CBSE Class 10 English HOTs Madam Rides the Bus

Madam Rides the Bus

Summary

I. Madam Rides the Bus’ is a sensitive story about an eight year old village girl Valliammai whose way to have fun and pass time is to stand at her door and watch the passersby. Valli, as everybody calls her, loves to watch the city bus stop in front of her house every hour. As days go by, she starts to crave to take the bus ride to the city. She discreetly gets all the information about the fare and the time of journey and after saving enough money, sets out one day in the bus. She pays the full fare and much to the amusement of the conductor, expects to be treated as a grown up. She loves every bit of her onward journey and enjoys looking out of the window at the sights. She is amused by a cow running right in front of the bus. She does not get off at the city but pays the fare again to go back to her village. She is wide eyed at the shops and sights of the city. Her travel back is equally exciting except for the sad sighting of a dead cow on the roadside. She enters her home, with her mother none the wiser about her little afternoon excursion.

Extract Based Questions

Read the given extract to attempt the questions that follow:

But for Valli, standing at the front door was every bit as enjoyable as any of the elaborate games other children played.
Watching the street gave her many new unusual experiences.
The most fascinating thing of all was the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town. It passed through her street each hour, once going to the town and once coming back.
The sight of the bus, filled each time with a new set of passengers, was a source of unending joy for Valli. (Madam Rides the Bus)

Question. Standing at the front door and watching the street, makes Valli __________
(a) curious
(b) courteous
(c) shy
(d) unique

Answer : A

Question. From the options given below, find a word from the extract that means the same as not very common.
(a) Elaborate
(b) Fascinating
(c) Unusual
(d) Habitual

Answer : C

Question. What did Valli get from watching the street?
Choose one from the following to answer:
(a) Boredom
(b) Fascination
(c) Unusual Experience
(d) apathetic

Answer : C

Question. What fascinated Valli the most?
1. The bus conductor.
2. The colour of the bus.
3. The bus driver.
4. The sight of the bus.
5. The bus travelling between her village and the town.
Choose the correct option?
(a) (1), (2), and (3)
(b) (2), (3), and (4)
(c) (4) and (5)
(d) (3), (4), and (5)

Answer : C

Question. Select the option which displays an example of ‘fascinating’.
(a) The terminal exams result was announced and the students were tensed.
(b) The children tiredly looked at their online classroom program on their computers.
(c) Anna visited the mall with her friends.
(d) The flying display of the air force planes on Independence Day.

Answer : D

II. The bus slowed down to a crawl, and the conductor, sticking his head out the door, said, “Hurry then! Tell whoever it is to come quickly.” “It’s me,” shouted Valli. “I’m the one who has to get on.” By now the bus had come to a stop, and the conductor said, “Oh, really! You don’t say so!” “Yes, I simply have to go to town,” said Valli, still standing outside the bus, “and here’s my money.” She showed him some coins. “Okay, okay, but first you must get on the bus,” said the conductor, and he stretched out a hand to help her up. “Never mind,” she said, “I can get on by myself. You don’t have to help me.” The conductor was a jolly sort, fond of joking. “Oh, please don’t be angry with me, my fine madam,” he said. “Here, have a seat right up there in front. Everybody move aside please — make way for madam”

Question. Why did the bus slowed down to a crawl?
The bus slowed down because:
(1) People had to get into the bus.
(2) Valli shouted and stopped the bus.
(3) Valli wanted to board the bus.
(4) Valli had to get off the bus.
(5) Conductor had asked Valli to get off the bus.
Choose the correct option from the following:
(a) (1) and (5)
(b) (1), (3) and (4)
(c) (2) and (3)
(d) (2), (4) and (5)

Answer : C

Question. Select the most appropriate option for (1) and (2).
(1) The bus slowed down to a crawl.
(2) The bus came to an abrupt halt.
(a) (1) is true and (2) is false.
(b) (2) is the opposite of (1).
(c) (1) furthers the meaning of (2).
(d) Both (1) and (2) cannot be inferred from the extract.

Answer : C

Question. From the options given below, identify Valli’s tone in the extract.
(a) Cool
(b) Eager
(c) Shy
(d) timid

Answer : B

Question. Select the option which displays an example of ‘stretched out a hand’ similar in meaning to the text used in the extract.
(a) He was dancing to the music stretching out his hands and shaking his feet.
(b) The teacher asked the students to stretch out their hands during the Physical training session.
(c) The old lady slipped while walking in the rain, Jane seeing her helped her up to her feet.
(d) The little beggar boy stretched out his hands asking for alms.

Answer : C

Question. What do we get to know about Valli, when she says the following?
“I can get on by myself. You don’t have to help me.”
Choose one from the following to answer:
(a) She is frightened of the conductor.
(b) She is trying to show that she is self-dependent.
(c) She is unsure of her own thoughts.
(d) She is afraid of the crowd.

Answer : B

III.Valli devoured everything with her eyes. But when she started to look outside, she found her view cut off by a canvas blind that covered the lower part of her window. So she stood up on the seat and peered over the blind. The bus was now going along the bank of a canal. The road was very narrow. On one side there was the canal and, beyond it, palm trees, grassland, distant mountains, and the blue, blue sky. On the other side was a deep ditch and then acres and acres of green fields — green, green, green, as far as the eye could see. Oh, it was all so wonderful!

