Deep The Lost Spring -The stories of stolen childhood (Anees Jung) by Anees Jung and The Deep Water by Williom Douglas

(Updated on 16/7/2021)

"Stay at Home Stay Safe" 
(updated on 20/4/2020)


Summary of the Lesson (The Lost Spring)

 Author- Anees Jung

(Detailed Analysis by Baljit Singh)

 Lost Spring brings out the plight(दुर्दशा) of the poor children especially those who live in slum like areas where they have no basic amenities (सुख सुविधाएं) such as schools , parks or playgrounds. Such children have to work in hotels or tea-stalls  to earn some money. Some even resort to ( सहारा ) ragpicking or something like that. The writer has explained three children and their family in a very vivid way . He is a ragpicker. His family lives in Seemapuri which is situated on the outskirts of Delhi. All the families in Seemapuri  migrated from Bangladesh in1971 when their green fields and homes were swept away in floods and storms . They pitched their tents in Seemapuri which was a wilderness at that time.Thousands of boys like Saheb live in Seemapuri. Rag picking is means of survival for them. Garbage is gold to them. They have dreams in their eyes but they remain unfulfilled. Similarly there is a poor boy. His name is Mukesh. He belongs to a family of bangle-maker. But he wants to do something different. He wants to become a motor mechanic. He doesn't dream big. He knows his limitations . Savita is also a poor girl . She also belongs to the family of bangle-maker. Her family works in dark and dingy rooms from morning to evening. Still  they don't get two squre of meals at the end of the day. Thus the story justifies it's title also. The childhood is the spring of one's life.  But this spring of poor boys has been snatched away by poverty or misfortune and the children live a pathetic life.

Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. Who is Saheb- e- Alam? Does Saheb know it's meaning?
Ans. Saheb-e-Alam is a poor rag picker.His name means the Lord of the Universe. He doesn't know what it means.

Q2 What is Saheb looking for in the dump of garbage? Where has he come from?
Ans. Saheb is looking for some valuable thing in the garbage such as a note, or a coin. He has come from Dhaka with his family and lives in Seemapuri.

Q3 Where is Seemapuri situated? Why does  the writer say that it is metaphorically miles away from Delhi?
Ans Seemapuri is situated at the outskirts of Delhi. It is metaphorically miles away from Delhi because it lacks the facilities as are provided in a capital city.

Q4. Is Saheb happy working on a tea-stall? Why?
Ans. Saheb finds a job on a tea-stall .He gets 800 rupees and all his meals. But he is not happy with his job. Now he has lost his freedom. He has to work as per instructions of his owner. The canister he bears on his back seems heavier than the garbage bag.

Q5. Mention the hazards of working in a glass blowing industry.

Ans. Working in a glass- blowing industry is very difficult and dangerous. The workers have to work in dark and dingy rooms from morning to evening. Still they don't get two squares of a meal. Their lives remain an untold story of pain and misery. There is no air or ventilation. Sometimes they lose their eyesight due to glass dust. Children lose their eyesight before they grow adults. They can not raise their voice against their exploitation. If they do so, they are dragged and beaten by the sahukaars. Thus working in a glass blowing industry is very hazardous.

Q6. What is Firozabad famous for?
Ans. Firozabad is famous for its glass-blowing industry. Every other family in Firozabad is engaged in the profession of bangle- making. Every yard or street or pushcart is filled with mounds of bangles of different colours - sunny gold, paddy green, violet , grey, royal blue or pink ; all the seven colours of a rainbow.
Q7.How is Mukesh's attitude diffrent from his family?

Or

Who was Mukesh? What was his aim of life?
Ans. Mukesh belongs to the family of bangle makers. All the members of his family are engaged in bangle making. No one of them thinks of doing different. But Mukesh wants to become a motor mechanic. He wants to break the traditional customs. Thus he is different from his family in his attitude.
Q8." Garbage is to them gold' What literary device has been used in this statement?
Ans. Metaphor.

        Unit Test from "The Lost Spring"

Q1. What does Saheb-e-Alam stand for?
Q2. Where does Saheb find a job? How much salary does he get?
Q3. Where is Seemapuri situated?
Q4. Which town is famaof for glass blowing industry?
Q5. Where does Savita work?
Q6- What is impact of glass blowing industry on the health of the workers?
Q7. What does Mukesh want to become?
Q8. Who exploit the bangle makers?
Q9. What is the occupation of the most families in Firozabad?
Q10. What is the complaint of the people working in the glass blowing industry?

Hints- 1. Lord of the universe
2. in a tea shop. 800 rupees3. at the outskirts of Delhi.4 .Firozabad 6 Lose eye sight .5 in a glass blowing industry.7. a motor mechanic 8. The sahukaars, politicians and police. 9 bangle making.10 They have  not get a two times meal a day in whole life. If they raise voice , they are harrassed.






Lesson Third

Deep Water (William Douglas)

Short Answer Type Questions:-

Q1. Why does the author call Yakima River as  treacherous?
Ans. Yakima River had swallowed many lives. Every day there was one or another incident of drowning . The writer's mother usually warned him against going near to it.. That's why Yakima is called as treacherous.

Q2. Why do you think YMCA pool as safe place for the novice swimmer?
Ans. YMCA pool was not very deep. It was only 2 or 3 feet deep at the shallow end while nine feet deep at the other end and the drop was gradual. It was a good place for a novice swimmer.

