The Lost Child Class - 9

                                

                       

The Lost Child is the story of a small child who gets lost in a fair. He had gone with his parents to the fair but loses them when he gets engrossed in looking at a roundabout swing. The story highlights the bond of love and affection that the child shares with his parents. Before losing them he had been demanding different things like sweets, balloons, flowers, swings, etc. Once he loses them, he is picked up by a stranger. The stranger tries to quieten the child by offering him all these things that he had demanded from his parents but the child does not want them any more. He wants his parents first.                                                                                        

The Lost Child Summary

It was the season of spring. The people of the village came out of their houses, in colourful attire and walked towards the fair. A child along with his parents was going to the fair and was very excited and happy. He was attracted to the stalls of toys and sweets. Though, his father got angry but his mother pacified him and diverted his attention towards other things. The child moved forward but once again lagged behind because his eyes were caught by one thing or the other every now and then.

As they moved forward, the child wanted the various things on the stalls. His mouth watered seeing sweets decorated with gold and silver leaves. He wanted his favourite burfi but knowing that his parents would refuse on the ground that he was greedy, he walked ahead. Then he saw beautiful garlands of gulmohur but didn’t ask for it, then he saw balloons but he knew very well that his parents would deny due to the fact that he was too old to play with balloons, so he walked away.

                                    

Then he saw a snake charmer and a roundabout swing. As he stopped to ask his parents for permission to enjoy the swing, to his astonishment, there was no reply. Neither his father nor his mother was there. Now the child realized that he was lost. He ran here and there but could not find them. The place was overcrowded. He got terrified but suddenly a kind hearted man took him up in his arms and consoled the bitterly weeping child. He asked if he would like to have a joyride but the child sobbed “I want my father, I want my mother.” The man offered him sweets, balloons and garland but the child kept sobbing “I want my father, I want my mother.”

                                    

द लॉस्ट चाइल्ड एक छोटे बच्चे की कहानी है जो एक मेले में खो जाता है। वह अपने माता-पिता के साथ मेले में गया था, लेकिन जब वह एक गोल-गोल झूले को देखने में तल्लीन हो जाता है, तो उन्हें खो देता है। कहानी प्यार और स्नेह के बंधन पर प्रकाश डालती है जो बच्चा अपने माता-पिता के साथ साझा करता है। उन्हें खोने से पहले वह मिठाई, गुब्बारे, फूल, झूले इत्यादि जैसी विभिन्न चीजों की मांग कर रहा था, एक बार जब वह उन्हें खो देता है, तो उसे एक अजनबी द्वारा उठाया जाता है। अजनबी बच्चे को उसके माता-पिता से मांग की गई इन सभी चीजों की पेशकश करके उसे शांत करने की कोशिश करता है लेकिन बच्चा उन्हें और नहीं चाहता है। वह पहले अपने माता-पिता को चाहता है                                                                                                                                                                   

द लॉस्ट चाइल्ड सारांश

यह वसंत का मौसम था। गाँव के लोग अपने घरों से, रंगीन पोशाक में निकले और मेले की ओर चल पड़े। एक बच्चा अपने माता-पिता के साथ मेले में जा रहा था और बहुत उत्साहित और खुश था। वह खिलौनों और मिठाइयों के स्टालों के प्रति आकर्षित था। हालाँकि, उनके पिता को गुस्सा आ गया लेकिन उनकी माँ ने उन्हें शांत किया और उनका ध्यान दूसरी चीजों की ओर आकर्षित किया। बच्चा आगे बढ़ गया लेकिन एक बार फिर से पिछड़ गया क्योंकि उसकी आँखें हर समय एक-एक चीज को पकड़ती थीं।

  