Question. What did not block Valli’s view from seeing outside the window of the bus?
1. The seats
2. The canvas blind
3. The conductor
4. The driver
5. Mountains
Choose the correct option from the following
(a) (1) and (5)
(b) (1), (3), (4) and (5)
(c) (1) and (4)
(d) (2) and (5)

Answer : B

Question. Select the most appropriate option for (1) and (2).
(1) Valli was very excited about the ride.
(2) Valli devoured everything with her eyes.
(a) (1) is true and (2) is false.
(b) (2) is the opposite of (1).
(c) (1) furthers the meaning of (2).
(d) Both (1) and (2) cannot be inferred from the extract.

Answer : C

Question. From the options given below, identify the word that is the synonym of ‘grasped the maximum’ in the extract.
(a) Wonderful
(b) Peered
(c) Blind
(d) Narrow

Answer : B

Question. Select the option which displays an example of ‘peered’ in the extract.
(a) The child curiously noticed the monkey eating bananas from behind a tree.
(b) The child stood and watched the cartoons on television.
(c) The teacher asked her to join her peers to complete the project.
(d) My sister went with her peers for a movie.

Answer : A

Question. What do you understand from the statement when Valli exclaimed Oh, it was all so wonderful!
Choose one from the following to answer:
(a) Valli was excited.
(b) Valli felt dejected.
(c) Valli was annoyed.
(d) Valli was disturbed.

Answer : A

IV. “Hey, lady,” said the conductor, “aren’t you ready to get off? This is as far as your thirty paise takes you.” “No,” Valli said, “I’m going back on this same bus.” She took another thirty paise from her pocket and handed the coins to the conductor. “Why, is something the matter?” “No, nothing’s the matter. I just felt like having a bus ride, that’s all.” “Don’t you want to have a look at the sights, now that you’re here?” “All by myself? Oh, I’d be much too afraid.” Greatly amused by the girl’s way of speaking, the conductor said, “But you weren’t afraid to come in the bus.” “Nothing to be afraid of about that,” she answered…. “No, I don’t have enough money. Just give me my ticket, that’s all.”

Question. Why did the conductor ask Valli “aren’t you ready to get off?
1. He thought she had forgotten the destination
2. He wanted to guide her.
3. He jokingly asked her.
4. He casually asked her as the other passengers had left.
5. He thought she was too young and had lost her way.
Choose the correct option from the following:
(a) (1), (2) and (5)
(b) (2), (3) and (4)
(c) Only 2
(d) (2) and (5)

Answer : A

Question. Select the most appropriate option for (1) and (2).
(1) “I’m going back on this same bus.”
(2) She took another thirty paise from her pocket and handed the coins to the conductor.
(a) (1) is true and (2) is false.
(b) (2) is the opposite of (1).
(c) (2) further relates to (1).
(d) Both (1) and (2) cannot be inferred from the extract.

Answer : C

Question. From the options given below, identify why Valli didn’t get off the bus when she reached her destination?
(a) She was frightened.
(b) She had come for a bus ride.
(c) She had not enough money.
(d) She had not informed her mother.

Answer : B

Question. What can be inferred from the following line?
“Why, is something the matter?”
(a) Concern of the passengers for Valli.
(b) Concern of the driver for Valli.
(c) Valli’s concern for the conductor.
(d) The conductor’s concern for Valli.

Answer : D

Question. Select the option which displays an example of ‘amused’ in relation with the extract.
(a) The boy tried impressing his friends with his jokes.
(b) The little boy jumped over the hedge and was injured.
(c) The little girl went on a trek with her friends.
(d) The teacher was impressed with the young boy’s quickwitted answers.

Answer : D

Multiple Choice Questions

Question. What exactly is the writer trying to portray from this story?
(a) Limitations of a poor family
(b) Life in an Indian village
(c) Mature perspective of an eight year old Indian village child.
(d) Bus travel is rare in villages.

Answer : C

Question. What is the symbolism of the bus in the story?
(a) The vehicle took passengers from stagnated village to a modern town.
(b) Only sign of modernity in the village.
(c) Only means of fast transport.
(d) It was the link that helped to bridge the chasm between curiosity and realisation.

Answer : D

Question. What best describes Valliammai ‘watching what was happening in the street outside’.
(a) Arrogant in nature
(b) Defensive
(c) Curious
(d) Unconcerned

Answer : C

Question. Identify the apt option that best describes a hobby.
(a) Curious
(b) Pastime
(c) Watching
(d) Experiences

Answer : B

Question. Identify the option that does not describe Valliammai’s feelings of experiences while watching the street.
(a) Extraordinary
(b) Unusual
(c) Weary
(d) Curious

Answer : C

Question. What is the most important thing the author wants to convey about Valli?
(a) Valli’s self respect is worth noting.
(b) Valli’s mental perspective undergoes enlightenment.
(c) She was intelligent and remarkably courageous.
(d) Valli was brave with an inquisitive mind.

