NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 7 - Madam Rides the Bus

Page No: 119

Oral Comprehension Check

Q1. What was Valli’s favorite pastime?

Ans: Valli’s favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway of her house.

She enjoyed watching the activities happening in the street outside. This simple act brought her much joy and entertainment.

Q2. What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?

Ans: Valli's unending joy came from watching the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town. Each time it passed, it was filled with a new set of passengers, which fascinated her.

Her strongest desire was to ride on that bus herself.

Q3. What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find out these details?

Ans: Valli discovered several key details about the bus journey:

• The town is six miles from her village.
• The one-way fare is thirty paise.
• The journey takes forty-five minutes.
• If she stays in her seat and pays another thirty paise, she can return home on the same bus.

Valli obtained this information by:

• Listening to conversations between her neighbours.
• Speaking with regular bus users.
• Asking them a few questions.

Q4. What do you think Valli was planning to do?

Ans: Valli was planning to travel on that bus.

Page No: 122

Oral Comprehension Check

Q1. Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?

Ans: Valli is attempting to act more mature than her age, presenting herself as confident and clever. The conductor finds her behaviour amusing and teases her by calling her ‘madam’.

Q2. Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now?

Ans: Valli stood up in her seat because her view was blocked by a canvas blind covering the lower part of her window. By standing, she could look over the blind.

From this position, she observed:

• The road was very narrow.
• On one side, there was a canal, with palm trees, grassland, distant mountains, and a blue sky beyond it.
• On the other side, a deep ditch and many acres of green fields.

Q3. What does Valli tell the elderly man when he calls her a child?

Ans: When the elderly man called her a child, Valli replied that there was no one on the bus who was a child. She emphasised that she had paid her fare of thirty paise like everyone else.

Q4. Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?

Ans: Valli didn't want to befriend the elderly woman because:

• The woman had large earlobes with noticeable holes.
• She was chewing betel nut, with juice threatening to spill from her mouth.
• Valli perceived her as unrefined and unattractive.

These factors influenced Valli's decision to avoid friendship.

Page No: 125

Oral Comprehension Check

Q1. How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?

Ans: Valli saved every coin she received by making significant sacrifices. She controlled her usual childhood desires for:

• Candies
• Toys
• Joyrides

This was likely challenging for her, as children often struggle to resist the temptation for sweets and toys.

Q2. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?

Ans: Valli saw a young cow with its tail held high, running directly in front of the bus on the road. The bus slowed down, and the driver honked his horn loudly. However:

• The more the driver honked, the more scared the cow became.
• It kept running faster right in front of the bus.

Valli found this situation so amusing that she had tears in her eyes from laughing. Eventually, the cow moved off the road.

Q3. Why didn’t she get off the bus at the bus station?

Ans: She did not get off the bus at the bus station because she needed to return on the same bus. She took out another thirty paise from her pocket and handed the coins to the conductor. She simply wanted to continue riding the bus.

Q4. Why didn’t Valli want to go to the stall and have a drink? What does this tell you about her?

Ans: Valli did not want to go to the stall for a drink because she lacked the money to pay for it. Even when the conductor offered her a free cold drink, she refused, insisting that she only wanted her ticket.

This behaviour reveals that Valli possesses strong self-will and pride. She likely did not want to accept anything for free, especially from a stranger.

Page No: 127

Thinking about the Text

Q1. What was Valli’s deepest desire? Find the words and phrases in the story that tell you this.

Ans: Valli’s deepest desire was to ride on the bus she saw every day. This is illustrated in the story through the following points:

• “Day after day she watched the bus.”
• “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.”

Q2. How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus, and how did she save up the fare?

Ans: Valli planned to take the one o’clock afternoon bus. Here’s how she organised her trip:

• She aimed to reach the town by 1:45 PM and return home by 2:45 PM.
• The town is six miles from her village.
• The bus fare was thirty paise one way.
• The journey took forty-five minutes.

Upon arriving in town, Valli discovered that:

• If she stayed in her seat and paid another thirty paise, she could return home on the same bus.

To afford the fare, Valli:

• Saved up stray coins she found.
• Resisted buying peppermints, toys, and balloons.
• Managed to save a total of sixty paise.

Q3. 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 ________________.
(ii) “Yes, I ____________ go to town,” said Valli, still standing outside the bus.
(iii) “There’s nobody here ____________,” she said haughtily. “I’ve paid my thirty paise like everyone else.”
(iv) “Never mind,” she said, “I can ___________. You don’t have to help me. “I’m not a child, I tell you,” she said, _____________.
(v) “You needn’t bother about me. I _____________,” Valli said, turning her face toward the window and staring out.
(vi) Then she turned to the conductor and said, “Well, sir, I hope ______________.”

Ans: 
(i) “Stop the bus! Stop the bus!” And a tiny hand was raised commandingly.
(ii) Yes, I 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.”

For Valli, the bus journey probably symbolized the adult world. Like anyone else, she spent her money to buy the ticket. She would have attained a great sense of pride and satisfaction in doing so. Therefore, though a child, Valli wanted to be treated as a grown-up on the bus. She had a great sense of self respect which prevented her from taking anyone’s help. She felt she was able to take care of herself very well, and was easily irritated when anyone treated her as a child.

Q4. Why does the conductor refer to Valli as ‘madam’?

Ans: When the conductor offered to help Valli onto the bus, she firmly stated that she could manage on her own and did not need assistance. This showed her maturity, prompting the conductor to address her as ‘madam’.

Additionally:

• Valli responded to an elderly man who called her a child, insisting that no one on the bus was a child.
• She emphasised that she had paid her fare like everyone else, asserting her right to be treated equally.

Q5. Find the lines in the text that tell you that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus.

Ans: The following lines in the text show that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus:

• “Valli devoured everything with her eyes.”
• “The canal, palm trees, grasslands, mountains, and the blue sky on one side; green fields stretching endlessly on the other. It was all so wonderful!”
• “Everyone laughed, and Valli clapped her hands with glee.”
• “She laughed until there were tears in her eyes.”
• “Valli wasn’t the slightest bit bored, greeting everything with excitement.”

Q6. Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?

Ans: Valli refused to look out of the window on her way back because she was upset by the sight of a young cow that had been killed by a fast-moving vehicle.

• The cow was the same one that had run in front of their bus during the trip to the town.
• Seeing the dead cow made her feel very sad.
• The memory of the cow lingered in her mind, causing her to avoid looking out.

Q7. What does Valli mean when she says, 'I was just agreeing with what you said about things happening without our knowledge.'

Ans:

Valli reflects on her mother's comment that many things occur without our awareness. She had recently taken a bus ride to town alone and returned safely, all without her mother's knowledge. This experience led her to agree with her mother's perspective.

• Valli's mother emphasised that many events happen around us unnoticed.
• Valli's solo bus trip to town was an example of this.
• She returned unharmed, highlighting her independence.
• Her agreement with her mother shows her understanding of this concept.

Q8. 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?

Ans: The author describes Valli’s experiences from a child’s perspective. Key evidence includes:

• Valli's fascination with the bus, where she was thrilled by the constant flow of new passengers.
• Her strong desire to ride the bus, saving money by giving up small pleasures like peppermints, toys, and merry-go-round rides.
• The bus’s gleaming white colour, silver overhead bars, and soft, luxurious seats captivated her.
• Through Valli’s eyes, vibrant colours such as the blue, blue sky and acres of green fields reflect her childlike wonder.
• She laughed with delight at a cow running in front of the bus but felt deep sadness upon seeing it dead on her return.
• Her refusal to look out afterward highlights a young child’s sensitivity.