Class 10 English book first flight Madam Rides the Bus question answer

Class 10 English book first flight Madam Rides the Bus question answer

 

There was a girl named Valliammai, but everyone called her Valli. She was eight years old and was very curious to know about everything around her. Valli loved to spend her time standing at the front door of her house and watching the street outside.

She had no friends her age in the neighbourhood, so watching the street was her favourite time pass. For Valli, it was as much fun as the other children playing. While watching the street, she saw many new and interesting fortes.

Valli loved watching the bus that went from her village to the nearby town. The bus passed through her street every hour – once going to the town and once coming back. Whenever Valli saw it, she would be filled with excitement. She loved seeing new people on the bus every time.

Gradually a strong desire began to grow inside Valli. She wanted to get on that bus, even if it was just once. Day by day her desire grew stronger. Whenever she saw people getting on and off the bus, she would feel a deep longing. If any of her friends got on the bus and tried to tell her about the city, Valli would be filled with jealousy and shout, “Proud! Proud!” She and her friends did not know what the word meant, but they used it to show that they did not like something.

Valli listened carefully to what her neighbours and others said about the bus. She also quietly asked some questions and gathered small details. She found out that the town was six miles from her village and the cost of a one-way bus ticket was thirty paise. To some people, this amount would seem trivial, but to Valli, it seemed excessive.

She also discovered that it took forty-five minutes to reach the town by bus. Valli estimated that if she caught the bus at one o’clock in the afternoon, she would reach the town by 1:45. If she spent thirty more paise and sat on her seat, she could return by the same bus and reach home by 2:45. Valli kept thinking, planning and calculating again and again how she could make this bus journey a success.

Questions Answer

1. What was Valli's favourite pastime?

Answer- Valli's favourite pastime was to stand at the front door of her house and look out at the street. She loved to observe everything that was happening outside. Since there were no friends of her age around, this was her main way of having fun.

2. What was a source of immense joy for Valli? What was her greatest wish?

Answer- The bus that ran between her village and the nearby town was a source of unending joy for Valli. She loved to see the bus that passed by her village every hour. Her greatest wish was to ride in that bus, even if only once.

3. What did Valli learn about bus travel? How did she learn these details?

Answer-Valli learns that the town is six miles away from her village. The bus fare is thirty paise one way and the journey took forty-five minutes. She learnt these details by listening to neighbours' conversations and asking small questions here and there.

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

Valli was planning to take a ride on the bus to the nearby town. She wanted to go and come back on the same bus. She thought carefully about the cost, time, and details to make her plan work.

Section II

One bright spring afternoon, the bus was about to leave the village and turn onto the main road when a small voice called out, “Stop the bus! Stop the bus!” A little hand was waving.

 

The bus slowed down, and the conductor poked his head out, saying, “Hurry up! Tell whoever it is to come quickly!”

“It’s me,” shouted Valli. “I’m the one who has to get on.” The bus stopped completely, and the conductor said, “Oh, really! You don’t say!” “Yes, I need to go to town,” said Valli, standing outside the bus, holding out her coins to show him.“Okay, okay, but first get on the bus,” said the conductor, reaching out his hand to help her. Valli shook her head. “No need to help me. I can get on by myself.”

The conductor was a cheerful man who liked to joke. “Oh, please don’t be mad at me, my fine lady,” he laughed. “Come, sit here in the front. Make way for madam, everyone!”

It was a quiet time of day, and there were only six or seven people on the bus. They all looked at Valli and laughed with the conductor. Feeling a little shy, Valli quickly walked to an empty seat and sat down, avoiding everyone’s eyes.

“Shall we start now, madam?” asked the conductor with a smile. He blew his whistle twice, and the bus began to move with a loud roar.

The bus was new, painted shiny white with green stripes along the sides. Inside, the metal bars on top shone like silver. Right in front of Valli, above the windshield, there was a beautiful clock. The seats were soft and very comfortable. Valli looked around eagerly, taking everything in with her eyes. Then she turned to look outside, but there was a canvas blind covering part of her window. So, she stood up on her seat to see over it.

The bus was now moving along a canal. The road was narrow. On one side was the canal, with palm trees, green grass, faraway mountains, and the clear blue sky. On the other side was a deep ditch and endless green fields stretching far, far away.