Answer : B

Question. Which option correctly replaces the underlined word in the given line from Madam Rides the Bus ‘between her village and the nearest town’?
(a) Up and down
(b) Back and forth
(c) In and out
(d) Backward and forward

Answer : B

Question. What was the most catching to Valli’s eyes?
(a) The timely movement of the bus.
(b) The hourly movement of the bus.
(c) The conductor in the bus.
(d) The driver of the bus.

Answer : B

Question. What most excited Valli was ___________.
(a) The change of drivers
(b) The change of conductors
(c) The change of passengers
(d) The change of color of the bus.

Answer : C

Question. What does the author mean by day after day?
(a) Alternately
(b) Often
(c) Repeatedly
(d) Mostly

Answer : C

Question. Fill in with the appropriate word. Gradually a tiny ______ crept into her head and grew there.
(a) Idea
(b) Wish
(c) Hair
(d) Hope

Answer : B

Question. Identify the word that has the same meaning as ‘slowly’.
(a) Immediately
(b) Suddenly
(c) Gradually
(d) Frequently

Answer : C

Question. The urge that crept into Valli’s mind was.
(a) To jump in and out of the bus
(b) To ride on that bus.
(c) To watch that bus
(d) To ask her mother to take her on that bus

Answer : B

Question. In the lesson ‘Madam Rides the Bus’, relate the words stronger: overwhelming: wish: ________.
(a) Ride
(b) Dreams
(c) Desire
(d) longings

Answer : C

Question. Identify the word that means the same as ‘Longingly’.
(a) Desirably
(b) Wistfully
(c) Wishfully
(d) Hopefully

Answer : B

Question. The word___________means the same as ‘set a blaze’.
(a) Longing
(b) Wistful
(c) Kindle
(d) Jealous

Answer : C

Question. What would set a kindle in Valli?
(a) The faces of the children
(b) The faces of the passengers
(c) The face of the conductor
(d) The face of the driver

Answer : B

Question. What would make Valli jealous?
(a) Strangers ravelling by bus
(b) Hearing stories of her friend’s bus journey
(c) Her mother travelling the bus
(d) All of the above

Answer : B

Question. Valli feels__________if any of her friends spoke about their bus ride.
(a) Proud
(b) Casual
(c) Jealous
(d) Angry

Answer : C

Question. Which option correctly replaces the underlined word in the given line from Madam Rides the Bus? Really understood.
(a) Proud
(b) Comprehend
(c) Confusion
(d) Comprise

Answer : B

Question. The children used the word “Proud! proud!” as a ____________.
(a) As a taunting expression
(b) As a jealous expression
(c) As a slang expression
(d) As an angry expression

Answer : C

Question. Another important aspect about Valli clearly understood from the excerpt was:
(a) She was very confident about her thoughts and actions.
(b) She was very proud.
(c) She could be shy when people’s attention was drawn towards her.
(d) She was scared of her mother.

Answer : A

Question. Valli listened carefully to conversations of the frequent travelers. This meant that she was very.
(a) Inquisitive
(b) Snoopy
(c) Attentive
(d) Intruder

Answer : C

Question. In the lesson Madam Rides the Bus identify and relate the words fare: paisa: journey:________.
(a) Time
(b) Distance
(c) Cost
(d) Details

Answer : B

Question. Valli was attentive to the conversation of regular travelers and asked discreet questions? What do you not agree with about her behaviour?
(a) She was not interested
(b) She was eager to know about the journey
(c) She needed to plan her journey
(d) She needed to know the expenses

Answer : A

Question. In this lesson Madam Rides the Bus what does ‘discreet questions’ indicate?
(a) Irrelevant questions
(b) Unnecessary questions
(c) Careful questions
(d) Interrogative questions

Answer : C

Question. What does the author mean by saying “which is almost nothing at all”.
(a) It is easy
(b) It is costly
(c) Worthless
(d) Not much

Answer : D

Question. From whom did Valli hear “which is almost nothing at all”?
(a) A well-dressed woman
(b) A well-dressed man
(c) A Conductor
(d) A Driver

Answer : B

Question. In the lesson Madam Rides the Bus, pick the apt word which means overwhelming desire.
(a) immense
(b) Huge
(c) Large
(d) Feeble

Answer : A

Question. The ideal word for luck in the passage is________.
(a) Chance
(b) Destiny
(c) Fortune
(d) Rich

Answer : C

Question. How did she collect information about the bus?
(a) By checking the bags of passengers every time.
(b) By asking some discreet questions.
(c) By checking the luggage of passengers every time.
(d) None of these

Answer : B

Question. What was the one way fare from the village to the town?
(a) 1 rupee
(b) 50 paise
(c) 40 paise
(d) 30 paise

Answer : D

Question. What was the timing of the afternoon nap taken by Valli’s mother?
(a) 1 to 3
(b) 1 to 4
(c) 2 to 4
(d) 2 to 3

Answer : B

Question. How long would it take Valli to complete her journey on the bus as calculated by her?
(a) An hour and a quarter minutes
(b) One and a half hour
(c) One hour and forty-five minutes
(d) Two hours

Answer : C

Question. What was the next challenge once she’d saved enough money?
(a) Tell her mom about it
(b) Know about the timings
(c) Buy a ticket
(d) To sneak out of the house

