MP Board 9th English Moments The Lost Child by Mulk Raj Anand : This chapters is taken from MP Board 9th English Moments The Lost Child by Mulk Raj Anand used for students in class 9th for their supplementory reader text booknamed Moments.
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लेखक के बारे में (About the Author)
इस कहानी ‘The Lost Child’ के लेखक मुल्क राज आनंद (Mulk Raj Anand) हैं। उनका जन्म 12 दिसंबर 1905 को पेशावर (अब पाकिस्तान में) में हुआ था। वह एक प्रसिद्ध भारतीय लेखक थे जो अंग्रेजी में लिखते थे। उन्हें भारत के पारंपरिक समाज में गरीब और निचली जातियों के जीवन का यथार्थवादी (realistic) चित्रण करने के लिए जाना जाता है।
उनकी प्रसिद्ध रचनाओं में ‘Untouchable’, ‘Coolie’ और ‘Two Leaves and a Bud’ शामिल हैं। उन्हें 1968 में भारत के प्रतिष्ठित नागरिक सम्मान ‘पद्म भूषण’ (Padma Bhushan) से सम्मानित किया गया था। उनकी कहानियाँ अक्सर गहरी मानवीय भावनाओं (deep human emotions) और सामाजिक मुद्दों (social issues) को दर्शाती हैं।
शब्दकोश: द लॉस्ट चाइल्ड (Vocabulary: The Lost Child)
| शब्द (Word) | हिंदी अर्थ (Hindi Meaning) |
|---|---|
| Alleys | तंग गली |
| Brimming | लबालब भरा हुआ |
| Clad | पहने हुए |
| Congested | संकरा, भीड़-भाड़ वाला |
| Disconsolate | व्याकुल, शोकाकुल |
| Emerged | बाहर निकला |
| Fascinated | आकर्षित |
| Fierce | प्रचण्ड, उग्र |
| Gaudy | भड़कीला |
| Gaily | प्रसन्नतापूर्वक |
| Garland | माला |
| Grove | कुंज, उपवन |
| Heed | ध्यान देना |
| Hefty | भारी-भरकम, हट्टा-कट्टा |
| Humanity | मानवता, जनसमूह |
| Jostled | धक्का-मुक्की की |
| Lagged behind | पीछे रह गया |
| Linger | देर तक ठहरना |
| Murmur | फुसफुसाना, बड़बड़ाना |
| Overwhelming | अत्यधिक, ज़बरदस्त |
| Receding | पीछे हटता हुआ |
| Shrine | देवस्थान, मंदिर |
| Shrieked | चीखा |
| Suppressed | दबा हुआ |
| Teeming | भरा हुआ, परिपूर्ण |
| Throng | भीड़ |
| Tyrant | अत्याचारी, निरंकुश |
| Wailing | विलाप करना, रोना-पीटना |
| Hither and thither | यहाँ-वहाँ, इधर-उधर |
कहानी का सारांश (Summary of the Story : The Lost Child) 🧸
यह कहानी एक छोटे बच्चे की है जो वसंत के त्योहार (festival of spring) के मौके पर अपने माता-पिता के साथ एक मेले (fair) में जाता है। वह बहुत खुश और उत्साहित (excited) है। मेले के रास्ते में, वह हर चीज़ से आकर्षित (attracted) हो जाता है।
पात्रों का विवरण (Character Descriptions)
- बच्चा (The Child): कहानी का protagonist (मुख्य पात्र) है। वह मासूम है और मेले से आसानी से fascinated (आकर्षित) हो जाता है। उसके लिए, उसके माता-पिता प्यार और security (सुरक्षा) का प्रतीक हैं।
- माता-पिता (The Parents): वे बच्चे के लिए authority (अधिकार) और safety (सुरक्षा) का प्रतीक हैं। वे देखभाल करने वाले लेकिन सख्त भी हैं, और अनुशासन सिखाने के लिए अक्सर उसकी मांगों को अस्वीकार कर देते हैं।
