CBSE Class 9 English Moments Chapter 1: The Lost Child NCERT Solutions

Solution: On his way to the fair, the child is captivated by a variety of sights. Initially, he is drawn to toy shops. His mother then points out a flowering mustard field where he observes dragonflies and butterflies fluttering around the flowers. As they walk, he notices insects and worms on the footpath and cooing doves in a grove. Approaching the village, he sees large crowds heading towards the fair. Closer to the fair, he encounters numerous stalls, including a sweetmeat seller offering burfi and Gulab-jamun, a flower seller with a Gulmohar garland, a man selling rainbow-colored balloons, a snake charmer playing a flute to a snake, and finally, a roundabout swing.

The child lags behind because he is constantly fascinated and distracted by these numerous attractions. He stops frequently to admire the beauty of nature, collect flowers, chase butterflies, or simply gaze at the interesting objects and people he encounters, causing him to fall behind his parents.

Solution: Inside the fair, the child expresses his desire for several things. He wants toys and balloons, specifically mentioning a rainbow-colored balloon. He desires burfi from the sweetmeat seller and a garland of Gulmohar from the flower seller. He is also mesmerized by the snake charmer playing his flute and wishes for a ride on the roundabout swing.

The child moves on without waiting for an answer because he anticipates that his parents will refuse his requests. He understands that his parents are likely to deny him these things, perhaps due to cost or other reasons, and he knows that waiting for a refusal would only lead to disappointment. Therefore, he continues to move forward, perhaps hoping for a different outcome or simply being swept along by the crowd and his own curiosity.

Solution: The child realizes he has lost his way when he reaches the roundabout. He stops to watch the people enjoying the ride and, engrossed in the spectacle, turns to ask his parents for permission to join. However, upon turning, he finds they are not there. He looks around frantically but cannot see them anywhere.

His anxiety and insecurity are described with great emotional depth. A "full, deep cry rose within his dry throat." With a "sudden jerk of his body," he starts running, shouting "Mother, Father" in genuine fear. Tears stream down his face, and his "flushed face was convulsed with fear." He becomes panic-stricken, running aimlessly in all directions, unsure of where to go. His yellow turban comes untied, and his clothes get muddy, illustrating his distress and loss of composure. The author effectively uses these details to convey the intense fear and helplessness a lost child experiences.

Solution: The lost child loses interest in all the things he had previously desired because he is now consumed by panic and fear after realizing he is separated from his parents. His entire focus shifts from material wants to the urgent need to find his parents. The joy and attraction of toys, sweets, balloons, and rides vanish completely in the face of his distress. Being reunited with his mother and father becomes the only thing that matters to him, making all other attractions seem insignificant.

Solution: It is highly probable that the child finds his parents in the end. The story implies that his parents, who were likely keeping track of him, would have realized he was missing and would have started searching for him. They might have retraced their steps or looked for him in the vicinity where they last saw him. Additionally, the kind man who tried to comfort the child might have helped by asking for a description of his parents or by guiding him towards a lost and found area or a police official. The narrative strongly suggests a reunion, bringing the child's ordeal to a comforting close.