Chapter 1 The Lost Child

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

Question 1 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 lot of toy stores, flowering mustard field , dragonflies and butterflies fluttering among the flowers in the fields. The insects and worms surprised him as he walked along the route. He heard cooing doves as he entered the forest. The child always lags behind his parents because of his attraction towards the beauty of nature and the things he saw on his way.

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

Answer As the child enters the fair, he desires to have many things. These things include burfi from sweetmeat seller, the garland of gulmohar, to watch the snake charmer playing the flute to a snake and colourful balloons. He also wanted to ride merry-go-round. He moved on without waiting for an answer because he knew that his request would be refused every time and  his parents won’t buy any of these for him.

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

Answer When the child asked his parents to get a ride on the merry go round, he got no reply. So, the child turned around and looked in all the directions to see his Parents. But they were not present. It was then that the child realised that he was lost and had separated from his parents. He looked everywhere but couldn’t find them.

His nervousness and insecurity are beautifully expressed. Tears streamed down his cheeks, and his hot face trembled with terror. As soon as he realised that he was lost , he started crying for his parents. He ran here and there to look for his parents. He even entered the huge crowd of people gathered near the shrine. His turban had become unfastened, and his garments had become dirty. Even when the man tried to console him, he refused to accept anything and called for his mother and father.

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

Answer The child was with his parents and was happy. He had interest in many things such as balloons , toys , merry-go round , burfi and garland. But now he was a lost child who loses interest in the things that he wanted earlier because he was panic-stricken on being separated from his parents. All the things that attracted him in the fair no longer fascinated to him and the only thing he wanted was his parents. All of the things that drew him to the fair have faded from his mind as he understands that being with his parents was most important.

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

Answer The end is not mentioned in the story. lt can be assumed that in the end, the parents, who continuously kept checking that their child was with them, may have suddenly realised 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 find them.