- दयालु व्यक्ति (The Kind Man): एक compassionate (दयालु) और मददगार अजनबी जो खोए हुए बच्चे को मिलता है। वह रोते हुए बच्चे को वे सभी चीजें देकर soothe (शांत) करने की कोशिश करता है, जिससे उसकी गहरी सहानुभूति का पता चलता है।
मेले के आकर्षण (Attractions of the Fair)
- सबसे पहले वह एक दुकान (shop) में रखे खिलौनों को देखता है और उन्हें पाने की ज़िद करता है, लेकिन उसके पिता उसे गुस्से से घूरते हैं। उसकी माँ उसका ध्यान बंटाने के लिए उसे सामने सरसों का खेत (mustard field) दिखाती है।
- वह फूलों और ड्रैगनफ़्लाई (dragonflies) को देखकर मोहित हो जाता है और उनके पीछे भागने लगता है।
- आगे चलकर, वह एक मिठाई वाले (sweetmeat-seller) को ‘गुलाब-जामुन’, ‘रसगुल्ला’, ‘बर्फी’ चिल्लाते हुए सुनता है। उसके मुँह में पानी आ जाता है और वह बर्फी के लिए फुसफुसाता है, लेकिन वह जानता है कि उसके माता-पिता मना कर देंगे।
- इसके बाद उसे गुलमोहर के फूलों की माला बेचता हुआ एक फूलवाला (flower-seller), रंग-बिरंगे गुब्बारे बेचता हुआ एक गुब्बारेवाला (balloon-seller) और बीन बजाता हुआ एक सपेरा (snake-charmer) मिलता है। वह हर चीज़ चाहता है, लेकिन अपने माता-पिता के इनकार के डर से वह बिना जवाब का इंतज़ार किए आगे बढ़ जाता है।
बच्चे का खो जाना (The Child Gets Lost)
जब वह एक गोल घूमने वाले झूले (roundabout) के पास पहुँचता है, तो वह अपनी इच्छा को रोक नहीं पाता। वह हिम्मत करके कहता है, “मुझे इस झूले पर जाना है।” जब कोई जवाब नहीं मिलता, तो वह पीछे मुड़कर देखता है, लेकिन उसके माता-पिता वहाँ नहीं होते।
वह घबरा जाता है और हर जगह उन्हें ढूँढ़ने लगता है। वह रोते हुए “माँ, पिताजी” चिल्लाता है। मेला, जो कुछ देर पहले तक उसे खुशी दे रहा था, अब एक डरावनी जगह बन जाता है। वह भीड़ में यहाँ-वहाँ दौड़ता है।
एक दयालु व्यक्ति (A Kind Man)
वह एक मंदिर (shrine) के पास पहुँचता है जहाँ बहुत भीड़ होती है। भीड़ की धक्का-मुक्की में वह लगभग कुचल ही जाता, तभी एक दयालु आदमी उसे उठाकर अपनी गोद में ले लेता है। वह आदमी उससे पूछता है कि वह वहाँ कैसे आया और उसके माता-पिता कौन हैं। बच्चा बस रोता रहता है और कहता है, “मुझे मेरी माँ चाहिए, मुझे मेरे पिता चाहिए।”
वह आदमी बच्चे को शांत करने की कोशिश करता है और उसे वे सारी चीजें दिलाने की पेशकश (offer) करता है जिन्हें वह पहले चाहता था। वह उसे मिठाई, फूल, गुब्बारे और सपेरे का संगीत सुनने के लिए कहता है, लेकिन अब बच्चे को उन चीज़ों में कोई दिलचस्पी (interest) नहीं होती। वह हर चीज़ के लिए मना कर देता है और सिसकते हुए बस यही दोहराता है: “I want my mother, I want my father.”
NCERT Solutions for Class 9 English Moments Chapter 1: The Lost Child
Here are the simple and easy-to-learn answers for the important questions from Chapter 1, ‘The Lost Child,’ written by Mulk Raj Anand. These answers are designed to help Class 9 students understand the story’s key points and prepare effectively for their exams.
