Lost Spring

(Worksheet)

Short answer type questions:

1) “His face, I see, has lost the carefree look.” Why has ‘he’ lost his carefree
look? Why was he better off earlier? (Lost Spring)

2) Why do you think Mukesh is content to dream of cars and doesn‟t dream
of flying a plane?

3) 'But for a child it is even more. ‘What does garbage mean to the children of
Seemapuri and their parents?

4) 'But for a child it is even more. ‘What does garbage mean to the children of
Seemapuri and their parents?

5) Saheb is no longer his own master whereas Mukesh insists on being his
own master. Bring out the character of the two boys in light of this
statement.

6) “When I sense a flash of it (daring) in Mukesh I am cheered.” Comment on

this statement in the light of the story, Lost Spring.

Extract based Questions:

1) There is no leader among them, no one who could help them see things
differently. Their fathers are as tired as they are. They talk endlessly in a
spiral that moves from poverty to apathy to greed and to injustice. (Lost
Spring)
I From where do they receive a treatment of apathy, greed and injustice?

II They need to see things differently in order to....................

III Mention the literary device used in the above extract. (Any one)
IV What seems to be the reason for the emergence of no leader among
‘them’?
V Choose the correct option from the ones given below:
The style of writing used by the writer for the given extract is-
I Serious
II Thoughtful
III Humorous
IV Light
A. I and III B. II and III C. I and II D. I and IV

VI What are they tired of?

A. Boredom from doing the same job.
B. Putting in efforts in doing something which has not been profitable.
C. Talking on subjects like poverty, apathy, greed and injustice.
D. They are tired of their fathers

2) Together they have imposed the baggage on the child that he cannot put
down. Before he is aware, he accepts it as naturally as his father. To do
anything else would mean to dare. And daring is not part of his growing up.
When I sense a flash of it in Mukesh I am cheered. ―I want to be a motor
mechanic,‘ he repeats. He will go to a garage and learn. But the garage is a
long way from his home. ―I will walk,‖ he insists. ―Do you also dream of
flying a plane? He is suddenly silent. ―No,‖ he says, staring at the ground. In
his small murmur there is an embarrassment that has not yet turned into
regret.
a) Who is t̳ he child in the above lines?

b) The figure of speech used in the first line is:

i) Simile
ii) Alliteration
iii) Metaphor
iv) Oxymoron

c) Which qualities of Mukesh are evident from the above passage?

1. Skilful
2. Dexterous
3. Determined
4. Rebellious
5. Fun-filled
6. Courageous
i) 1,2,3
ii) 2,3,4
iii) 4,5,6
iv) 3,4,6

d) The proverb that would best fit the above passage is:
i) Every dark cloud has a silver lining
ii) All that glitters is not gold
iii) You can only give what you have
iv) Promises are meant to be broken

e) Why is the child embarrassed?

f) Which word from the passage can replace the phrase “going against the
authority”?

3) My acquaintance with the barefoot rag pickers leads me to Seemapuri, a

place on periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically. Those
who live here are squatters who came from Bangladesh back in 1971. Saheb’s
family is among them. Seemapuri was then an wilderness. It still is, but it is
no longer empty. In structures of mud, with roofs of tin and tarpaulin, devoid
of sewage, drainage or running water, live 10000 rag pickers.

(i) What is the most logical reason for the author stating that Seemapuri is
metaphorically very far away from Delhi?

(ii) Select the correct option from those given in brackets to fill in the blank.
Saheb’s name is _________________ (satirical/ironical) as his name stands in
stark contrast to its reality.

(iii) Complete the sentence appropriately.

iv) The writer makes the given observation on Seemapuri on the basis of
_________
(iv) What can be inferred from the line ‘Those who live here are squatters’?

(v) In the extract, Seemapuri is described as being "on the periphery of Delhi
yet miles away from it, metaphorically."

Which of the following analogies best captures this relationship?

(a) a boat near the shore but unable to reach land due to high waves.
(b) a desert located far from an oasis, making water inaccessible.
(c) a person standing close to a window but unable to see through it due to
fog.
(d) a river flowing into a forest that provides resources and prosperity.

