Summary of 'The Lost Child' by Mulk Raj Anand

It is the season of spring, and a little boy is walking to a village fair with his parents. He is incredibly excited and overjoyed. Along the way, he is constantly distracted by the beauty of nature—dragonflies, worms, and falling flower petals. His parents repeatedly have to call out to him: 'Come, child, come!'

As they enter the fair, the boy is mesmerized by the numerous stalls. He wants:

1. Toys from the toy shop.
2. Burfi (his favorite sweet) from the sweetmeat seller.
3. A garland of Gulmohar flowers.
4. Colorful balloons.
5. To listen to the snake charmer's flute. However, he knows his strict father will say 'no' to everything (calling them cheap, old, or bad for him), so he mostly keeps moving without even waiting for an answer.

The boy finally reaches a roundabout swing. He sees men, women, and children laughing and enjoying the ride. Unable to control his desire, he makes a bold request: 'I want to go on the roundabout, please, Father, Mother.' When there is no reply, he turns around. To his absolute horror, his parents are not there. He realizes he is lost.

Panic sets in. The boy runs crying wildly through the crowded fair, shouting 'Mother, Father!' A kind man rescues him from being trampled underfoot in a crowded temple. To calm the weeping child, the kind man offers him everything he previously wanted: a ride on the swing, the balloons, the flowers, and the sweets. But a massive psychological shift has occurred. The boy completely ignores all these worldly temptations. He turns his face away from the sweets and only cries: 'I want my mother, I want my father!'