Answer : D

Question. What was the season when Valli did travel?
(a) Summer
(b) Winter
(c) Spring
(d) Monsoon

Answer : C

Question. The bus crawled to a halt_____.
(a) To avoid a crash
(b) A woman halted the bus
(c) A tiny hand was raised
(d) To take in passengers

Answer : C

Question. The first thing Valli did on stopping the bus.
(a) Shout at the driver
(b) Hand over the fare
(c) Jump into the bus
(d) Ask the conductor the route

Answer : B

Question. In the lesson Madam Rides the Bus, pick the apt word which means stretched out a hand in the context?
(a) Exercise
(b) Extend
(c) Expand
(d) Relax

Answer : B

Question. “Never mind,” she said, “I can get on by myself. You don’t have to help me.” How would you describe Valli’s character traits?
(a) Frightened
(b) Self-conscious
(c) Self-dependent
(d) Feeble

Answer : C

Question. What did the conductor call Valli?
(a) Cute Girl
(b) Madam
(c) First Passenger
(d) None of these

Answer : B

Question. “Oh, please don’t be angry with me, my fine madam,” said the conductor _______
(a) Respectfully
(b) Annoyingly
(c) Jokingly
(d) Wittingly

Answer : C

Question. In the lesson ‘Madam Rides the Bus’, relate the words jolly: angry: slack: ___________.
(a) Less
(b) Busy
(c) Careless
(d) Loose

Answer : B

Question. Valli tried to avoid everyone’s eyes since____
(a) She was overcome with anger
(b) She was overcome with fear
(c) She was avoiding stares
(d) She was overcome with shyness

Answer : D

Question. Instead of an old rickety bus in the excerpt, the writer chose to describe a new freshly painted bus. What can the reason be for this?
(a) The writer wanted Valli to be happy riding a new bus.
(b) A new bus always will be fast, so that Valli could return home in time.
(c) The writer wanted to emphasize that modernity was well ensconced all around the village, except the village itself.
(d) The writer wants us to focus on the contrast between the old village and the new bus.

Answer : C

Question. What does the sentence ‘Valli devoured everything with her eyes’ in the Madam Rides the Bus specify according to the author?
(a) She was constantly eating and watching
(b) She was just looking out
(c) She was enjoying the ride
(d) She was bored through the ride.

Answer : C

Question. ______________was hindering Valli’s views from the window.
(a) The tall trees
(b) The windshield
(c) The Canvas blind
(d) The Shining overhead bars

Answer : C

Question. Why did Valli stand up?
(a) She wanted to enjoy the ride
(b) She wasn’t able to look outside properly
(c) She liked standing
(d) She was tired of sitting

Answer : B

Question. ‘So she stood up on the seat and peered over the blind’ showed that_______.
(a) Valli was adamant
(b) Valli was angry
(c) Valli was disturbed
(d) Valli was destructive

Answer : A

Question. The bus was now going along the bank of a canal. Here bank refers to______
(a) Edge
(b) Financial Institution
(c) Bridge
(d) Flyover

Answer : A

Question. But she was annoyed by his attention. Whose attention is it referred to ___________.
(a) The conductor of the bus
(b) The driver of the bus
(c) The elderly man in the bus
(d) The elderly woman in the bus

Answer : C

Question. Identify the word in the passage that describes pride.
(a) Chimed
(b) Comfortable
(c) Haughty
(d) Glance

Answer : C

Question. The conductor __________in when Valli retaliated to the elderly man asked her to sit.
(a) Intervened
(b) Chimed
(c) Joked
(d) Intercede

Answer : B

Question. The conductor often joked and mimicked Valli. This meant that he wanted to __________her.
(a) Irritate her
(b) Make her feel comfortable
(c) To protect her
(d) To make her feel lost

Answer : B

Question. “But if you stand on the seat, you may fall and hurt yourself when the bus makes a sharp turn or hits a bump.
That’s why we want you to sit down, child.” Said the conductor. It was a matter of _____
(a) Manners
(b) Rules
(c) Concern
(d) Command

Answer : C

Question. The one thing Valli failed to understand was ______________.
(a) The scenery was beautiful to her eyes
(b) The passengers were concerned for her
(c) The seat was for sitting
(d) That it was a public transport.

Answer : B

Question. “Valli found the woman absolutely repulsive”. What do you mean by “repulsive”?
(a) Causing strong dislike
(b) Showing displeasure
(c) Extremely attractive
(d) Admirable

Answer : A

Question. What could a symbolic meaning of Valli paying for the short bus ride?
(a) Bus rides are not free.
(b) Free public transport doesn’t exist.
(c) Progress to modernity comes at a cost.
(d) For Valli, it was a matter of pride to pay for the ride.

Answer : C

Question. Amongst all passengers why do you think the author had stressed on the character of the old woman?
(a) The old woman’s concern for young displays the heart of Indian Culture.
(b) The old woman was an obstacle for Valli
(c) The old woman represented a different generation.
(d)The character of the old woman is symbolic of Valli’s village roots contrasted with Valli’s efforts to reach out to modernity.

