“The Lost Child” is the first chapter of the NCERT supplementary reader Moments, prescribed for Class 9 English by ASSEB (Assam State Board of Secondary Education). Written by the celebrated Indian author Mulk Raj Anand, this short story follows a young boy who accompanies his parents to a spring festival fair. The child is captivated by the sights and sounds of the fair — toys, sweets, balloons, a snake charmer, and a roundabout — but becomes separated from his parents in the crowd. The story powerfully depicts the emotional transformation of the child: from innocent delight to desperate longing, revealing that no material comfort can replace the love and security of one’s parents.
Summary of The Lost Child
The story opens on a bright spring morning. A young boy is walking with his parents along a path leading to a village fair. On the way, the child is distracted by many things — a flowering mustard field, dragonflies with gleaming wings, butterflies fluttering over flowers, and a line of doves perched on a banyan tree. He lags behind, absorbed in each new wonder, but his parents keep calling him forward.
As the family approaches the fair, the atmosphere grows festive. People from nearby villages are heading to the fair on foot, on horseback, and in bullock carts. The child is enchanted by the noise, colour, and energy around him. At the fair, he is drawn to a toy shop, but knowing his parents will refuse to buy him anything, he moves on. At a sweetmeat shop, he eyes the burfi but again moves away without asking. He admires a garland of gulmohur flowers but does not press his parents for it. He watches a snake charmer playing a flute but obediently follows his parents. He sees a man selling rainbow-coloured balloons and lingers, but once again continues without requesting one.
Finally, the child spots a roundabout (merry-go-round) and, overwhelmed with excitement, runs toward it. He turns around to ask his parents for permission to ride — and finds that they are nowhere to be seen. He is alone in the crowd. The realization hits him instantly. He cries out, “Mother! Father!” and runs frantically in every direction, weeping loudly. His clothes become soiled and dishevelled as he pushes through the jostling crowd.
A kind-hearted man hears his cries and lifts him up gently in his arms. He tries to comfort the child by taking him back to the attractions of the fair — the roundabout, the snake charmer, the balloons, the sweets, and the flower garland. But the child refuses each offer with the same desperate sob: “I want my father! I want my mother!” The story ends here, leaving the reunion open, but suggesting that the child will eventually be reunited with his parents through the stranger’s compassionate help.
Think About It
Q1. What are the things the child sees on his way to the fair? Why does he lag behind?
Answer: On his way to the fair, the child sees many fascinating things in nature and around him. He notices a flowering mustard field with pale yellow blossoms nodding in the breeze. He tries to catch dragonflies with gleaming, purple-winged bodies that hover over the flowers. He sees butterflies flitting from blossom to blossom. He watches a line of doves sitting on a banyan tree and is tempted to run toward them. He also sees the festive crowd of villagers heading to the fair — people on foot, on horseback, and in bullock carts — and the colourful stalls and shops as they enter the fairground.
The child lags behind because he is naturally curious and easily enchanted by everything around him. Each new sight holds his attention for a moment, and he slows down or stops to observe. His parents frequently call him and tell him to hurry, but his wonder at the world keeps pulling him back. He is a child at heart, unable to resist the beauty and excitement around him.
Q2. In the fair, he wants many things. What are they? Why does he move on without waiting for an answer?
Answer: At the fair, the child desires many things. He wants to buy toys from the toy shop. At the sweetmeat stall, he is attracted to the burfi and other sweets like gulab-jamuns, rasogullas, and jalebis. He wishes to have a garland of gulmohur flowers. He wants to stop and watch the snake charmer play the flute. He is fascinated by the rainbow-coloured balloons being sold by a vendor. And most of all, he wants to ride the roundabout (merry-go-round).
However, the child moves on each time without waiting for his parents to respond. He does this because he already knows from experience that his parents will say no to most of his requests. When he looks at the toys, he sees his father’s “red eyes” and moves on. He understands that his parents consider some of his desires unnecessary or too expensive. Rather than face a refusal and feel disappointed, he quietly moves ahead. This shows that the child is sensitive and has learned to suppress his desires in order to avoid conflict with his parents.
Q3. When does he realise that he has lost his way? How have his anxiety and insecurity been described?
Answer: The child realises he has lost his way when he reaches the roundabout and turns around to ask his parents for permission to ride it. At that moment, he finds that his parents are nowhere behind him. He calls out “Mother! Father!” but gets no response. That is the moment he understands he has been separated from them.
The author vividly describes the child’s anxiety and insecurity at this point. The child is filled with panic and begins to cry loudly — he weeps and wails, running here and there in search of his parents. His pink turban falls from his head, his clothes become smeared with dust, and his face is streaked with tears. He pushes through the crowd desperately, calling out again and again. The noise of the fair, which had earlier seemed exciting, now becomes an overwhelming din of confusion and fear. The once-joyful atmosphere turns terrifying. His small body trembles with helplessness as he realizes he is completely alone in the vast, indifferent crowd.
