📘 The Lost Child — Story by Mulk Raj Anand (Indian Writer)
Short Summary
The story “The Lost Child” by Mulk Raj Anand presents the experience of a small boy who gets lost in a fair. He visits the fair with his father and mother during the spring festival. Throughout the fair, he is attracted to various things such as toys, sweets, balloons, flowers, and especially a roundabout swing.
The story beautifully captures the pain of separation between the child and his family. Before he gets lost, he keeps demanding sweets, balloons, and other things from his parents. However, after getting separated, all his earlier desires disappear.
An unknown man finds the boy and tries to comfort him by offering all the things he wanted earlier. But the boy refuses everything. Now, his only wish is to find his beloved father and mother. This emotional shift highlights the deep love and bond between the child and his parents.
📝 Long Summary and Analysis
The story is set in an Indian village during the spring season. All the villagers are in a joyful mood, wearing colorful clothes and heading toward the village fair. Among them is a little boy, who is excited to go to the fair with his parents.
As they walk through the fair, the boy is fascinated by different toys and sweets. His father disapproves of his demands, and his mother cleverly distracts him. He especially wants to eat burfi, his favorite sweet, and to have gulmohar garlands and balloons. However, he remains quiet, knowing his parents will not fulfill these wishes.
Later, he is drawn to a roundabout swing. He turns to ask his parents for permission to ride it—but to his shock, they are no longer beside him. He realizes that he is lost in the crowd. Panic takes over as he searches everywhere, shouting for his parents but failing to find them.
At this moment, a kind stranger notices the crying child and tries to calm him by offering him sweets, balloons, and rides. But the boy refuses everything, repeatedly saying that he wants his mother and father. The material things that had earlier attracted him suddenly lose their value.
🌿 Theme of the Story
The central theme of The Lost Child is the unconditional love between parents and children. Before losing his parents, the boy focuses on material desires—sweets, toys, and balloons. However, once separated, he realizes that nothing can replace his parents’ love and protection.
The story gives an important moral lesson:
We often fail to value what we have until it is gone. Family love and emotional bonds are far more precious than material pleasures.
✅ Key Points:
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Shows childhood innocence and shifting priorities.
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Highlights parental love and security.
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Emphasizes kindness through the stranger’s actions.
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Offers a universal moral lesson about valuing loved ones.