Lost Spring
A. Very Short Answer Questions
1. Who is the author of “Lost Spring”?
Answer: “Lost Spring” was written by Anees Jung.
2. Who is Saheb?
Answer: Saheb is a young ragpicker who lives in Seemapuri.
3. What is Saheb’s full name?
Answer: His full name is Saheb-e-Alam.
4. What does “Saheb-e-Alam” mean?
Answer: It means “lord of the universe.”
5. Why is Saheb’s name ironic?
Answer: Though his name means “lord of the universe,” he is actually a poor, barefoot ragpicker who survives by searching garbage.
6. What does Saheb look for in the garbage?
Answer: He looks for coins, notes and other useful or valuable things.
7. Where does Saheb live?
Answer: He lives in Seemapuri, on the outskirts of Delhi.
8. Where did Saheb’s family come from?
Answer: They came from Dhaka, Bangladesh.
9. Why did Saheb’s family migrate?
Answer: Repeated storms had destroyed their fields and homes, forcing them to migrate in search of survival.
10. What does garbage mean to Saheb?
Answer: To Saheb, garbage is wrapped in wonder because it may contain something valuable.
11. What does garbage mean to the elders?
Answer: To the elders, garbage is a means of survival.
12. Why do many poor children walk barefoot?
Answer: The real reason is poverty, though some people try to call it a tradition.
13. Where does Saheb later start working?
Answer: He starts working at a tea stall.
14. How much is Saheb paid at the tea stall?
Answer: He is paid 800 rupees and all his meals.
15. Why is Saheb unhappy at the tea stall?
Answer: He loses his freedom and has to work under a master.
16. What does the steel canister symbolise?
Answer: It symbolises Saheb’s loss of freedom and new burden of servitude.
17. What is Firozabad famous for?
Answer: It is famous for its glass bangles and glass-blowing industry.
18. Who is Mukesh?
Answer: Mukesh is a boy from a family of bangle-makers in Firozabad.
19. What does Mukesh want to become?
Answer: He wants to become a motor mechanic.
20. What is Mukesh’s dream?
Answer: His dream is to break away from the family tradition of bangle-making and work with cars.
21. What is the main occupational hazard in the bangle industry?
Answer: Workers may lose their eyesight because of heat, dust and poor working conditions.
22. What does Mukesh’s grandmother call their profession?
Answer: She considers it their karam, or destiny.
23. Why can the bangle-makers not easily form a cooperative?
Answer: They are threatened and exploited by middlemen, police and other powerful people.
24. What does the title “Lost Spring” symbolise?
Answer: It symbolises a lost childhood.
B. Short Answer Questions
1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?
Answer:
Saheb is a ragpicker who searches garbage dumps for coins, notes and other useful things. For him, garbage is “wrapped in wonder” because he may find something valuable at any moment. He now lives in Seemapuri on the outskirts of Delhi. His family migrated from Dhaka in Bangladesh after repeated storms destroyed their fields and homes.
2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?
Answer:
Some people say that going barefoot is a tradition among poor children. However, the author does not accept this explanation fully. She suggests that extreme poverty is the real reason. Families like Saheb’s cannot afford shoes. Whenever such children get footwear, they are happy to wear it, proving that barefootedness is more a sign of deprivation than tradition.
3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea stall? Explain.
Answer:
No, Saheb is not truly happy at the tea stall. He earns 800 rupees and gets all his meals, but he loses the freedom he once had as a ragpicker. Earlier, the plastic bag he carried belonged to him, and he was his own master. Now the steel canister belongs to the tea stall owner and seems heavier because it represents his loss of independence.
4. Why did Saheb’s family migrate to India?
Answer:
Saheb’s family migrated from Bangladesh because storms had swept away their fields and homes. With no secure livelihood left, they moved to India in search of food and survival.
5. What makes Firozabad famous?
Answer:
Firozabad is famous for its glass-bangle industry. Generations of families there have been engaged in making glass bangles worn by women across India.
6. Mention the hazards of working in the glass-bangle industry.
Answer:
Workers in the bangle industry work near extremely hot furnaces in cramped, dark and poorly ventilated rooms. Fine glass dust harms their eyes and many lose their eyesight at a young age. Cuts, burns and breathing problems are also common. Children working there are additionally deprived of education and a normal childhood.
7. How is Mukesh’s attitude different from that of his family?
Answer:
Mukesh’s family has accepted bangle-making as its traditional fate. Mukesh, however, refuses to surrender to this inherited occupation. He wants to become a motor mechanic. His determination to choose a different path shows courage, hope and a desire to break the cycle of poverty.