Answer : D

Question. Why did the old lady ask Vali so many questions?
(a) She was bothered about Valli
(b) She liked Valli
(c) She was poking her nose
(d) She was bored

Answer : A

Question. “But lo! somehow it passed on smoothly, leaving all obstacles safely behind”. What could be the embedded symbolism of this line?
(a) The bus was supposed to move on.
(b) Progress from stagnation to modernity was irrevocable.
(c) Valli was growing up fast.
(d) Time was short and Valli had to make it fast to home.

Answer : B

Question. The train rushed fast the crossing gate with a:
(a) thud
(b) crashing speed
(c) tremendous roar
(d) lightning roar

Answer : C

Question. How much money did Valli pay for her to and fro journey?
(a) Fifty paise
(b) Sixty paise
(c) Seventy paise
(d) Hundred paise

Answer : B

Question. Why did Valli not get off the bus for sight-seeing?
(a) She was afraid
(b) She didn’t want to
(c) She didn’t have the time
(d) She didn’t like the city

Answer : A

Question. What did the conductor offer Valli at the bus stop in the town?
(a) Water
(b) Soft Drink
(c) Pizza
(d) Burger

Answer : B

Question. What does it tell you about Valli when she refused to accept the conductor’s treat?
(a) She was responsible
(b) She was stubborn
(c) She was rude
(d) She was disrespectful

Answer : A

Question. The dead cow was a rude jolt for Valli. Why?
(a) For Valli, this was a horror she had not taken cognizance of during her planning.
(b) Valli was very sad to see the dead cow, as she was very young.
(c) Valli got a taste of horrors associated with life.
(d) Valli had never expected to see death so closely.

Answer : A

Question. Who was a “real chatterbox”?
(a) Valli
(b) Conductor
(c) Her aunt
(d) All of these

Answer : C

Question. The whole story points to the transformation and progress of the old to the new through Valli’s eyes. What do you think the author wants Valli’s mother and aunt to represent?
(a) Represent the family of Valli, deeply grounded in the village.
(b) Represent a village which by and large desired modernity but lacked the will to reach it.
(c) Represent a world which Valli wanted to get away from.
(d) The author just wanted to fill details in by posting the characters of Valli’s mother and aunt.

Answer : B

Text Book Questions

Question. What was Valli’s favourite pastime?
Answer : Valli’s favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway of her house and watching what was happening in the street outside.

Question. What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?
Answer : The sight of the bus, that travelled between her village and the nearest Town and filled each time with a new set of passengers, was a source of unending joy for Valli. Her strongest desire was to ride the bus.

Question. What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find out these details?
Answer : Valli listened carefully to the conversations between her neighbours and the people who regularly used the bus and she also asked a few discreet questions here and there. This way she picked up various small details about the bus journey. The town was six miles away from her village. The fare was thirty paise for one way. The trip to the town took forty-five minutes. On reaching the town, if she stayed in her seat and paid another thirty paise, she could return home on the same bus.

Question. What do you think Valli was planning to do?
Answer : Valli was planning to take a bus ride to the city and comeback in the same bus.

Question. Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?
Answer : The conductor is amused to see an eight year old who wants to behave like a grown up and in jest he calls her madam.

Question. Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now?
Answer : Valli found her view cut off by a canvas blind that covered the lower part of her window. So she stood up on the seat and peered over the blind. On one side, she sees the canal and beyond it, palm trees, grasslands, distant mountains and the blue sky. On the other side, she sees a deep ditch and then acres of green fields.

Question. What does Valli tell the elderly man when he calls her a child?
Answer : When the elderly man calls her a child she gets annoyed and says that she is not a child as she has paid the full fare.

Question. Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?
Answer : The elderly woman was repulsive to Valli with big holes in her ear lobes and ugly earrings in them. She could smell the betel nut the woman was chewing and see the betel juice that was threatening to spill over her lips at any time. So she did not want to become friends with the elderly woman.

Question. How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?
Answer : Valli had saved up the money for her first journey by resisting every temptation to buy peppermints, toys, balloons etc. At the village, fair she had resolutely stifled a strong desire to ride the merry go-round, even though she had the money. Saving the money had not been easy for her.

Question. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?
Answer : On her journey to the city, Valli saw a young cow, tail high in the air, running very fast, right in the middle of the road, in front of the bus. The driver sounded his horn loudly but the more he honked, the more frightened the animal became and the faster it galloped — always right in front of the bus. This sight of the cow running made her laugh.

Question. Why didn’t she get off the bus at the bus station?
Answer : Valli didn’t get off the bus because she was too scared to get down. Also, she just wanted to take a ride in the bus and was going back to her village by the same bus.

Question. Why didn’t Valli want to go to the stall and have a drink?
What does this tell you about her?
Answer : Valli didn’t want to get down at the city stop and go to the stall for a drink because she was scared and also, had not planned for it. This tells us that she was careful not to venture into something she had no idea about.

Thinking about the Text

Question. What was Valli’s deepest desire? Find the words and phrases in the story that tell you this.
Answer : Valli’s deepest desire was to ride on the city bus, for just once. “Day after day she watched the bus pass by and gradually a tiny wish crept into her head and grew there. This wish became stronger and stronger, until it was an overwhelming desire. Valli would stare wistfully at the people who got on or off the bus”.