Q4. Why does the lost child lose interest in the things that he had wanted earlier?
Answer: The lost child loses all interest in the things he had wanted earlier because, at that moment, the only thing he truly wants is to be reunited with his parents. When the kind stranger offers him the roundabout ride, the balloons, the sweets, the snake charmer show, and the flower garland — all the things the child had desired just moments before — he refuses each one with the same cry: “I want my father! I want my mother!”
This powerful emotional shift reveals the central message of the story. Material things — toys, food, entertainment — only have meaning and joy when one is safe and loved. Without the presence of his parents, the child feels no comfort or pleasure in anything around him. The story thus illustrates that a child’s true source of happiness is not material possessions but the love, warmth, and security that parents provide. The fair’s attractions are empty without parental love to share them with.
Q5. What do you think happens in the end? Does the child find his parents?
Answer: The story does not give a definite ending, but it is reasonable to believe that the child eventually finds his parents. Village fairs are community events where everyone generally knows each other or lives nearby. When the parents realised that their child was not with them, they would certainly have retraced their steps and searched for him frantically. The kind-hearted stranger who found the crying child would likely have asked him his parents’ names and descriptions, and with the help of people around, would have located them.
The open ending of the story is a deliberate literary choice by Mulk Raj Anand. It keeps the reader’s focus not on the reunion itself, but on the emotional journey — the child’s shift from material desire to the deeper longing for parental love. The story’s real conclusion is emotional rather than narrative: we understand that no fair attraction can substitute for a parent’s love.
Talk About It
Q1. Have you ever been to a fair? What did you like best about it?
Answer: (This is a personal experience question. Students should write about their own experiences.)
Sample Answer: Yes, I have been to a fair during a local festival. What I liked best was the variety of food stalls offering local sweets and snacks, the colourful balloons and toys on display, and the festive atmosphere with music and crowds of cheerful people. Fairs are full of life, colour, and excitement that make them memorable experiences for children and adults alike.
Q2. In “The Lost Child,” the boy’s parents were not careful enough. Have you ever been lost? What did you do to find your way back?
Answer: (This is a personal experience question. Students should narrate their own experiences if applicable.)
Sample Answer: Once, I got separated from my parents at a crowded market. I was frightened at first, but I remembered being told to stay in one place and not wander further. I went to a nearby shopkeeper and told him I was lost. He helped me contact my parents, and they found me within a few minutes. The experience taught me the importance of staying calm and seeking help from a trustworthy adult.
Q3. What precautions would you suggest to ensure that children do not get lost at fairs or in crowded places?
Answer: The following precautions can help prevent children from getting lost in crowded places:
- For parents: Always hold your child’s hand in a crowd. Decide on a fixed meeting point before entering a fair or crowded area. Attach a small note to your child’s pocket with your name and phone number. Do not let children wander unsupervised, even for a moment.
- For children: Always stay close to your parents and hold their hand. Memorise your parent’s phone number and your home address. If separated, do not panic — go to a shop, police booth, or security personnel and ask for help. Do not go with strangers.
- General: Dress children in bright, easily visible colours. Teach children what to do in case they are lost, before going to a fair. Use wristbands with contact information for very young children.
Additional Questions and Answers
Short Answer Questions
Q1. Who wrote “The Lost Child”? Which book is it from?
Answer: “The Lost Child” was written by Mulk Raj Anand, one of India’s most prominent English-language fiction writers. The story is from the NCERT supplementary reader Moments, prescribed for Class 9 English under ASSEB and CBSE curricula.
Q2. What is the setting of the story?
Answer: The story is set in and around a village fair during the spring festival (likely Holi or a similar seasonal festival). The journey begins along a country path passing through mustard fields and a grove, and the main events take place inside the bustling fairground with its many stalls, sweet shops, and entertainment attractions.
Q3. What was the child’s favourite sweet at the fair?
Answer: The child’s favourite sweet at the fair was burfi. He stood attracted by the sweetmeat shop displaying various sweets including gulab-jamuns, rasogullas, and jalebis, but burfi was what particularly caught his eye. However, he did not ask his parents for it, fearing they would call him greedy.
Q4. Why did the child think his father would not buy him toys?
Answer: The child thought his father would not buy him toys because he had observed his father’s stern expression — described as “red eyes” — whenever he asked for things in the past. He knew from experience that his father considered such desires as childish or extravagant, so he simply looked at the toys and moved on without even asking, to avoid being refused or scolded.
Q5. What kind of man found the lost child? How did he try to comfort him?
