Short Answer Question: Madam Rides the Bus | English Class 10

The  Class 10 English  Chapter- Madam Rides The Bus is a story that revolves around an eight-year-old girl who embarks on an adventurous bus ride into a world beyond her village. This journey is not only a new and exciting experience for the young protagonist, but it also teaches her about the realities of life and death. Let's see some Short Answer Questions of the chapter.

Q.1. Who was Valli?
Ans. Valli was an eight-year-old village girl.

Q.2. What was Valli’s favourite pastime?
Ans. Her favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway of her house, watching what was happening in the street outside.

Q.3. Who did Valli live with?
Ans. Valli lived with her mother.

Q.4. What was the most fascinating thing for Valli?
Ans. The sight of the bus filled each time with a new set of passengers was the most fascinating thing for Valli.

Q.5. When would Valli be jealous?
Ans. Valli would be jealous when one of her friends described the sight of the town to her.

Q.6. What did Valli carefully listen to?
Ans. Valli carefully listened to the conversations of her neighbours who used the bus regularly.

Q.7. How far was the town from the village?
Ans. It was at a distance of six miles.

Q.9. What type of man was the bus conductor?
Ans. The bus conductor was a jolly and fun-loving type of person.

Q.10. How much money did Valli save for the bus ride?
Ans. She saved sixty paise for the bus ride.
Q.11. What made Valli sad?
Ans. The sight of the dead cow made Valli say.

Q.12. What was Valli’s deepest desire?
Ans. Valli’s deepest desire was to have a bus ride to the town.

Q.13. What does the bus conductor call Valli?
Ans. The bus conductor calls her ‘madam’.

Q.14. What did Valli buy from the town?
Ans. She bought nothing from the town.

Q.15. How did Valli react when she saw the dead cow by the roadside?
Ans. On her return journey, Valli saw a dead cow lying in the middle of the road. It was lying sprawled in a pool of blood, legs spread out, and lifeless eyes staring at a horrible scene. She felt sad and this made her lose all her enthusiasm.

Q.16. What was the most fascinating thing for Valli?
Ans. The most fascinating thing for Valli was the bus that travelled between the nearest town.

Q.17. 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 the memory of the dead cow haunted her, dampening her enthusiasm.

Q.18. Why does Valli find information about the bus to the town?
Ans. Valli gathered information about the bus because she wanted to take at least a ride on the bus that was fascinating for her.

Q.19. Why was the conductor of the bus amused while talking to Valli?
Ans. The conductor of the bus was a jolly person who was fond of joking. He was amused while talking to Valli who pretended to be a grown person.

Q.20.” Valli enjoyed each moment of her bus ride.” Explain.
Ans. “Valli enjoyed each moment of her bus ride.” Valli devoured everything with her eyes. On viewing the outside view she sighed, “Oh, it was all so wonderful."

Q.21. Give examples from the text to show that Valli was a meticulous planner.
Ans. Valli was a meticulous planner. She listened carefully to the conversations between her neighbours and people who regularly used the bus and also asked discreet questions. She picked up various small details about the bus journey and then planned it.

Q.22. How can you say that the conductor was a good-natured jolly fellow? Support your answer with examples.
Ans. The conductor was a fun-loving, jolly fellow. For instance-when Valli refused his help to board the bus he said jokingly, “Don’t be angry with me, fine madam… Everyone move aside please — make way for madam’.

Q.23. What details did Valli pick up about the bus journey? How did she pick up these details?
Or
What information did Valli collect for her first bus ride?
Ans. Valli gathered all the minute details about the bus journey. She gathered that she required sixty paise to buy tickets for the up and down journey and that the bus would take ninety minutes from the village to town and back. She carefully listened to the conversations of the passengers and villagers to get the details.

Q.24. What made Valli sad on her return journey?
Ans. On her return journey, Valli saw a dead cow lying in the middle of the road. It was lying sprawled in a pool of blood, legs spread out, lifeless eyes staring—a horrible scene. So, she felt sad.

Q.25. What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?
Or
What was the most fascinating thing for Valli?
Ans. Valli’s source of unending joy was to have a bus ride. That was her tiny wish which grew into a strong desire with the passage of time. Her desire turned into longing as she wistfully stared at the faces of the passengers who got on or off the bus.

