The Lost Child
is a riveting short story by Mulk Raj Anand. A little boy and his parents are on
their way to a village fair on account of a spring fair. The alley leading to the
fair is alive with a vivid combination of colours and people.
The boy is
happy and chirpy and walking between the big limbs of his father, between the
long strides. As he can see there are toys in the shops lined along the way. He
is captivated by the colourful toys of different sizes and shapes but in his
observation he lags behind. So he runs ahead to be with his parents. When he
expresses the desire to own one of the toys hanging from the shops, a cold
stare from his father breaks his heart.
Suddenly, to
break his attention from the lingering toys, his mother tenderly shifts his
attention to the swaying muster field, which seems to be full of golden ripples
– moving to and fro. The boy enters the field and begins chasing butterflies,
black bees and dragon flies. But soon he is called back.
Once they
approach the village hosting the huge fair, the boy is fazed by the intensity
of the fair. He sees people thronging in from all the possible pathways. There
he finds the world full of interesting and mind-diverting commodities and shops
like sweetmeat seller, snake charmer, flower garland hawker, balloon vendor,
etc. all await his discovery. He wished to posses everything, each item from
each shop but deep down in his heart he is aware of his parents’ refusal. When
he sees people whirl pooling and shrieking in a roundabout, he urges to sit in
that. However when he turns to see his parents, he finds them nowhere in the
sight. All of sudden the boy forgetting all the wonders of the world begins
sobbing and screaming for his parents: I want my mother, I want my father!
Upon finding
himself alone and bereft of parents, he runs here and there with no respite in
sobbing. His turban comes off and clothes become filthy with sweat and mud. He
tries to find them in the people who are busy laughing, jesting and moving all
around. In search, he enters a temple through the gaps of people’s legs. There
is so much commotion and milling around that he was about to being trampled by
thousands of feet when a good man from the crowd lifts him up and asks him
about his parents but the child only cries asking for his mother and father.
To sooth the
moods of the weeping child the kind man takes him to every shop and stall where
the boy previously went and craved for them but this time he refuses everything
and asks only for his parents.
A child’s most
sought-after prize is his parents, which he realizes after losing them in the milling
crowd. In this story the child and his parents are nameless; in fact, the
writer has named no one. Despite this, the story never goes dull at any moment,
that’s the true beauty of storytelling.
great stuff,.. much awaiting story,..lot to tell
ReplyDeletevery nice and helpful for preparation
Delete. thank you.
very emotional kind of story and inspirating too
ReplyDeleteIt was useful,amazing and wonderful book review😎
ReplyDeleteSpectacular.....😉
ReplyDeleteBut what happened after the kind man got him. Is he het back his parents or not.
ReplyDeleteNo he did not join with his parents
Deletenyc story
ReplyDeletenice story
ReplyDeleteNice one
ReplyDeleteIt's huge buety shown the love of mother and father to his son
ReplyDelete