8. Why is Saheb’s full name ironic?
Answer:
“Saheb-e-Alam” means “lord of the universe,” but Saheb owns almost nothing. He lives in poverty and searches through garbage for survival. The contrast between the grand meaning of his name and his miserable reality creates irony.
9. Why did the author feel embarrassed about her promise to Saheb?
Answer:
The author had casually told Saheb that she would start a school. Saheb later asked her whether the school was ready. She felt embarrassed because her promise had been hollow and she had not seriously intended to fulfil it.
10. Why is garbage “gold” for the ragpickers?
Answer:
Garbage is “gold” because it gives the ragpickers their livelihood. For children, it also contains the excitement of possibly finding a coin or something valuable. Thus, garbage provides both survival and hope.
11. What is the significance of food for the people of Seemapuri?
Answer:
For the people of Seemapuri, survival is more important than identity. Even though they live in poverty and without basic facilities, they stay because they can find food and earn through ragpicking.
12. Why does Mukesh’s dream appear unusual?
Answer:
Mukesh belongs to a family and community where bangle-making has continued for generations and is accepted as destiny. His wish to become a motor mechanic breaks this tradition and therefore appears unusual and courageous.
13. Why are the bangle-makers unable to escape poverty?
Answer:
They are trapped by debt, lack of education, inherited occupation, middlemen, moneylenders, police and corrupt systems. Their fear, resignation and lack of organisation make escape very difficult.
14. What is meant by “the baggage on the child that he cannot put down”?
Answer:
It refers to the burden of poverty, family occupation and inherited social conditions forced upon children from birth. They have little freedom to choose a different life.
15. Why can’t the bangle-makers organise themselves into a cooperative?
Answer:
If they try to organise, they are threatened and harassed by the police and powerful middlemen. They lack leadership, education and institutional support, so they remain divided and vulnerable.
C. Understanding the Text
1. What could be some reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?
Answer:
People migrate from villages to cities mainly because of poverty, unemployment and lack of opportunities. Natural disasters such as floods, storms and droughts may destroy homes and fields. Increasing population puts pressure on agricultural land, and mechanised farming reduces the demand for labour.
The decline of village crafts and small occupations also pushes people to cities. Urban areas appear to offer more jobs, better income, education and healthcare. Thus, migration is often driven not by choice but by the struggle for survival.
2. Would you agree that promises made to poor children are rarely kept? Why?
Answer:
Yes, such promises are often made casually and remain unfulfilled. In the story, the author jokingly promises Saheb that she will open a school. Saheb takes the promise seriously, but the author later realises that her words were hollow.
This happens because privileged people often do not understand how much hope such promises create in the minds of poor children. There is also a large gap between public declarations about ending child labour and actual action. As a result, children like Saheb and those in Firozabad continue to be deprived of education and opportunity.
3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?
Answer:
The bangle workers are trapped in a vicious circle created by poverty, inherited occupation, moneylenders, middlemen, policemen, bureaucrats and politicians. They are poorly paid and often burdened by debt.
They also lack education and awareness. If they try to organise or form a cooperative, they may be threatened or punished. Social conditioning makes them believe that bangle-making is their destiny. All these forces together keep them trapped in poverty generation after generation.
D. Talking About the Text
1. How can Mukesh realise his dream?
Answer:
Mukesh can realise his dream through determination, training and courage. He should find a garage where he can work as an apprentice and learn the skills of repairing vehicles. With regular practice and patience, he can become a skilled mechanic.
Most importantly, he must continue to resist the belief that he is bound by family occupation. His willingness to walk a long distance to a garage already shows that he has the motivation needed to change his future.
2. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
Answer:
Child labour should be eliminated because it robs children of education, health, freedom and childhood. It exposes them to physical and mental harm and keeps families trapped in poverty for generations.
It can be reduced through strict enforcement of laws, punishment of employers, free and compulsory education, financial support to poor families, better employment for adults and public awareness. Children must be given the chance to study, play and grow with dignity.
E. Long Answer Questions
1. Describe the life of ragpickers in Seemapuri.
Answer:
Seemapuri, located on the outskirts of Delhi, is home to thousands of ragpickers, many of whom migrated from Bangladesh. Their lives are marked by extreme poverty and insecurity.
They live in makeshift houses of mud, tin and tarpaulin, without proper drainage, sewage or running water. They possess few legal rights and survive mainly through ragpicking.
For adults, garbage is simply a means of survival. For children, however, it is “wrapped in wonder” because they may find coins or useful objects. They roam barefoot through the streets instead of attending school.
Their lives show how poverty steals childhood and turns children into workers. Yet they continue to stay in Seemapuri because, despite its misery, it provides them with food and the possibility of survival.