Answer: A kind-hearted, generous man found the lost child. He lifted the child gently in his arms and tried to comfort him in every way he could. He offered the child a ride on the roundabout, then took him to see the snake charmer, then offered him balloons, then sweets, and finally a flower garland — in short, everything the child had desired at the fair. Despite all these efforts, the child refused each offer and kept crying for his parents.
Q6. What does the phrase “tyrant’s way” suggest in the story?
Answer: The phrase “tyrant’s way” is used to describe the manner in which the child’s father looked at him when he lingered near the toy shop. The word “tyrant” suggests someone strict and authoritarian. The phrase implies that the child’s father was stern and strict — he did not indulge the child’s wishes and used a firm, controlling gaze to redirect the child’s attention. It reflects the father-son power dynamic typical of traditional households.
Q7. Describe the crowd at the fair as seen through the child’s eyes.
Answer: Before getting lost, the child sees the crowd as part of the exciting, festive atmosphere. People of all kinds — men, women, children — are dressed in colourful clothes, laughing and talking. The noise, the colours, and the bustle of the crowd add to the magic of the fair. However, after getting lost, the same crowd appears threatening and overwhelming. The people now seem to jostle and push, their noise becomes a frightening din, and the child feels small and helpless among the mass of strangers.
Q8. What is the significance of the spring season in the story?
Answer: The spring setting is significant because it mirrors the child’s initial mood of joy, freshness, and wonder. Spring is a season of blooming flowers, warm sunlight, and new life — perfectly suited to a child’s innocent delight in the world. The flowering mustard fields, the butterflies, the dragonflies, and the festive fair all belong to the spirit of spring. The contrast between this joyful, vibrant setting and the child’s sudden terror when he is lost makes the emotional shift in the story even more striking and poignant.
Q9. What does the story reveal about the child’s understanding of his parents?
Answer: The story reveals that the child has a deep, intuitive understanding of his parents. He knows when to ask and when not to ask. He understands that his father is strict and will refuse requests for toys or sweets. He moves past shops without asking, not out of indifference, but because he has already anticipated his parents’ responses. At the same time, his desperate longing for them once he is lost shows that he loves them deeply and that they are the centre of his world — far more important to him than any fair attraction.
Q10. How does “The Lost Child” highlight the theme of parent-child bonding?
Answer: The story highlights the theme of parent-child bonding through the dramatic contrast between the child’s behaviour before and after getting lost. Before: he is curious, excited, but obediently stays near his parents. After: he loses all interest in everything he had wanted — sweets, balloons, the roundabout — and only wants his mother and father. This powerful shift makes it clear that the parents are not just caregivers but the source of the child’s entire sense of security, happiness, and identity. The bond between parent and child, the story argues, is stronger than any material desire or worldly attraction.
Long Answer Questions
Q1. Describe the child’s experience at the fair before and after he gets lost. What does this contrast reveal about the central theme of the story?
Answer: Before getting lost, the child’s experience at the fair is one of wonder, delight, and innocent longing. From the moment he sets out with his parents, he is enchanted by everything around him — the flowering mustard fields, the dragonflies, the butterflies, and the festive crowd. At the fair itself, he is drawn to toy stalls, sweet shops, flower garlands, balloons, and the snake charmer. Though he desires many things, he does not insist on them because he understands his parents may say no. The fair is a place of joy, colour, and excitement — a magical world seen through a child’s eyes.
After getting lost, the same fair becomes a place of terror and confusion. The colourful, exciting crowd turns into a faceless, jostling mass. The noise that had seemed festive now becomes overwhelming. The child cries frantically, his clothes becoming dirty and dishevelled, as he searches desperately for his parents. When a kind stranger offers him the very things he had wanted — the roundabout, the sweets, the balloons, the garland — he refuses them all, weeping and repeating: “I want my father! I want my mother!”
This sharp contrast reveals the story’s central theme: parental love and the security it provides are far more valuable to a child than any material possession or entertainment. The fair’s attractions are only joyful in the context of family and love. Without his parents, nothing holds any meaning for the child. Mulk Raj Anand uses this contrast to powerfully communicate a universal truth about childhood and the irreplaceable role of parents.
Q2. Describe the role of the kind-hearted stranger in “The Lost Child.” What qualities does he display?
Answer: The kind-hearted stranger is a minor but very important character in “The Lost Child.” He appears near the end of the story, when the child is crying frantically and stumbling through the crowd in search of his parents. Upon hearing the child’s desperate cries, the stranger does not ignore him or walk past — instead, he immediately stops, picks the child up gently, and tries to console him.
The stranger displays remarkable empathy, patience, and kindness. He tries to comfort the child methodically, offering him the things a child at a fair would normally enjoy: a roundabout ride, the snake charmer show, coloured balloons, sweets, and a flower garland. Each time, the child refuses, crying only for his parents. The stranger does not give up or lose patience but continues trying to help. His persistence and compassion show that he genuinely cares about the child’s wellbeing.