Q3. What happened when the writer was there or four year old?
Ans:- When the writer was three or four year old , an unpleasant thing happened. He went to California beach with his father where he was swept away by a strong wave. He was buried deep in water. He was out of breath . Although his father was nearby ,yet the terror seized him.

Q4. What misadventure happened at the YMCA pool? OR
Narrate briefly the writer's emotions and fears when he was thrown into the pool. What plan did he make to come to the surface?
Ans. The writer decided to learn swimming. He joined the YMCA pool. He got water wings. One day he was sitting alone at the edge of the pool. He was afraid of going into the water alone. He was waiting for others to come. Just then a strong boy of eighteen or nineteen years came there. He picked up the writer and tossed him into the pool. The writer was frightened. But he not out of his wits. He planned to hit the bottom with his legs and make a big jump to the surface . But his plan proved useless. He came up very slowly. Water filled in his lungs. He could not scream. He came on the surface for few seconds. He tried to grab something but he got only water. He started again towards the bottom of the pool. He grew panicky. He again tried to jump but in vain. At last he stopped all efforts. He relaxed. Luckily he was saved by someone. Thus the writer had a bitter experience at the YMCA pool.

Q5. How did the misadventure at the YMCA pool affect the writer?
Ans. The misadventure at the YMCA pool filled him with great panic. It affected him badly. However, he was able to walk back home, he felt very weak. He was trembling. He cried when he lay on his bed. He could not eat that night. For many days, terror gripped him body and soul. He became very abnormal.

Q6. Why was Douglas determined to get over his fear of water?
Ans. Douglas's fear of water spoiled all his joys of fishing,boating and swimming. So he was determined to get over his fear of water.

Q7. How did Douglas overcome his fear of water?    OR
How did the instructor build a swimmer out of Douglas?
Ans:- Douglas decided to get an instructor and learn to swim. The instructor was an experienced person.He used a new method to train the writer. He put a belt round the writer and a rope was attached to it. The rope went through a pulley which ran on an overhead cable. The writer went back and forth across the pool. He practised for many weeks. Slowly he gathered confidence. But his old fear returned to him when he was alone in water. Once he went to Lake Wentworth in New Hampshire. He swam two miles across it. His old fear returned a little but soon he overcame it. On another occasion he went to Warm Lake and dived into it. He swam across to the other shore and back. He shouted with joy. He he had conquered his fear of water.



Summary of the story:-

Deep Water is the story of the author himself explaining how he became a perfect swimmer. He explains his experiences in a very vivid way . As a child ,he had a harrowing experience when he went to California beach with his father. He was swept away by a strong wave . He developed a sense of aversion and fear to water. But his determination, hard work and craze to learn swimming made him overcome all his fear of water. He ultimately became a famous swimmer.
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Objective type of Questions

1. Which river is called treacherous by the writer?

Ans- Yakima

2. What does YMCA stand for?

Ans- YMCA stands for Young Men's Christian Association

3. Which pool was safe?

Ans- YMCA pool was safe.

4. Why was YMCA safe?

Ans- YMCA pool was safe because it was two or three feet deep at the shallow end, and nine feet deep at the other end.

5. Why did the writer hate to walk naked in water?

Ans- The writer hated to walk naked in water because he had skinny legs.

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Q1. What aversion did the writer have?

Ans- Aversion to water.

Q2. When did the narrator develop aversion to water.

Ans - The writer developed an aversion to water when he was three or four years old.

Q3. Where did his father take him when the writer was three or four years old?

Ans- His father took him to the beach in California.

Q4. What happened at the beach?

Ans- A powerful wave of water knocked the writer down and swept over him.

Q5. What filled the writer with terror?

Ans- Overpowering force of water filled the writer with terror.

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Q1. What did the big boy do to the author?

Ans- He picked him up and tossed him into the deep end.

Q2. What is the author talking of when he says 'long way down'?

Ans-:  It means long way to the bottom of the pool.

Q3. What did the narrator see when he opened his eyes?

Ans-: He saw nothing but water.

Q4. "I summoned all my strength". What does "I" refer to?

Ans-: Here "I" refers to the author.

Q5. Who said," All we have to fear is fear itself"

Ans-: Roosevelt.

Q6-. "The will to live somehow grew in intensity." What does "will" here mean?

Ans- 'Will' here means desire or longing. (इच्छा)

Q7- fill in the blanks

 There is terror only in the ........of death.

Ans- a) risk b) fear c) danger d) coming.

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Fill in the blanks selecting appropriate option

1. I got a pair of water....... and went to the pool. 

Ans-: a) cannon b) bottle c) wings d) fountain

Q2. There was terror in my heart at the ......... force of water.

Ans-: a) strong b) Overpowering c) moving d) increasing

Q3. I landed in a ------------- position.

Ans-: a) good b) standing c) sitting d) walking.

Q4.I opened my eyes and saw nothing but -----------

Ans- a) terror b) ice c) smoke d) water.

Q5. The next I remember I was lying on my --------- beside the pool , vomiting.

Ans-: a) back b) bottom c) stomach d) none of these

Q6-. For days, a -------------- was in my heart.

Ans-: a) pleasure b) sadness c) haunting fear d) chanting fear.

Q7-. I shook and cried when I ........ in my bed.

Ans-: a) sleep b) sat c) lie d) lay.

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