Question. How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus and how did she save up the fare?
Answer : Valli listened carefully to conversations between her neighbours and people who regularly used the bus and she also asked a few discreet questions here and there. This way, she picked up various small details about the bus journey. The town was six miles from her village. The fare was thirty paise one way. The trip to the town took forty-five minutes. On reaching town, if she stayed in her seat and paid another thirty paise, she could return home on the same bus. With all this information, she planned her ride on the bus during the hour in the afternoon when her mother took a nap. Valli had saved up the money for her first journey by resisting every temptation to buy peppermints, toys, balloons etc. At the village fair she had resolutely stifled a strong desire to ride the merry go-round, even though she had the money.

Question. What kind of a person is Valli? To answer this question, pick out the following sentences from the text and fill in the blanks.
The words you fill in are the clues to your answer.
(i) “Stop the bus! Stop the bus!” And a tiny hand was raised commandingly.
(ii) “Yes, I simply have to go to town,” said Valli, still standing outside the bus.
(iii) “There’s nobody here who’s a child,” she said haughtily. “I’ve paid my thirty paise like everyone else.”
(iv) “Never mind,” she said, “I can get on by myself. You don’t have to help me.” I’m not a child, I tell you,” she said, irritably.
(v) “You needn’t bother about me. I can take care of myself,” Valli said, turning her face toward the window and staring out.
(vi) Then she turned to the conductor and said, “Well, sir, I hope to see you again.”
Answer : Though Valli is small, she is a very confident girl. She researches about the journey and then undertakes it. She doesn’t like being called a child as she believes that she is a grown up and can travel on her own. She is careful not to be friendly with strangers, though she does come to trust the conductor by the end of the journey. She gets irritated very soon.

Question. Why does the conductor refer to Valli as ‘madam’?
Answer : The conductor is amused to see an eight year old wanting to behave like a grown up and in jest he calls her ‘madam’.

Question. Find the lines in the text which tell you that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus.
Answer : Struck dumb with wonder, Valli gaped at everything. Valli clapped her hands with glee. Oh, it was all so wonderful!

Question. Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?
Answer : Valli sees a young cow lying dead by the roadside. The memory of the dead cow haunts her, dampening her enthusiasm and so she refuses to look out of the window on the way back.

Question. What does Valli mean when she says, “I was just agreeing with what you said about things happening without our knowledge.”
Answer : Valli has just come back from a bus ride into the city without her mother knowing anything about it. In this context, she agrees with her mother when she says that there are things that happen without one’s knowledge.

Question. The author describes the things that Valli sees from an eight-year-old’s point of view. Can you find evidence from the text for this statement?
Answer :Sometimes the bus seemed on the point of gobbling up another vehicle that was coming towards them or a pedestrian crossing the road
__ Valli devoured everything with her eyes.
__ palm trees, grassland, distant mountains, and the blue, blue sky.
__ then acres and acres of green fields — green, green, green, as far as the eye could see. Oh, it was all so wonderful!

Short Answer Type Questions

Question. How did Valli fulfil her desire to ride a bus to the town and back?
Answer : Valli was an eight-year-old girl who had a strong desire to take a bus ride. She heard the people around talking about bus rides and silently gathered all the information required before she took her first ride. She saved every single penny possible so that she could take a return journey in the bus. Eventually, one afternoon when Valli’s mother was taking an afternoon nap post lunch, Valli sneaked out of the house for her first bus ride. She boarded the bus on her own and shunned the conductor when he offered help and called her ‘madam’. She stood up on the seat to enjoy the views around the bus when she could not see them clearly while sitting. On her return journey, she enjoyed the same natural sights around but her face fell when she saw a dead cow hit by a fast moving vehicle. The memory of the dead cow haunted Valli. She no longer wanted to see out of the window and kept sitting on her seat until her village came. She got down and wished the conductor to see him again. The conductor smiled. He told Valli that whenever she felt like riding the bus she could come and join them.

Question. Why did Valli shout in English ‘proud, proud’?
Answer : If one of her friends happened to ride the bus and tried to describe the sights of the town to her, Valli would be too jealous to listen and would shout, in English: “Proud! proud!” Neither she nor her friends really understood the meaning of the word but they used it often as a slang expression of disapproval.

Question. How did Valli slip out of the house without her mother’s knowledge?
Answer : Every day after lunch her mother would nap from about one to four or so. Valli always used these hours for her ‘excursions’ and this is when she slipped out of the house without her mother’s knowledge.

Question. Why does Valli stand upon the seat ? What does she see now ?
Answer : Valli’s view was obstructed by a canvas blind which covered the lower part of the window and so she was forced to stand up on the seat. She noticed the canal on one side, palm trees, grassland, distant mountains and the blue sky and a deep ditch and acres of green fields on the other side.

Question. Why didn’t Valli want to go to the stall and have a drink?
What does it tell you about her?
Answer : Valli had accumulated only sixty paise, which was the cost of her bus ride between her village and the nearest town, and did not have enough money to spend at the stall. This shows that Valli was a firm and decisive little girl.

Question. What made Valli sad?
Answer : On the ride to the city Valli was amused by a cow who was running right in the middle of the road in front of the bus. On the way back she saw the same cow dead by the roadside hit by a speeding vehicle. This saddened her.