2. “Lost Spring” is a description of grinding poverty and traditions that condemn children to exploitation. Discuss.
Answer:
“Lost Spring” presents two powerful pictures of childhood destroyed by poverty and inherited social conditions.
Saheb represents the children of Seemapuri. His family migrated from Bangladesh after natural disasters destroyed their livelihood. Instead of going to school, he searches through garbage for survival. Later, he joins a tea stall and loses even the limited freedom he once had.
Mukesh represents the children of Firozabad, where generations have been trapped in the bangle industry. Poverty, family tradition, debt, middlemen and social conditioning force children into dangerous work near hot furnaces.
The title “Lost Spring” refers to the loss of childhood. Spring symbolises youth, hope and growth, but children like Saheb and Mukesh are denied education, play and freedom. The chapter therefore criticises a social system that allows poverty and tradition to destroy children’s dreams.
3. Compare Saheb and Mukesh.
Answer:
Both Saheb and Mukesh are victims of poverty and child labour, but their responses to life are different.
Saheb is a ragpicker in Seemapuri. He has no clear dream for the future. Later, he takes a job at a tea stall, where he earns money but loses his freedom.
Mukesh, on the other hand, belongs to a family of bangle-makers in Firozabad. Though he is also trapped in poverty, he dares to dream of becoming a motor mechanic. He openly rejects the family tradition.
Thus, Saheb represents resignation and loss of freedom, while Mukesh represents hope, resistance and the possibility of change.
4. Explain the significance of the title “Lost Spring.”
Answer:
The title is highly symbolic. Spring is usually associated with youth, freshness, joy, hope and growth. In the chapter, however, children like Saheb and Mukesh lose this “spring” of life because poverty forces them into labour.
Saheb spends his childhood searching garbage and later working at a tea stall. Mukesh grows up in a family where children are expected to work in the hazardous bangle industry.
Thus, the title refers to childhood lost to poverty, exploitation and social injustice. It also suggests the loss of dreams, education and freedom.
5. Describe the living and working conditions of the bangle-makers in Firozabad.
Answer:
The bangle-makers of Firozabad live in miserable conditions. Their lanes are dirty and crowded, and many houses are poorly built.
Their workplaces are even more dangerous. They work near hot furnaces in dark, cramped and poorly ventilated rooms. The heat is intense and glass dust damages their eyes. Many workers lose their eyesight before reaching old age.
Children also work in these conditions, even though such labour is illegal. Poverty and family tradition force them to continue. Their lives show the cruel link between exploitation, ill health and lack of education.
6. What is the central theme of “Lost Spring”?
Answer:
The central theme of “Lost Spring” is the loss of childhood due to poverty, exploitation and social inequality.
Through Saheb and Mukesh, the chapter shows how poor children are forced into labour instead of education. Saheb becomes a ragpicker and later a tea-stall worker. Mukesh belongs to a family trapped in the bangle industry.
The text also exposes the role of social systems, middlemen, poverty and inherited occupations in keeping such children deprived. At the same time, Mukesh’s dream offers a small ray of hope.
F. Literary Devices
1. “Saheb-e-Alam … lord of the universe” in contrast to Saheb’s real condition.
Answer: Irony.
2. “Drowned in an air of desolation.”
Answer: Metaphorical expression / personification-like imagery.
3. “Seemapuri, a place on the periphery of Delhi yet miles away from it, metaphorically.”
Answer: Paradox.
4. “For the children it is wrapped in wonder; for the elders it is a means of survival.”
Answer: Antithesis / contrast.
5. “Her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine.”
Answer: Simile.
6. “She still has bangles on her wrist, but not light in her eyes.”
Answer: Contrast.
7. “Few airplanes fly over Firozabad.”
Answer: Symbolism — airplanes suggest progress, distance and possibilities beyond their world.
8. “Web of poverty.”
Answer: Metaphor.
9. “Scrounging for gold.”
Answer: Metaphor.
10. “Rag-picking has acquired the proportions of a fine art.”
Answer: Hyperbole / irony.
11. “The steel canister seems heavier than the plastic bag.”
Answer: Symbolic contrast. The canister is physically heavier and also symbolises Saheb’s loss of freedom.
G. Important Additional Questions
1. What is the difference between garbage for children and adults?
Answer:
For adults, garbage is a means of survival and daily bread. For children, it is wrapped in wonder because they may discover coins or other useful things.
2. What does Saheb lose when he starts working at the tea stall?
Answer:
He loses his independence and carefree freedom.