Q.26. What was Valli’s favourite pastime?
Or
Valli was an eight-year-old girl who was very curious about things. What was her favourite Pastime?
Ans. Valli's favourite pastime was to stand in the front doorway of her house. She did not play like most other children because there were no playmates of her age on her street. Watching the street also gave her many unusual experiences which were equally enjoyable.

Q.27. Give two reasons why Valli found the elderly woman on the bus, repulsive.
Ans. Valli did not want to make friends with the elderly woman because she found her repulsive as she had big holes in her earlobes and was wearing ugly earrings. She could the betel nut the woman was chewing.

Q.28. Why did Valli not get off the bus when it stopped at the bus stand?
Ans. Vales sole purpose was to enjoy the bus ride. She neither had the money to buy anything from the shops at the town nor the courage to get down at the strange among at rangers.

Q.29. Why does the conductor refer to Valli as ‘madam’?
Ans. The conductor was worldly wise and a man of jovial nature. He judges the little girl’s innocent behaviour. Being fun to love and also not to make the girl unhappy, he calls Valli as ‘Madam’, though she was a girl of eight years only.

Q.30. Write down the conductor’s advice to Valli?
Ans. The conductor requested her to sit down. It will make her comfortable. Standing up, again and again, can make her fall and get hurt because the bus can make a sharp turn.

Q.31. How did Valli manage to leave the house?
Ans. Valli knew that after lunch her mother would take a nap from 1 pm to 4 pm. It was Valli’s habit to engage in these hours for her excursions and move outside the village.

Q.32. What did Valli calculate and plan?
Ans. Valli calculated and planned that if she took one o’clock on the afternoon bus, she would reach the town at one forty-five. On reaching town if she stayed in her scat and paid another thirty paise she could return home by the same bus by about two forty-five.

Q.33. What type of person was the conductor?
Ans. The conductor was a very wise man and knew how to tackle and talk with the passenger. He was fond of jokes and in his jolly tone interrogated Valli many times.

Q.34. What did Valli’s mother say about the things happening without our knowledge?
Ans. Valli’s mother said that so many things happen amidst us and in the world outside. We cannot know about everything. Even when we know about something we often can’t understand it completely.

Q.35. What was the favourite pastime of Valli?
Ans. Valliammai or Valli was eight years old. Her favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway of her house. From there, she watched what was happening in the street outside. For her, standing at the front door was as enjoyable as any of the games other children played.

Q.36. What was the most fascinating thing for Valli?
Ans. The most fascinating thing for Valli was the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town. The sight of the bus was a source of unending joy for her. Each time she used to see a new set of passengers, it was a very thrilling experience for her.

Q.37. What was the tiny wish that crept into Valli’s head?
Ans. The sight of the bus was the most fascinating thing for Valli. Day after day she watched the bus. A tiny wish crept into her head. She wanted to ride on that bus at least, once. This wish became so strong that it grew into an overwhelming desire.

Q.38. Why did Valli listen to the conversations? What did she get from them?
Ans. Valli was anxious to know more and more about the bus journey. She had nourished a strong desire to enjoy a bus ride from her village to the nearest town. She listened to the neighbours and people who regularly used the bus. She was collecting the necessary details from them to plan out her bus journey. Such details could help her in her mission.

Q.39. How did Valli calculate and plan the bus journey?
Ans. Valli had gathered all the necessary details about the bus journey from those who regularly used the bus. The town was six miles from her village. The one-way fare was thirty paise. The trip to the town took forty-five minutes. If she took the one o’clock bus, she could reach the town at one forty-five. She calculated that she could be back home by about two forty-five.

Q.40. How did Valli board the bus? Why did she say, ‘I can get on by myself’?
Ans. When Valli sighted the bus she shouted ‘Stop the bus! Stop the bus!’ She raised her tiny hand ‘commandingly’. The bus slowed down and finally stopped. She told the conductor that she wanted to go to the town and she tried to hand over the money. The conductor, seeing that she was just a child, stretched out his hand to help her up. Valli replied that she could get on by herself and didn’t need any help.

Q.41. Why was Valli overcome with shyness and avoided everyone’s eyes?
Ans. It was the slack time of the day. 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. She tried to avoid everyone’s eyes. She walked quickly to an empty seat and sat down.

Q.42. What did Valli see when she peered over the blind?
Ans. Valli found that a canvas blind cut off her view. So, she peered over the blind to look outside. The bus was going along the bank of a canal. Beyond its palm trees and grassland and distant mountains. And then, there were acres of green fields as far as her eyes could see.