(vi) “Periphery” in the extract means _______________

(a) something central
(b) Something on the borders
(c) something collected
(d) something scattered

4) Savita, a young girl in a drab pink dress, sits alongside an elderly woman,
soldering pieces of glass. As her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a
machine, I wonder if she knows the sanctity of the bangles she helps make. It
symbolises an Indian woman's suhaag, auspiciousness in marriage. It will
dawn on her suddenly one day when her head is draped with a red veil, her
hands dyed red with henna, and red bangles rolled onto her wrists. She will
then become a bride. Like the old woman beside her who became one many
years ago. She still has bangles on her wrist, but no light in her eyes. “Ek
waqt ser bhar khana bhi nahin khaya,” she says, in a voice drained of joy. She
has not enjoyed even one full meal in her entire lifetime — that's what she
has reaped! Her husband, an old man with a flowing beard, says, “I know
nothing except bangles. All I have done is make a house for the family to live
in.”

I. Choose the word from the extract that best matches the meaning ‘the
favourable quality of strongly indicating a successful result’.
(a) Soldering (b) Symbolised (c) Reaped (d) Auspiciousness
II. Cite evidence from the extract to prove that the old man has achieved
something important in his lifetime.

III. Complete the sentence by choosing from the phrases from the bracket.
The phrase “drained of joy” suggests that____________________ (worked
hard yet unhappy/ worked hard and joyful)
IV. ‘She still has bangles on her wrist, but no light in her eyes’, what does it
talk about the bangle makers of Firozabad.

V. Which trait of Savita can be inferred by ‘her hands move mechanically like
the tongs of a machine’?

VI. Which literary device is used in this line from the extract: ‘her hands move
mechanically like the tongs of a machine’?
(a) Analogy (b) Simile (c) Metaphor (d) Irony

5) Food is more important for survival than an identity. "If at the end of the
day we can feed our families and go to bed without an aching stomach, we
would rather live here than in the fields that gave un no grain," says a group
of women in tattered saris when I ask them why they left their beautiful land
of green fields and rivers. Wherever they find food, they pitch their tents and
that becomes their transit homes. Children grow up in them, becoming
partners in survival. And survival in Seemapuri means rag picking. Through
the years, it has acquired the proportions of a fine art. Garbage to them is
gold. It is their daily bread, a roof over their heads, even if it is a leaking roof.
But for a child it is even more.

I. Complete the sentence with ONE word The phrase 'transit homes' refer to
the dwellings that are----------

II. Identify the figure of speech used in the sentence "Garbage to them is
gold".

III. Which term best indicates the line 'Food is more important for survival
than an identity."

IV What does 'acquired the proportions of a fine art mean?

(A) Rag-picking has regained its lost status.
(B) A segment of ragpickers is skilled in fine arts.
(C) Rag-picking has attained the position of a skill.
(D) Only a few people are experts in rag-picking

V Complete the sentence with ONE word.

For the elders, garbage is a means of-------

VI Identify the line from the text that bears evidence to the fact that Extreme
poverty forces the children of Seemapuri to lead such a miserable life..

Long answer type questions

I. If Franz meets Saheb-e-Alam, what discussion will both have about

schools? Enumerate in form of a conversation.

II. Discuss how the stories of Saheb and Mukesh in Lost Spring highlight the
harsh realities of child labour and the loss of childhood. How do their
individual circumstances reflect the broader social issues in India?

III. Anees Jung presents a strong contrast between the lives children deserve
and the lives they are forced to lead. How effectively does she use
storytelling to expose the social injustices faced by these children? Support
your answer with examples.

IV. “Saheb is no longer his own master.” Explain this statement in the context
of the chapter. How does employment at the tea stall affect Saheb’s life and
personality compared to his earlier days as a ragpicker?

V. Both Saheb and Mukesh dream of a better future, but their paths and
challenges are different. Compare and contrast their situations, choices, and
level of agency in shaping their lives.