*LOST SPRING*
Short & Objective-Type Questions
1. Who is Saheb? Where is he from originally?
2. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps?
3. Why don’t the children wear footwear? (or What explanations does the author offer for children
staying barefoot?)
4. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Why / why not?
5. What makes Firozabad famous?
6. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
7. How is Mukesh’s attitude different from that of his family (towards continuing the bangle-work)?
8. “It is his karam, his destiny.” What does this mean in the context of Mukesh’s family?
Long / Descriptive Questions
9. Why could the bangle makers of Firozabad *not* organise themselves into a cooperative?
10. Whom does Anees Jung blame for the sorry plight of the bangle makers?
11. What is Mukesh’s dream? Do you think he can achieve it? Why / why not?
12. “In spite of despair and disease pervading the lives of the slum children, they are not devoid of
hope.” — How far do you agree with this statement in reference to *Lost Spring*?
13. What does the description of Seemapuri reveal about the living conditions & plight of migrant
rag-pickers? (Short-answer or long-answer type)
14. Compare and contrast the stories of Saheb and Mukesh. What do they tell us about poverty,
child-labour & the loss of childhood?
15. What societal forces conspire to keep the bangle-makers in poverty? (Reference to “vicious
web” / middlemen / bureaucrats / politicians / tradition)
*Reference to Context Excerpts & Questions*
“After months of knowing him, I ask him his name. ‘Saheb-e-Alam,’ he announces. He does not
know what it means. If he knew its meaning — lord of the universe — he would have a hard time
believing it. Unaware of what his name represents …”
What does the line “he would have a hard time believing it” imply?
What is ironic about Saheb’s name?
Why is the speaker embarrassed at having made a promise?
What is the significance of the metaphor “an army of barefoot boys”?
“Why aren’t you wearing chappals?” I ask one. “My mother did not bring them down from the shelf.”
He answers simply. “Even if she did he will throw them off,” adds another who is wearing shoes that
do not match.
What is implied about their economic condition by this conversation?
What does this suggest about the children’s attitude towards footwear / basic amenities?
“In dark hutments, next to lines of flames of flickering oil-lamps, sit boys and girls with their fathers
and mothers, welding pieces of coloured glass into circles of bangles. Their eyes are more adjusted
to the dark than to the light outside.”
Why are their eyes “more adjusted to the dark than to the light outside”?
What does this tell us about their working environment and the hazards they face?
“It takes longer to build a school.” I say, embarrassed at having made a promise that was not
meant. But promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world.
What does the speaker mean by ‘promises like mine abound’?
Why is she embarrassed by the promise? What does it reveal about her understanding of the
children’s world?
Extract-Based MCQs: Lost Spring
Extract 1
“Wherever they find food, they pitch their tents that become 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.”
What does the phrase “transit homes” refer to in the extract?
a) Permanent shelters made by the rag-pickers
b) Temporary dwellings that move when resources move
c) Homes inside the city buildings
d) Shared huts made by migrant families
In the same extract, what does “Garbage to them is gold” imply?
a) They earn wealth from trash by recycling valuable items
b) They are allergic to waste and avoid it
c) The waste is a curse they want to get rid of
d) They treat garbage as poison and avoid contact
The tone of the author in this extract can best be described as:
a) Apathetic
b) Empathetic / Sympathetic
c) Joyful
d) Sarcastic
Extract 2
“It takes longer to build a school,” I say, embarrassed at having made a promise that was not
meant. But promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world. After months of knowing
him, I ask him his name. ‘Saheb-e-Alam,’ he announces. He does not know what it means …”
Why is the narrator embarrassed according to the extract?
a) Because she forgot to carry her school-building drawing
b) Because she promised to build a school but knows it would take much longer
c) Because she insulted Saheb’s name
d) Because the school doesn’t have teachers
What is ironic about Saheb’s name “Saheb-e-Alam”?
a) It sounds like a warrior’s name though he is a servant
b) It means “Lord of the Universe,” though he is a rag-picker child without power or privilege
c) It suggests wealth though he lives in slums
d) Both b & c
What does the phrase “promises like mine abound in every corner of his bleak world” suggest?
a) Many people attend school regularly in Seemapuri
b) Many well wishers make promises they cannot keep due to poverty
c) There are many schools in Seemapuri
d) There are promises which are kept on time
Extract 3 (paraphrased version)
“He has a roof over his head … The tone of the author is …”
Which attitude of the author is shown in the line “He has a roof over his head!”?
a) Bewilderment
b) Sympathy / empathy
c) Optimism
d) Indifference