them obediently and did not throw any tantrums or compel them in any way to buy him sweets, garlands, balloons etc. His deep love for them can be seen when he gets separated from them. He misses them terribly and feels lonely. At that time his only concern is to get them back.

Q5. Compare the child’s behaviour before and after he lost his parents.
Ans: Before losing his parents, the child is in a happy, cheerful and playful mood. He gets attracted to many things on the way but follows his parents’ call whenever they ask him to. He is amazed by the beauty of nature and enjoys it in his innocent way. He feels secure in the presence of his parents and so he does not even wait for their response when he demands things from them. However, on getting separated, he is filled with fear and panic. He cries inconsolably and gets lost in a large crowd of people all around. He refuses to accept even those things that he had wanted a little while ago. Everything else loses value in his eyes in the absence of his parents. His laughter and happiness are replaced by insecurity and fear.

Q6. “A child longs for toys, sweets and other things but not at the cost of his parents.” Comment.
Ans. When the child realised that he had been separated from his parents, he started crying. Tears rolled down his cheeks. His face was full of fear. He was panicked and ran here and there. His yellow turban got untied. His clothes became muddy. He ran towards the shrine in search of his parents. There was a thick crowd. Before he could be trampled under their feet, a kind-hearted person picked him up in his arms. He asked him how he got there and where his parents were. The child wept more bitterly and cried for his parents.

Q7. When the child got lost in the fair a stranger helped him and tried to solve his problem. What do you feel about the behaviour of the stranger?
Ans. The stranger was certainly a kind-hearted man. He saved the child from being trampled under the feet. He loved children very much. He lifted the lost child in his lap and offered him all those things which the child desired to have earlier. He also offered the child to go on the roundabout. Obviously, such persons are rare and their responsibility gets increased in the fair. The stranger showed the love of parents in his behaviour towards the lost child. He tried to assure the child that he should not be afraid of anything in the fair. He will find the parents and hand over the lost child to him. The stranger also knew that the lost child could not live with his parents because he was weeping bitterly for his parents. Still, he tried to make the lost child happy. With his kind behaviour, the stranger proved that everybody has immense love for children.

Q8. You have gone to a fair. Your parents refuse to buy certain things for you. How will you react?
Ans. In such a situation, I would react with understanding and acceptance. While it's natural to feel a bit disappointed initially, I would remind myself of the bigger picture. My parents' decisions are based on their care and consideration for me.

I trust my parents' judgment wholeheartedly. They have a better perspective on what is truly beneficial for me. Their choices are influenced by a variety of factors, including our family's financial responsibilities and my well-being. They have the responsibility of managing household expenses and ensuring that I'm safe and happy.

Rather than dwelling on what I couldn't get, I would focus on the gratitude I have for my parents' love and efforts. I know they always have my best interests at heart. This experience would also teach me important lessons about patience, understanding, and appreciating the value of things beyond their material aspect.

Q9. You are taken to a fair by your parents. How will you behave with your parents? Explain with reference to the lesson ‘The Lost Child’.
Ans. When our parents take us to a fair, we should always try to follow their instructions. We should walk along with them so that we may not get lost in the fair. Besides, we must keep the mobile number and address of our house in the pocket. If we are lost in the fair, we should not eat things or sweets offered by other people because they might be kidnappers and criminals. If we are lost in the fair, we should take help from the police. Our parents have immense love for us. In the fair, we should not pressurise our parents to buy unnecessary things. Our act may humiliate our parents. It is our duty to keep them happy. We should not become a burden on our parents. We should always keep in mind the hard work they do for us.