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Q1 What are the things the child sees on his way to the fair? Why does he lag behind?
Ans: The child sees numerable interesting things on his way to the fair which as follows:
- Firstly he saw the toys lined up at a shop.
- Then, he saw a flowering mustard field which seemed like gold.
- In the fields, the child also saw colourful dragon flies, butterflies fluttering their wings and bees sucking the nectar.
- Then, while walking on the footpath he saw the insects and worms crawling.
- When he entered the grove he could hear and see doves cooing.
- As he neared the village he saw huge crowd going to the fair
- The child also came across sweetmeat seller who were selling sweets like burfi and gulab jamun and a flower seller who was selling a garland of gulmohar
- Further ahead , he saw a man selling rainbow colour balloons.
- He also saw a snake charmer who stood playing a flute to a snake.
- Finally, before losing the track of his parents he saw a roundabout swing. On the way, the child often keeps lagging behind his parents and his mother and father have to constantly call him so that he doesn’t lag behind. That is because the child is lured by all the things which he sees on his way. Sometimes, he stops to buy the toys and at other times he stops to admire the beauty of the nature – collecting flowers, catching butterflies etc.Q2 In the fair he wants many things. What are they? Why does he move on without waiting for an answer?
Ans: The child wants many things in fair. They are as follows:
- Toys and balloons.
- Sweets like burfi from the sweetmeat seller.
- Garland of gulmohar flower.
- Attracted by the snake charmer play flute to a snake.
- A ride in the roundabout swing.The boy moved on without waiting for an answer from his parents because he knew that his parents would not fulfil his wish and would be denied at each stop.
Q3 When does he realise that he has lost his way? How have his anxiety and insecurity been described?
Ans: He stops at the round and wants to swing on the ride. He observes that swinging with men, women and children enjoying themselves on it and suddenly notices that he he has lost his way. Watching keenly, he turned to his parents to ask for permission to go on the rounds but there was no reply from them and that is when he notices that his parents were not there. He looked all around but they seem to be nowhere. Tears came down from his eyes and started running in all directions in seaching for his parents. His yellow turban was untied and clothes became untidy. He was screaming and was scared by the looks of the hefty men around.Q4 Why does the lost child lose interest in the things that he had wanted earlier?
Ans: The lost child loses all the interest in everything that he had wanted earlier because he was frightened on being part away from his parents in the crowd. His aim was to find his parents and be with them. All the things that fascinated him in the fair was no longer seem to be attracted to him and now the only thing that matters is finding his parents.
Q5 What do you think happens in the end? Does the child find his parents?
Ans: The ending of the story is open for us to decide the results. At the end, the parents, who continuously believed that he was with them right from the starting of their journey may have suddenly realized that he was missing and come looking for the lost child. The helpful man who tried to console the little boy by providing him various things at the fair may have also asked him for the description of his parents and helped him to be reunited with them at the reception of fair.