The stranger represents the goodness and humanity that can be found in ordinary people. Even in a large, indifferent crowd, there is one person willing to step forward and help a child in distress. His character reassures the reader that the child will eventually be reunited with his parents, as the stranger would certainly have tried to locate them as well. The story thus ends on an implicit note of hope and human kindness.
Q3. How does Mulk Raj Anand use sensory details in “The Lost Child” to bring the story to life?
Answer: Mulk Raj Anand is a master of sensory description, and “The Lost Child” is rich with vivid details that engage all five senses. Through these details, the reader is transported directly into the child’s experience.
Sight: The story is full of visual imagery — the pale yellow mustard flowers, the purple-winged dragonflies, the rainbow-coloured balloons, the gulmohur garland, the sweets piled high at the sweetmeat stall. These colourful images create a world that is bright, festive, and visually overwhelming.
Sound: The flute of the snake charmer, the creaking of the roundabout, the hum and noise of the crowd, and the child’s own desperate cries of “Mother! Father!” all contribute to the auditory texture of the story.
Smell and taste: The aroma of the sweetmeats — burfi, jalebis, gulab-jamuns — tempts the child and the reader alike.
Touch and movement: The jostling of the crowd, the child’s feet running frantically, the gentle hands of the stranger lifting him — these tactile details ground the story in physical reality.
The contrast in sensory experience before and after the child gets lost is also significant. Before: the senses are delighted and stimulated. After: the same sights and sounds become threatening and chaotic. Anand uses sensory details not merely for description but as a narrative tool to reflect the child’s emotional state, making the story deeply immersive and emotionally resonant.
Q4. What is the moral or message of “The Lost Child”? Explain with reference to the text.
Answer: The central moral of “The Lost Child” by Mulk Raj Anand is that no material possession or worldly pleasure can substitute for the love and security that parents provide to their children.
Throughout the first half of the story, the child desires many things — toys, sweets, a flower garland, balloons, and a roundabout ride. These desires are natural for a child at a fair. However, the moment he is separated from his parents, all these desires vanish instantly. When the kind stranger offers him the very things he had wanted — the roundabout, the sweets, the balloons — the child refuses them all, sobbing, “I want my father! I want my mother!”
This transformation is the heart of the story’s message. The child’s desires were always secondary to his need for parental love and security. He had wanted the fair’s attractions only while he felt safe with his parents nearby. Without them, nothing had any value.
A secondary message of the story is about the importance of attentiveness in crowds. The parents, though loving, were not careful enough to ensure the child stayed close to them at all times. This serves as a gentle reminder — particularly relevant to the “Talk About It” section — that in crowded places, children and parents must take extra care to stay together.
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Q1. Who is the author of “The Lost Child”?
A) R.K. Narayan B) Mulk Raj Anand C) Ruskin Bond D) Rabindranath Tagore
Answer: B) Mulk Raj Anand
Q2. Where does the story take place?
A) A city market B) A temple C) A village fair during spring festival D) A school playground
Answer: C) A village fair during spring festival
Q3. What was the child’s favourite sweet at the fair?
A) Jalebi B) Rasogulla C) Burfi D) Gulab-jamun
Answer: C) Burfi
Q4. Why did the child not ask his parents to buy him things at the fair?
A) He did not like those things B) He knew his parents would refuse C) He had no money D) He was too shy to speak
Answer: B) He knew his parents would refuse
Q5. When did the child realise he was lost?
A) When he could not find the sweet shop B) When he turned around to ask for a balloon C) When he turned to ask permission to ride the roundabout D) When he reached the snake charmer’s stall
Answer: C) When he turned to ask permission to ride the roundabout
Q6. What did the lost child repeatedly cry out?
A) “Help me! Help me!” B) “I want my father! I want my mother!” C) “Where is the fair?” D) “Someone help me find my balloon!”
Answer: B) “I want my father! I want my mother!”
Q7. What is the main theme of “The Lost Child”?
A) The excitement of village fairs B) The importance of material possessions C) The irreplaceable value of parental love and security D) The dangers of crowded places
Answer: C) The irreplaceable value of parental love and security
Q8. Who found the lost child and tried to comfort him?
A) A police officer B) A shopkeeper C) A kind-hearted stranger D) A woman from the village
Answer: C) A kind-hearted stranger
Q9. What does the phrase “tyrant’s way” in the story refer to?
A) The snake charmer’s control over the snake B) The crowd’s aggressive pushing C) The father’s strict and stern look D) The roundabout operator’s attitude
Answer: C) The father’s strict and stern look
Q10. What did the child do when the stranger offered him the roundabout ride?
A) He happily accepted B) He asked for sweets instead C) He refused and cried for his parents D) He ran away from the stranger
Answer: C) He refused and cried for his parents