Question 1: What are the things the child sees on his way to the fair? Why does he lag behind?
On his way to the fair, the child sees toys in the shops, a vibrant flowering mustard field, colourful dragonflies, and little insects and worms. He lags behind his parents because he is deeply fascinated by all these things and stops frequently to look at them.
Question 2: In the fair he wants many things. What are they? Why does he move on without waiting for an answer?
In the fair, the child wants many things, including sweets (burfi) from the sweet-seller, a garland of Gulmohar flowers, rainbow-coloured balloons, and a ride on the roundabout. He moves on without waiting for an answer because he knows from his past experience that his parents would refuse his requests, perhaps calling him greedy.
Question 3: When does he realise that he has lost his way? How have his anxiety and insecurity been described?
He realises he is lost when he makes a bold request for a ride on the roundabout but gets no reply. When he turns to look for his parents, he finds they are not there. His anxiety and insecurity are described through his sudden deep cry, running around in a state of panic, shouting “Mother, Father!”, and his face being convulsed with fear.
Question 4: Why does the lost child lose interest in the things that he had wanted earlier?
The lost child loses interest in everything he wanted earlier because he is overwhelmed by fear and the pain of separation from his parents. The comfort and security of his parents were more important than any toy or sweet. Without them, nothing else mattered, and his only desire was to be reunited with them.
Question 5: What do you think happens in the end? Does the child find his parents?
The story has an open ending and does not explicitly state whether the child finds his parents. However, we can infer a hopeful conclusion. The man who found the child was very kind and was trying to help. Simultaneously, his parents would have been frantically searching for him. In a crowded but contained place like a fair, it is very likely that they were eventually reunited.
Very Short Answer Type Questions
Question no. 1: What sweet did the child particularly want from the sweet-seller?
Answer : The child particularly wanted his favourite sweet, burfi.
Question no. 2: What was the snake-charmer playing to make the snake dance?
Answer : The snake-charmer was playing a flute.
Question no. 3: What did the child’s parents say about the music played by the snake-charmer?
Answer : His parents had forbidden him from hearing such coarse music.
Question no. 4: Where did the kind man find the lost child?
Answer : The kind man found the lost child in the crowd near the shrine.
Question no. 5: What was the first thing the kind man offered to buy for the child?
Answer : The first thing the kind man offered to buy was a sweet from the sweet-seller.
Short Answer Type Questions
Question no. 6: How did the child’s mother distract his mind from the toy-seller?
Answer : The child’s mother gently held his finger and drew his attention towards a flowering mustard field, asking him to look at the colourful dragonflies there. This successfully distracted his mind from the toy.
Question no. 7: What happened when the child entered the grove?
Answer : As the child entered the grove, a shower of young flowers fell upon him. Forgetting his parents, he began to gather the raining petals in his hands.
Question no. 8: Describe the scene near the shrine at the fair.
Answer : The area near the shrine was extremely congested with a huge crowd. People were jostling each other to get near the deity. The child found himself being pushed around by hefty men and was almost trampled under their feet.
Question no. 9: What was the child’s reaction when the kind man offered him the things he had wanted earlier?
Answer : When the kind man offered him sweets, flowers, and balloons, the child turned his face away and refused everything. He only sobbed and repeated that he wanted his mother and his father.
Question no. 10: What is the main theme of the story “The Lost Child”?
Answer : The main theme of the story is the strong and loving bond between a child and his parents. It shows that for a child, the security and presence of parents are more valuable than any worldly attraction or material possession.