3. Why does Mukesh stand out from the other bangle-makers?
Answer:
He refuses to accept bangle-making as his destiny and dreams of becoming a motor mechanic.
4. What role does tradition play in the lives of Firozabad’s bangle-makers?
Answer:
Tradition makes them believe that bangle-making is their inherited duty. This belief discourages them from imagining or choosing another occupation.
5. What does the author criticise through the lives of Saheb and Mukesh?
Answer:
She criticises poverty, child labour, exploitation, social inequality and the failure of society to protect poor children.
6. Why is education important in breaking the cycle of poverty?
Answer:
Education can provide skills, awareness and access to better opportunities. Without it, children often remain trapped in the same low-paid occupations as their parents.
7. Why is Mukesh’s dream a symbol of hope?
Answer:
Because he dares to imagine a life outside the inherited bangle-making profession and shows the courage to pursue change.
8. What does the expression “lost spring” suggest beyond childhood?
Answer:
It also suggests lost opportunities, lost dreams and the absence of growth and renewal in the lives of poor children.
H. MCQs — 20
1. Who wrote “Lost Spring”?
A) Anees Jung
B) Selma Lagerlöf
C) Susan Hill
D) Pearl S. Buck
Answer: A) Anees Jung
2. Saheb lives in—
A) Firozabad
B) Seemapuri
C) Agra
D) Dhaka
Answer: B) Seemapuri
3. Saheb originally came from—
A) Nepal
B) Pakistan
C) Bangladesh
D) Sri Lanka
Answer: C) Bangladesh
4. Firozabad is famous for—
A) carpets
B) pottery
C) silk
D) glass bangles
Answer: D) glass bangles
5. What does “Saheb-e-Alam” mean?
A) Lord of the universe
B) Prince of Delhi
C) Master of glass
D) King of workers
Answer: A) Lord of the universe
6. What does Saheb carry while ragpicking?
A) A steel box
B) A plastic bag
C) A basket
D) A suitcase
Answer: B) A plastic bag
7. Mukesh wants to become a—
A) teacher
B) doctor
C) motor mechanic
D) shopkeeper
Answer: C) motor mechanic
8. What is one major hazard of bangle-making?
A) Cold weather
B) Heavy rain
C) Long travel
D) Loss of eyesight
Answer: D) Loss of eyesight
9. For the children of Seemapuri, garbage is—
A) wrapped in wonder
B) useless waste
C) frightening
D) forbidden
Answer: A) wrapped in wonder
10. At the tea stall, Saheb earns—
A) 500 rupees
B) 800 rupees and meals
C) 1000 rupees
D) only food
Answer: B) 800 rupees and meals
11. What does Mukesh refuse to accept?
A) Schooling
B) City life
C) Bangle-making as his destiny
D) Working in a garage
Answer: C) Bangle-making as his destiny
12. What keeps the bangle-makers trapped?
A) Good wages
B) Modern machines
C) Free education
D) Debt, middlemen and social pressures
Answer: D) Debt, middlemen and social pressures
13. The title “Lost Spring” symbolises—
A) lost childhood
B) lost money
C) lost home
D) lost season
Answer: A) lost childhood
14. Why do children often walk barefoot?
A) Religious practice
B) Poverty
C) Fashion
D) School rule
Answer: B) Poverty
15. What type of device is “web of poverty”?
A) Simile
B) Irony
C) Metaphor
D) Personification
Answer: C) Metaphor
16. Why can the bangle-makers not easily form a cooperative?
A) They do not want work
B) They are rich already
C) They have other jobs
D) They are threatened by powerful groups
Answer: D) They are threatened by powerful groups
17. Saheb’s family migrated mainly because—
A) storms destroyed their livelihood
B) they wanted city life
C) they wanted schooling
D) they wanted business
Answer: A) storms destroyed their livelihood
18. Mukesh represents—
A) resignation
B) hope and determination
C) fear
D) greed
Answer: B) hope and determination
19. Which literary device appears in “Her hands move mechanically like the tongs of a machine”?
A) Irony
B) Metaphor
C) Simile
D) Hyperbole
Answer: C) Simile
20. What is the central concern of “Lost Spring”?
A) Adventure
B) Nature
C) Migration only
D) Poverty, child labour and lost childhood
Answer: D) Poverty, child labour and lost childhood
Teacher Generate Question Answer
Lost Spring
1. What is Saheb looking for in the garbage dumps? Where is he and where has he come from?
Ans: Saheb works as a rag picker and searches the garbage dumps for valuable items. For him, the garbage heaps are full of possibilities and hope. Sometimes he finds small amounts of money such as coins or notes, which makes the search worthwhile. Saheb originally came from Dhaka in Bangladesh. Now he lives in Seemapuri, a settlement of rag pickers located on the outskirts of Delhi.