Q.43. Why didn’t Valli like the remark of the elderly man? What did she say to him?
Ans. An elderly man saw Valli standing on the bus. He asked her to sit down. He had honestly felt concerned for her. Valli didn’t like to be called herself a ‘child’. She retorted that she was not a child. She had paid thirty paise like everyone else.

Q.44. How did Valli react when the conductor called her “a very grown-up madam?”
Ans. The bus conductor teased Valli by calling her ‘a very grown-up madam’. Valli reacted sharply saying that she was not a madam. She reminded him that he had not yet given her ticket. The conductor mimicked her tone and said, ‘I’ll remember.’ Everyone laughed and gradually Valli too joined in the laughter.

Q.45. Why did Valli find the elderly woman absolutely repulsive?
Ans. The elderly woman who was sitting beside Valli on the bus looked absolutely repulsive to Valli. She had big holes in her ears and had ugly earrings in them. She didn’t relish the smell of the betel nut that she was chewing. The Beetlejuice was about to spill over her lips at any moment. She couldn’t be social with such a woman.

Q.46. How careful and painstaking elaborate plans did Valli have to make for her first journey and how did she save money for it?
Ans. Valli had to make careful and painstaking plans for her first bus journey. Saving sixty paise for both ways fare was not an easy job. She saved thriftily every stray coin that came in her way. She had to give up the temptation of buying peppermints, toys, and balloons and stifle her desire to ride on the merry-go-round.

Q.47. What was the next problem after Valli had enough money?
Ans. After she had saved enough money, Valli had her next problem. It was how to slip out of the house without her mother’s knowledge. She solved this problem easily. Every day after lunch her mother would nap from about one to four or so. She could easily venture out on her mission.
Q.48. Why did Valli laugh until there were tears in her eyes?
Ans. Valli saw a young cow running very fast in the middle of the road. It was right in front of the bus. The bus slowed down to a crawl. The driver sounded the horn loudly again and again. But the more he honked, the more frightened the animal became and galloped right in front of the bus. Valli laughed until there were tears in her eyes.

Q.49. Why didn’t Valli get off the bus when the bus stopped at the town?
Ans. Valli’s destination, the nearest town from her village, had come. Everyone got off except Valli. The conductor reminded that her destination had come and she should get off the bus. Valli told that she was going back on the same bus. She handed thirty more coins to the conductor and asked for the ticket. She just felt like having a bus ride again.

Also Check at EduRev:

• Detailed Summary: Madam Rides the Bus
• Character Sketch: Madam Rides the Bus

Q.50. Why didn’t Valli want to have a look at the sights alone?
Ans. The conductor asked if Valli didn’t want to have a look at the sights in the town. She replied that she would be too afraid to visit them all alone. The conductor reminded that she was travelling all alone by bus. Valli replied that there was nothing to be afraid of on the bus.

Q.51. Why didn’t Valli accept a free drink from the bus conductor? What does this act show about her character?
Ans. The bus conductor asked Valli to let him bring her a cold drink. She replied that she didn’t have enough money for that. He should just give him her ticket. The conductor offered to give it totally free. She said firmly, ‘Please, no.’ This shows how proud and self-respecting Valli was.

Q.52. What dampened Valli’s enthusiasm during the return journey?
Ans. During her return journey, Valli saw a young cow lying dead by the side of the road. She was the same lovable and beautiful cow that she saw only a little while ago. Now, it looked so horrible and frightening as it lay there. There was a fixed stare in her lifeless eyes and she was smeared with blood. The sight dampened her enthusiasm and she stopped looking outside.

Q.53. Did Valli’s bus ride remain a secret for her mother and aunt?
Ans. When Valli entered her house, she found her mother awake and talking to one of her aunts. Her aunt was a real chatterbox. She asked where she had been so far. Valli’s mother spoke casually. She didn’t expect a reply. Both these ladies could know nothing about Valli’s pleasure ride on the bus.

Q.54. Why did Valli smile to herself? Did her mother and aunt have any chance of knowing the secret of her smile?
Ans. Valli agreed with her mother that many things were happening outside of the world without their knowledge. Ironically, the two ladies didn’t know anything about Valli’s bus journey. They didn’t know that 'just a chit of a girl’ had done such a great feat. Valli smiled to herself. There was no chance of her secret being exposed.

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