Question. How did Valli react when she saw the dead cow by the roadside ?
Answer : Valli was extremely excited about her bus journey. She had carefully planned and saved money for this journey. On her return journey, when she saw the dead cow on the roadside, she turned somber. She lost her enthusiasm on seeing the dead cow. She became pensive and built negative views towards life.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question. An eight year old girl travelling alone in a bus. Is it right on the girl’s part to take this journey? What would have happened if she had informed her mother before leaving?
Answer : An eight year old girl travelling alone in a bus does not happen too often these days. It was not right on Valli’s part to have undertaken this journey alone. Anything could have gone wrong. The bus may not have returned by the same route or the same day. She had not informed her mother about it so, if the bus had been delayed due to unknown reasons her family wouldn’t have known where to look for her. She was lucky to get good people as passengers, the conductor and the driver. If Valli had informed her mother before leaving, either her mother would have refused to let her do so or she would have herself taken her on the ride.

Question. Describe Valli’s planning for the bus ride.
Answer : Valli craved to take the bus ride. She planned her ride meticulously. She started by finding out about the fare and the timings of the bus. She made arrangements for the fare and also decided what time will be suitable for her. Once she had done all the necessary preparation and she was ready for her secret excursion. She also found out how much time it took to go to the city and back. She had learnt that one could remain sitting in the bus and come back to the village in the same bus. She saved money for the fare by resisting all temptations like peppermints, toys and even a ride on the merry-go-round at the village fair. She planned her excursion when her mother took her afternoon nap.

Question. Once we decide to achieve something, so many difficulties come in our way. With focused attention we can make that achievement. How did Valli succeed in fulfilling her desire of riding a bus ?
Answer : Eight-year-old Valli’s desire was to ride the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town. Her desire was so strong that it overcomes her fears prompting her to plan her trip meticulously. She collects all the details of the journey and saves every coin that comes her way. She maintains her will power so much that she does not even get tempted to go shopping. After taking all the precautions to ensure that she has a safe journey, she fulfills her dream of riding a bus. Despite her young age, she returns back home safely. Valli teaches us that once we decide to achieve something, many difficulties may come our way but with courage and confidence, we can accomplish the task.

Question. Whenever we want to achieve something difficulties always come in our way. What did Valli have to do to go and ride in a bus?
Answer : Ambition is the key to fulfillment of one’s needs. One must always be ambitious in life. Valli was a simple girl who also had ambitions. Her greatest ambition or her growing desire was to ride a bus. This desire stemmed from watching the bus pass through her village everyday. All this intrigued her. To undertake her first bus journey, she did her bit of research. She watched the bus, took a note of its schedule and listened to people’s conversations about their journey by bus. She even found out the fare of the bus, which was 30 paise for a trip. Gradually, she used all of this information to collect money for the bus fare as well as to undertake her first bus journey.

Reference to Context Questions

Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :

Question. Day after day she watched the bus, and gradually a tiny wish crept into her head and grew there: she wanted to ride on that bus, even if just once. This wish became stronger and stronger, until it was an overwhelming desire. Valli would stare wistfully at the people who got on or off the bus when it stopped at the street corner. Their faces would kindle in her longings, dreams, and hopes.
(a) What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?
(b) What do you think Valli was planning to do?
Answer : (a) Valli enjoyed watching the bus and its new set of passengers every time it crossed the village. It gave her a never ending joy. Her strongest desire was to travel in the bus and take a ride to the nearby town and back.
(b) Valli was planning secretively to fulfill her desire of travelling by bus without her mother noticing.

It was the slack time of day, and there were only six or seven passengers on the bus. They were all looking at Valli and laughing with the conductor. Valli was overcome with shyness. Avoiding everyone’s eyes, she walked quickly to an empty seat and sat down. May we start now, madam?” the conductor asked, smiling. Then he blew his whistle twice, and the bus moved forward with a roar. It was a new bus, its outside painted a gleaming white with some green stripes along the sides. Inside, the overhead bars shone like silver. Directly in front of Valli, above the windshield, there was a beautiful clock. The seats were soft and luxurious.

Question. One word that Valli and her friends often used as a slang expression of disapproval.
(a) Jealous
(b) Proud 
(c) Never mind
(d) Okay

Answer : A

Question. What is the word in the extract that is not similar to busy time of the day?
(a) Rush hour
(b) Interval
(c) Slack
(d) Busy

Answer : C

Question. Valli was avoiding everyone’s eyes since_____.

(a) option 1
(b) Option 2
(c) option 3
(d) Option 4

Answer : B

Question. The conductor referred Valli with respect calling her:
(a) Baby
(b) Girly
(c) Madam
(d) Sir

Answer : C

Question. Choose the correct option that describes the bus.