2. What explanations does the author offer for the children not wearing footwear?
Ans: The author observes many poor children walking barefoot across the country. Some people say that it is a tradition for them not to wear shoes. However, the author believes that poverty is the real reason. Families like Saheb’s cannot afford proper footwear. Whenever Saheb manages to get a pair of shoes, he gladly wears them, which clearly shows that the absence of shoes is due to lack of money rather than tradition.
3. Is Saheb happy working at the tea-stall? Explain.
Ans: Saheb does not appear to be happy with his job at the tea stall. Earlier, while rag picking, he felt a sense of freedom. He carried a plastic bag that belonged to him and worked on his own terms. Now he has to carry a heavy steel canister belonging to his employer and follow orders. This change has taken away his independence, making him feel restricted and unhappy.
4. What makes the city of Firozabad famous?
Ans: Firozabad is widely known for its glass bangles. It is the main centre of the glass-bangle industry in India. Many families in the city have been involved in making bangles for several generations. These bangles are worn by women across the country, making Firozabad an important hub for this traditional craft.
5. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
Ans: Working in the glass bangles industry involves many dangers and health risks. The workers often operate in poorly ventilated and dark workplaces. The heat from the glass furnaces is extremely high, making the working conditions very uncomfortable. Continuous exposure to glass dust while polishing bangles can damage their eyesight, and many workers even lose their vision at a young age.
6. How is Mukesh’s attitude to his situation different from that of his family?
Ans: Mukesh comes from a family of bangle makers, but he does not want to continue the same work. Unlike his family members who accept their traditional occupation, Mukesh dreams of a different future. He wants to become a motor mechanic and work in a garage. His determination to choose a different career shows his courage and desire to break free from the cycle of poverty.
Understanding the Text
1. What could be some of the reasons for the migration of people from villages to cities?
Ans: Many people move from villages to cities in search of better opportunities. One major reason is the shortage of employment in rural areas. Increasing population puts pressure on agricultural land, which cannot provide jobs for everyone. Another reason is the use of machines in farming, which reduces the need for manual labour. In addition, traditional crafts and small industries in villages often fail to provide sufficient income. As a result, people migrate to cities hoping to find better jobs and improved living conditions.
2. Would you agree that promises made to poor children are rarely kept? Why do you think this happens in the incidents narrated in the text?
Ans: Yes, promises made to poor children are often not fulfilled. Society frequently talks about eliminating child labour and improving the lives of poor children, but little practical action is taken. Many industries still employ children despite laws that prohibit it. In places like Seemapuri and Firozabad, thousands of children work in rag picking or hazardous industries instead of going to school. These conditions reveal the gap between promises and reality, where poverty and exploitation continue to dominate their lives.
3. What forces conspire to keep the workers in the bangle industry of Firozabad in poverty?
Ans: Several powerful groups contribute to keeping the bangle workers in poverty. Moneylenders, middlemen, and sometimes even local authorities take advantage of these workers. Families often fall into debt and remain trapped in a cycle of poverty for generations. Many children are forced to work in the glass furnaces under harsh conditions. The lack of education, awareness, and organisation among workers prevents them from improving their situation. As a result, they continue to live in poverty while others benefit from their labour.
Talking About the Text
1. How in your opinion, can Mukesh realise his dream?
Ans: Mukesh can achieve his dream through determination and hard work. He wants to become a motor mechanic instead of continuing the family’s traditional occupation of making bangles. If he manages to join a garage as an apprentice, he can learn the necessary skills. With proper training and experience, he could become a skilled mechanic. Later, he might even learn to drive and work as a driver. His strong determination can help him overcome poverty and achieve his goal.
2. Mention the hazards of working in the glass bangles industry.
Ans: The glass bangles industry involves dangerous working conditions. Children and adults work near furnaces that produce extremely high temperatures. The workplaces are often small, dark and poorly ventilated. Continuous exposure to glass dust can damage their eyes and lungs. Many workers lose their eyesight at a young age because of these conditions. Despite these dangers, thousands of children continue to work there due to poverty.
3. Why should child labour be eliminated and how?
Ans: Child labour should be eliminated because childhood is meant for education, growth and proper development. When children are forced to work, they lose opportunities to study and build a better future. Many industries employ children in dangerous environments, which affects their health and safety.
To eliminate child labour, strict enforcement of laws is necessary. Employers who hire children must face strong punishment. At the same time, the government and society should ensure that poor children receive education, support and better living conditions. Providing families with economic opportunities can also reduce the need for child labour.
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