Question

write the summary of the story "The Lost child "

Answer 1

The short story “The Lost Child” by Mulk Raj Anand describes how a little child was lost in the crowd of a village fair. One day, on the day of the spring festival a large crowd of brightly dressed people came out of the lanes and alleys of a town and headed towards the village fair. Among them a happy little boy was following his parents. The little boy lagged behind his parents as he was attracted by the toys displayed in the shops of the fair. He wanted to have a toy but he received an angry look from his father and his kind-hearted mother asked him tenderly to see what was before him. Then he began to sob as his desire was not fulfilled by his parents. Soon, they came into a vast stretch of mustered fields filled with yellow flowers stretching into miles like a rippling yellow river. The little boy’s eyes were filled with delight and amusement looking at the beautiful natural scenery. 

The child’s joy knew no bounds. He left the footpath and entered into the mustard-field and began to chase butterflies and dragon flies and tried to catch them if possible. His mother warned him not to go far away and asked him to be with them. He joined his parents and walked along them with side be side but again left them being attracted by a number of little worms and insects. He was once again called back by his parents who were sitting on the edge of a well in a grove. They were seated under a huge banyan tree which stretched its branches over smaller trees such as the jack, champak and gulmohur. When the child moving towards his parents with capers under the banyan tree where he lost his way and found himself in the fair again. 

Once again he came back to the fair unexpectedly. In the fair the child was attracted by the cries of a sweetmeat seller. His mouth watered for the burfi which was favourite to him. He knew very well that his desire would not be fulfilled, yet he spoke of it in a whisper then moved on without waiting for an answer. Then he came across flower seller, a balloon seller and a snake charmer who was playing on a flute before a snake. But the child had to pass on knowing that his parents were not ready to satisfy his desires. At last he came to a place which gave him the greatest attraction. It was a roundabout. He watched it going round and round with merry band of men, women and children on it. As soon as it stopped he boldly asked his parents for the pleasure of a ride on the roundabout. There was no answer from his parents. He turned round to see his parents but his parents were nowhere. 

Upon finding himself  alone and bereft of his parents, he ran here and there with no respite in sobbing. His turban came off and clothes became shabby with sweat and dust. He tries to find his parents in the people who are busy in laughing, jesting and moving all round. Tired from running the little boy stood sobbing for some time and then started running again. He ran desperately through people’s legs, crying ‘mother, father’. At the door of the temple the crowd was so thick that he was knocked down and was about to be trampled when he was picked up by a man in the crowd. The man came out of the crowd with the boy and asked him whose boy he was. The child only cried bitterly, saying that he wanted his father and mother. The kind hearted man tried to console the child by offering him a ride on the roundabout, but the child repeated his cry for his parents. Next The man took him to the snake-charmer but he refused to listen to his flute; then he offered to buy him the bright coloured balloons. Finally, the man tried to console him with some sweets, but all his efforts failed. The child only sobbed ‘I want my mother, I want my father.
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Answer 2

Answer :

The short story "The Lost Child" by Mulk Raj Anand describes the unfortunate event of a child's separation from his parents in a village fair. This story describes the pain and suffering the child goes through on being separated from the comfort and security of his parents' presence.

The story begins with the description of the beauty of the spring festival when he is going to the village fair. The fair is a major attraction with hordes of people coming down to attend it.

On reaching the fair the child becomes completely mesmerized with the sounds, smells and colorful sights that he witnesses. He yearns to play with the interesting toys and to eat the delicious fare on offer. He is dismissed by his father but his mother encourages him to enjoy the beautiful atmosphere.

In his eagerness to enjoy the sweets of the sweetmeat seller, the flowers and balloons of the vendors, the wonders of the snake charmer and the thrills of the various swings he loses track of his parents. When he turns back to ask his parents to let him enjoy one the rides, he discovers to his utter dismay that they are no longer beside him. The boy no longer desires any of the sweetmeats, flowers, balloons and rides. All his wants is the tender warmth and care of his parents' presence.

Tears trickle down his face and he runs all over in the frantic search for his parents. He falls down and is about to be trampled by the crowd when a sympathetic stranger helps him up. He tries to comfort and console the child by offering to buy him sweetmeat, flowers, balloons etc but the child refuses and continues to sob.

The story teaches us that all the wonders of the world and their beauty cannot compare to the selfless love of one's parents.