जब वे आगे बढ़े, तो बच्चे स्टालों पर विभिन्न चीजों को चाहते थे। सोने और चांदी की पत्तियों से सजी मिठाइयों को देखकर उनके मुंह में पानी आ गया। वह अपनी पसंदीदा बर्फी चाहता था, लेकिन यह जानकर कि उसके माता-पिता इस आधार पर मना कर देंगे कि वह लालची था, वह आगे चला गया। फिर उसने गुलमोहर की खूबसूरत माला देखी, लेकिन उसने यह नहीं पूछा, फिर उसने गुब्बारे देखे लेकिन वह अच्छी तरह जानता था कि उसके माता-पिता इस तथ्य के कारण इनकार करेंगे कि वह गुब्बारे के साथ खेलने के लिए बहुत पुराना था, इसलिए वह चला गया।                              

तब उसने एक साँप को पकड़ने वाला और एक गोल-गोल झूला देखा। जब उसने अपने माता-पिता से झूले का आनंद लेने की अनुमति मांगी, तो वह हैरान रह गया, कोई जवाब नहीं मिला। न तो उसके पिता थे और न ही उसकी मां थी। अब बच्चे को एहसास हुआ कि वह खो गया है। वह इधर-उधर भागता रहा लेकिन उन्हें नहीं मिला।  

न तो उसके पिता थे और न ही उसकी मां थी। अब बच्चे को एहसास हुआ कि वह खो गया है। वह इधर-उधर दौड़ा लेकिन उन्हें नहीं मिला। जगह-जगह भीड़भाड़ थी। वह घबरा गया लेकिन अचानक एक दयालु आदमी ने उसे अपनी बाहों में ले लिया और बच्चे को रोते हुए सांत्वना दी। उन्होंने पूछा कि क्या वह एक हनीड्राइड करना चाहते हैं लेकिन बच्चे ने कहा "मुझे मेरे पिता चाहिए, मुझे मेरी माँ चाहिए।" उस आदमी ने उसे मिठाइयाँ, गुब्बारे और मालाएँ भेंट कीं लेकिन बच्चा यह कहता रहा कि "मुझे मेरे पिता चाहिए, मुझे मेरी माँ चाहिए।"

Question and Answers 

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

A. On his way to the fair, the child sees the following things-

1. He saw toys that were displayed in the shops lined up on the way.

2. He saw the vast mustard field which seemed like melting gold.

3. There were brightly coloured dragonflies, butterflies and black bees which flapped their wings and sat on the flowers to suck nectar from them.

4. He also saw  little insects and worms along the footpath that were crawling out of the holes in the footpath to get sunshine.

5. The child saw a dove bird in the grove.

6. Also, he saw hordes of people walking towards the fair.

The child often lagged behind because he would watch the different happenings around him. He would get attracted to these things and would stop in his way. Then, his parents would walk ahead and he would be left behind.

 

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

A. In the fair, the boy wanted the following things-

1. He wanted to buy a burfi from the sweetmeat seller.

2. He wanted a garland of flowers from the flower seller.

3. Next, he saw a balloon seller and wanted a balloon.

4. When he saw the snake - charmer he was attracted to the music of the flute and wanted to listen to it.

5. He wanted to take a ride on the roundabout swing.

The child moved ahead from all the stalls without waiting for a reply because he knew that his parents would not heed to his demands. He knew their replies in each case would be as follows -

1. For the burfi, they would say that he was a greedy child.

2. The garland of flowers would not be bought because it was considered cheap.

3. They would not buy him a balloon because he was grown up to play with it.

4. The child’s parents had warned him from listening to such unpleasant music as was played by the snake - charmers.

3. When does he realise that he has lost his way? How have his anxiety and insecurity been described?

A. When the child raised his demand for a ride on the round about, his parents did not reply. He moved his head up to look for them. It was then that he discovered that he had lost his way. His anxiety and insecurity have been described in the following ways-

1. The child saw hefty men with murderous eyes and got scared of them.

2. He ran here and there looking for his parents.

3. His turban untied.

4. His clothes became dirty.

5. He was screaming at the top of his voice.

 

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

A. The lost child loses interest in the things that he wanted earlier because now he is sad as he has lost his parents. Before getting anything of his choice like sweets, flowers, balloons, joy rides and music, he wants to reunite with his mother and father.

 

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

A. The ending of the story is not given. I think that in the end, the boy finds his parents standing at the fair reception. Thus, the child finds his parents and they reunite once again.