THE LOST CHILD

By Mulk Raj Anand

 THE LOST CHILD

Sees a A stranger comes

and tries to help
A child goes to roundabout him but kept on
a fair with his wants to ride crying for his
parents it parents for his
Mother and
Gets Father
fascinated by Gets lost in
the items in the crowd
the shops
 A child goes to fair to the festival of spring, the wintry
shades of narrow lanes and alleys emerged a gaily clan
humanity.
 Some people walked, some came on horses, some came
sitting in bamboo carrier and bullock carts.
 One little boy runs between his father’s leg, brimming
over with life and laughter.
 He was fascinated by the toys in the shops that lined the way. He
kept on asking his parents to buy him a toy but his refused buying it
for him.
 He went to a mustard field, which was pale like melting gold as
it swept across miles and miles of even land
 He went to catch a group of dragon – flies were bustling about on
their gaudy purple wings. He wanted to catch a black bee or
butterfly which was in search of the sweetness from the flowers.
But couldn’t catch it and finally was gonna catch one but his mom
called him.
 He ran towards his parents gaily and walked abreast of
them for a while, being, however, soon left behind,
attracted by the little insects and worms along the footpath
that were teeming out from their hiding places to enjoy the
sunshine.
 His parents called him from the shade of the grove from
where they were seated themselves on the edge of a well.
He ran towards them.
 A shower of young flowers fell upon the child as he
entered the grove, and, forgetting his parents, he picked up
the raining petals in his hands.
 The cooing of the doves scared him and he ran towards to
his parents, shouting, “the dove! The Dove” the petal which
he had gathered in his hands fell from his forgotten hands.
 He had run to the wild capers round the banyan tree, and
gathering him up they took the narrow, winding footpath which
led to the fair through the mustard fields.
 As they neared the village, the child could see many other
footpaths full of throngs, Converging with a whirlpool of the
fare, and felt at once refunds and fascinated by the confusion of
the world he was entering.
 The Sweetmeat seller hawked,“Gulab Jamun, Rasagulla,
Bharfi, Jalebi” at the corner of the entrance and a crowd
pressed round his counter at the foot of an architecture of many
coloured sheets decorated with leaves of silver and gold.
 The child stared open – eyed and mouth watered for the burfi
because it was his favorite sweet. He wanted that burfi but he
half knew his parents wouldn't buy it for him. So, he moved on.
 The flower seller hawked, “A garland of gulmohar, A garland
of gulmohar”. The child seemed irresistibly drawn. He went
towards the basket where the flowers lay heaped and half
murmured, “ I want that garland.” But he well knew his parents
would refuse it. So without waiting for an answer he moved on.
 A man stood holding a pole with
yellow, red, blue, green flying from it.
The child was simply carried away by
rainbow glory of the silken colours and
he was filled with an overwhelming
desire to possess them all. But he well
knew his parents would never buy him
the balloon because they would say he
was too old to play with such toys. So,
he walked on.
 A snake charmer stood playing a flute to a snake with
coiled itself in a basket, its head raised in a graceful bend
like the graceful bend of a swan, while the music stole into
its invisible ears like the gentle rippling of an invisible
waterfall. The child went towards the snake charmer. But
knowing his parents had forbidden him to hear such core
music as the things cannot lead, he proceeded farther.
Snake Charmer
 There was a roundabout in full swing. Men, Women and
children, carried away in a whirling motion, swim and cried
with dizzy laughter. Child watch them intently then he made
a bold request: “ I want to go on the roundabout, please,
father, mother.”
 There was no reply. He turned to look for his parents but they
weren’t there, ahead of him. He turned to look either sides but
couldn’t find them.
 He burst into tears, screaming in fear, “Mother, Father”. Tears
rolled down from his eyes, hot and fierce in Conan Chris flushed
face was convulsed with fear. Panic stricken, he ran to one side
push, then to the other, hither and thither in all directions
knowing not where to go. “ Mother, father” he wailed. His yellow
turban came untied and his clothes became muddy.
 Having run to and pro in a rage of running for a while, he stood
defeated, his cries suppresses into sobs.
 He kept on searching for his Mother and Father by screaming
“Mother, Father”.
 A man in the surging crowd pulled him up by hearing his crying.
 The man asked “ how did you get here, child ? Who’s baby
are you ?”. Then the tried to supress his sob by showing him
the roundabout, the snake charmer, the flying balloons, the
flower, the sweets over there.
 But he refused them and wouldn’t stop crying , shouted for
his Mother and Father
Edited and Done by M.A.Mohammed Noorul Haq IX – D