The Lost Doll – Summary | The Magic of Words

Unit One : Stories of The Supernatural
The Lost Doll – A Story from Colombia, South America
The Magic of Words

Carmen was the only child of Roberto and Rosa Soto. She was beautiful, bright and loving child. However she was sick from the day of her birth. When she was four, she fell sick seriously and died. A few days after the funeral ceremony, Rosa gave away Carmen’s playthings and clothes to a priest of another village so that she couldn’t see them time and again. She thought that she wouldn’t have another child as she was told at the time of Carmen’s birth. When Roberto knew about it, he became very unhappy because he was hopeful that they would have another child. He asked about her the little dolly which Carmen always carried with her. Rosa said that she didn’t give it away. Then they searched everywhere in the house as well asked the villagers too but they couldn’t find it.

However they soon forgot about the lost doll because Rosa became pregnant. On the first anniversary of the death of Carmen, Rosa gave birth to another child. Roberto and Rosa became very happy. She was named Evangelina, which meant “good news”. When Evangelina grew she looked very much similar to her sister Carmen. But she was healthy girl. When she was about four, she told her mother that she had been sick a long time ago. She also told her aunt that she had a little, beautiful doll with blue eyes and red dress. She had buried it under a tree in the yard. She requested her mother to dig up the doll. When Rosa dug up the ground, she found the lost doll. She looked surprised, shocked and sick because it was difficult for her to believe. Evangelina also said that when she was sick, the nice man came and helped her to bury that doll under the tree.

The story accounts the supernatural significance regarding its particular focus on the concept of reincarnation. When Evangelina was born and grown up, she looked very much similar to that of Carmen’s actions, characters, behaviors and other many things were very much similar. The priest said that God healed Carmen and sent her back in the form of healthy Evangelina. Though Rosa did not believe that her newly born child as the reincarnation of Carmen but she could not reject the mysterious fact towards the end of the story. When Evangelina reported everything about past and about her doll, Rosa could say nothing anymore.

Important Questions

1. Summaries the story “The Lost Doll”.
Ans: See the summary above for complete answer.

2. How were Carmen and Evangelina alike and different? Or In what ways Mariya Del Carmen and Evangelina alike?
Ans: Evangelina was Rosa’s second daughter and Carmen was the first one. Evangelina’s actions and body structure were similar to her sister Carmen who had died after being sick. Evangelina looked as Carmen. The difference was that Carman was sick but Evangelina wasn’t sick.

3. What evidences are there in the story to show that the Soto family was poor?
Ans: Roberto and Rosa were both husband and wife. They had little daughter who died at the age of four. When Roberto doesn’t find the doll of Carmen, he wants to save that doll for next child. This shows the poor condition of Soto family. They were living a simple and ordinary life.

Questions for Practice

1. Why did they name the new baby Evangelina?
2. Why did Roberto want to save Carmen’s things?
3. Write your opining about Carmen in brief.
4. What could be the reasons for attending Carmen’s funeral by almost everyone?
5. Do you believe “The Lost Doll” is a story of reincarnation? How was it possible for Evangelina to lead her parents to the site where the lost doll was buried?
6. Why did Rosa said that there was no reason to save Carmen’s things?
7. Rosa said to her husband. “False hope is not good”. When does hope become false? How can we know when hope is false?