(a) Option 1
(b) Option 2
(c) Option 3
(d) Option 4

Answer : C

Question. “May we start now, madam?” the conductor asked, smiling.
Then he blew his whistle twice, and the bus moved forward with a roar. It was a new bus, its outside painted a gleaming white with some green stripes along the sides. Inside, the overhead bars shone like silver. Directly in front of Valli, above the windshield, there was a beautiful clock. The seats were soft and luxurious. Valli devoured everything with her eyes. But when she started to look outside, she found her view cut off by a canvas blind that covered the lower part of her window. So she stood up on the seat and peered over the blind.
(a) Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?
(b) Why does Valli stand up on the seat?
Answer : (a) Well prepared and proud Valli got annoyed if someone called her a child or treated her like one. On the other hand, the bus conductor was of the joking sort and began addressing her ‘madam’ as she was grown enough, bought her ticket and could take care of herself.
(b) Valli was short in height and thus, when she tried looking out of the window, the window blinds would come in her way obstructing her outside view. Thus, she decided to stand on her seat.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question. How did Valli react when she saw the dead cow by the roadside?
Answer : Value Point :
She becomes sad, no more enthusiasm to see the dead cow, now in pensive mood, negative views towards life. 

Question. What details did Valli pick up about the bus journey ? How did she pick up these details ?
Answer : The details that Valli picked up was about the distance that the bus travelled, the duration and fare. She gathered that information by hearing the conversation of others and by asking a discreet question or two.

Question. How can you say that the conductor was a good natured jolly fellow ? Support your answer with examples.
Answer : The conductor of the bus was a good natured fellow, with pleasant manners. He was concerned that such a small girl was travelling to town alone and took care that she was comfortably seated. When Valli objected to being treated as a child, he took it in good spirit and jokingly addressed her ‘Madam’. His behaviour, thus, reflects the congeniality of his nature.

Question. Give examples from the text to show that Valli was a meticulous planner ?
Answer : Valli was a keen observer as well as a meticulous planner. Her desire to experience a bus ride was realized by systematic and organised planning. She had collected all the useful information by observing and planning and making discreet inquiries about the time of the bus, the duration of the journey as well as the fare. She was focussed and saved every penny to finance her trip and finally accomplished it by efficient execution of her plAnswer :

Question. Why does Valli stand upon the seat ? What does she see now ?
Answer : Valli could not see anything outside as the blind of the bus covered the lower part of the window. So, Valli stood up on her seat. Now, she was able to see the canal and the greenery beyond it.

Question. How did Valli save money for her first bus journey?
Answer : Value Point :
Resisted the temptation of buying balloons, toys etc. didn’t enjoy merry-go-round in the village fair –collected the amount required.

Question. Why did Valli not get off from the bus when it was terminated at the bus stand ?
                                    OR
Why didn’t she get off the bus at the bus station ?
Answer : Valli did not get off from the bus when it was terminated at the bus stand because she had come in the bus just for a ride and would go back in the same bus.

Question. What information did Valli collect from her first bus ride ?
Answer : The information that she collected was that the town was six miles from her village and it took thirty paise one way. She also came to know that the one way ride was of forty five minutes.

Question. What was Valli’s deepest desire ? 
Answer : Valli was an eight year old girl. She had listened to people who had travelled by bus and had gathered some details about the trip. It was her deepest desire to undertake a bus ride.

Question. How did Valli save up money for her first journey ?
Answer : Valli needed sixty paise for her journey to the town and back home. She hardly ever saw that much money in a month. She had to save every coin that came her way. She stifled all her desires for toys, balloons and peppermints. She didn’t even ride the merry-go-round at the village fair. Thus, she was at last able to save just sixty paise for her first journey.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question. Valli was so overcome with sadness to see the dead cow that she lost all enthusiasm. Do you feel the same way ? If you feel concerned about the plight of animals falling prey to the fast moving traffic, what efforts will you make to make road travel safer ?
Answer : The incident of the playful cow, being hit by a fast moving vehicle, indeed disturbed Valli a lot. It was a rude shock that the animal that she’d been laughing at just a while ago, enjoying fully its clumsy efforts to dodge the vehicles, lay in the stillness of death.
What had been a lovable, beautiful creature just a while ago had now suddenly lost its charm and its life and looked so horrible, so frightening as it lay there, legs spreadeagled, with a fixed stare in its lifeless eyes and the blood spilt all over. The memory of the dead cow haunted her enthusiasm. She no longer wanted to look out of the window.
Stray animals on the road are definitely a menace and can endanger the safety of many commuters in addition to their own. The Municipal Corporation must see to it that the cattle are not let loose on the road just because they are not beneficial to their owners any more. Precaution should be taken that speed limits are strictly followed in the larger interest of the safety for all.

Question. “Never mind”, she said, “I can get on by myself.” “You don’t have to help me,” said Valli to the conductor.
She shows extraordinary courage in making the bus journey all alone. Taking inspiration from Valli’s character, write how ability and courage to take risk are essential to fulfil one’s dream.
                                                  OR
Valli plans and prepares for her bus journey in advance. How ?
                             OR
How did Valli plan her bus ride ?
Answer : Valli made detailed plans about her bus ride. She gathered information about the distance the bus travelled, the time it took and the fare by listening to the conversations of others and asking discreet questions. She planned the time, i.e., when she would board the bus and when she would return. She saved money for the trip by not buying peppermints and sweets and also by not going to the fare.
Two characteristics which made Valli to fulfil her dream her bus ride was courage and her ability to plan. These are the traits which need to be consciously developed so that a person can undertake what he wants to do. Courage to do something by taking risk and ability to plan will make a person go ahead in life.