MCQs on “The Lost Child”
Question no. 1: What festival was the child going to attend with his parents?
a) The festival of lights
b) The festival of colours
c) The festival of spring
d) The festival of harvest
Answer : c) The festival of spring
Question no. 2: On the way to the fair, what was the first thing the child was fascinated by?
a) The dragonflies
b) The sweets
c) The toys in a shop
d) The mustard field
Answer : c) The toys in a shop
Question no. 3: How did the mother distract the child’s attention from the toy seller?
a) By buying him a balloon
b) By pointing towards a flowering mustard field
c) By scolding him harshly
d) By offering him his favourite sweet
Answer : b) By pointing towards a flowering mustard field
Question no. 4: Which sweet did the child want to eat at the fair?
a) Jalebi
b) Rasgulla
c) Burfi
d) Gulab-jamun
Answer : c) Burfi
Question no. 5: Why did the child not wait for an answer after asking for things?
a) He was very impatient
b) He knew his parents would refuse
c) He would get distracted by something else
d) He was scared of his father’s stare
Answer : b) He knew his parents would refuse
Question no. 6: What kind of flower garland was being sold at the fair that the child wanted?
a) Rose
b) Gulmohar
c) Jasmine
d) Marigold
Answer : b) Gulmohar
Question no. 7: What instrument was the snake-charmer playing?
a) A drum
b) A violin
c) A flute
d) A guitar
Answer : c) A flute
Question no. 8: For which attraction did the child make a “bold request”?
a) The balloon-seller
b) The snake-charmer
c) The sweet-seller
d) The roundabout
Answer : d) The roundabout
Question no. 9: When did the child realise that he was lost?
a) When a stranger spoke to him
b) When he couldn’t see the entrance anymore
c) When he turned for a reply from his parents and they were not there
d) When he heard his mother shouting his name
Answer : c) When he turned for a reply from his parents and they were not there
Question no. 10: What was the child’s first reaction upon realising he had lost his parents?
a) He stood still and waited
b) A deep cry rose from his dry throat
c) He started asking people for help
d) He calmly started walking back
Answer : b) A deep cry rose from his dry throat
Question no. 11: Where was the crowd most congested and thick?
a) Near the entrance of the fair
b) Near the roundabout
c) Near the shrine
d) Near the sweet-seller’s shop
Answer : c) Near the shrine
Question no. 12: Who saved the child from being trampled underfoot?
a) A policeman
b) A kind man in the crowd
c) The priest of the temple
d) His father, who found him
Answer : b) A kind man in the crowd
Question no. 13: How did the kind man try to console the child?
a) By scolding him for getting lost
b) By taking him to the police
c) By lifting him up in his arms and asking about his parents
d) By giving him some money
Answer : c) By lifting him up in his arms and asking about his parents
Question no. 14: What did the kind man offer to buy for the child?
a) Only the sweets he wanted
b) A ticket for the roundabout
c) All the things the child had wanted earlier
d) A bottle of water
Answer : c) All the things the child had wanted earlier
Question no. 15: How did the child react to the kind man’s offers?
a) He happily accepted the sweets
b) He refused everything and sobbed
c) He asked for the garland of flowers
d) He smiled and pointed at the balloons
Answer : b) He refused everything and sobbed
Question no. 16: What was the only thing the child kept repeating?
a) “I am scared”
b) “I want to go home”
c) “I want my mother, I want my father”
d) “Where are my parents?”
Answer : c) “I want my mother, I want my father”
Question no. 17: What does the story primarily highlight?
a) A child’s interest in fairs
b) The importance of strangers’ kindness
c) The strong bond of love and security between a child and parents
d) The dangers of crowded places
Answer : c) The strong bond of love and security between a child and parents
Question no. 18: What colour was the turban of the child’s father, which he remembered?
a) Red
b) Blue
c) Green
d) Yellow
Answer : d) Yellow
Question no. 19: What does the child’s loss of interest in everything at the end signify?
a) He was too tired to enjoy anything
b) The kind man was not offering the right things
c) Nothing could replace the comfort and security of his parents
d) He was feeling unwell
Answer : c) Nothing could replace the comfort and security of his parents
Question no. 20: Who is the author of the story “The Lost Child”?
a) Ruskin Bond
b) R. K. Narayan
c) Mulk Raj Anand
d) Khushwant Singh
Answer : c) Mulk Raj Anand