“Oh, it’s all so beautiful!” thought Valli, enjoying every sight. Suddenly, a voice spoke. “Listen, child,” it said. “You shouldn’t stand like that. Sit down.” Valli sat down and looked around to see who had spoken. It was an old man who was worried about her, but Valli felt annoyed. “There’s no child here,” she said proudly. “I paid thirty paise like everyone else. ”The conductor joined in with a smile, saying, “Oh, sir, this is a grown-up madam! Do you think a little girl could pay her own fare and travel alone?” Valli gave the conductor an annoyed look and said, “I’m not a madam. And you haven’t given me my ticket!” “Of course, madam,” he said, pretending to be serious, which made everyone laugh. Even Valli laughed a bit. The conductor then gave her a ticket and said, “Now just sit and relax. You paid for a seat, so why stand?” “But I want to stand,” she replied, standing up again.

The conductor warned her, “If you stand up, you might fall when the bus turns or goes over a bump. That’s why we want you to sit, child.” “I’m not a child!” Valli replied, annoyed. “I’m eight years old.” “Oh, of course! Eight years! My mistake,” the conductor said, pretending to be surprised. The bus stopped, and new passengers got on. Afraid she might lose her seat, Valli finally sat down. An old woman sat beside her and asked, “Are you all alone, dear?”

Valli didn’t like the woman. She thought the woman looked strange, with big holes in her ears and odd earrings. Valli could even smell the betel nut the woman was chewing and saw the juice almost spilling from her lips. Valli thought, “Oh no! How can I be friendly with a person like this?” She didn’t like the old woman at all. “Yes, I’m travelling alone,” she replied shortly. “And I have my ticket too.” The conductor smiled and said, “Yes, she’s going to town with her thirty-paise ticket!” “Oh, just mind your own business,” said Valli, but she laughed, and the conductor laughed too.

The old woman kept talking. “Is it safe for such a young girl to travel alone? Do you know where you’re going? What street? What house number?” “You don’t need to worry about me. I can take care of myself,” Valli said, turning away to look out of the window.

                                                            Question and Answer

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

The conductor calls Valli “madam” as a joke because she acts very grown-up. Even though she’s a young girl, she talks proudly and doesn’t want anyone’s help. The conductor finds this funny and treats her like an important lady.

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

Valli stands up on the seat because a canvas blind is covering her window, blocking her view. When she stands, she can see the beautiful sights outside. She sees a canal, green fields, palm trees, faraway mountains, and the blue sky.

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

When the elderly man calls Valli a child, she feels annoyed and quickly tells him, “There’s no child here.” She proudly says that she paid her fare of thirty paise, just like everyone else, to show she’s grown up.

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

Valli didn’t want to make friends with the elderly woman because she found her unpleasant. The woman had big holes in her ears with strange earrings, and she was chewing betel nut, which Valli thought looked and smelled bad.

Section III

Valli had planned carefully for her first trip. She saved every penny. She saved every coin, even though it was hard to stop herself from buying things like mints, toys, and balloons. Slowly, she saved sixty paise. It wasn't easy for her, especially at the village fair. She really wanted to ride the merry-go-round that day, but she stopped herself because she was saving money for the bus ride.

Once she had enough money, her next problem was to sneak out of the house without telling her mother. However, it wasn't too hard, because her mother always took a nap from one to four in the afternoon. Valli usually used this time to look at the road from her door, so she knew it was the perfect time for her "adventure."

Sometimes, Valli went out in the village, but today, she was using this time for her first trip out of the village.

The bus moved forward passing through empty lands, small villages and small shops. At times, it seemed that the bus might collide with another vehicle or a person crossing the road. But somehow, it always managed to move smoothly leaving everything behind in a safe manner.

The trees seemed to be running towards the bus, but when the bus reached them, the trees stood still for a moment and then quickly moved in the other direction. Suddenly, Valli clapped her hands in excitement. A small cow was running in the middle of the road with its tail in the air, right in front of the bus.

The bus slowed down and the driver blew the horn loudly again and again. But the more the driver blew the horn, the more scared the cow became and ran faster, right in front of the bus. Valli found it very funny to watch the cow chasing the bus. She laughed until tears welled up in her eyes. “Hey, lady, didn’t you laugh too much?” the conductor called out. “Better save some for tomorrow.”

Finally, the cow moved off the road and the bus came to a railroad crossing. Valli saw a small train in the distance, growing larger as it approached. The train passed the bus with a loud roar, causing the bus to shake. After that, the bus passed a busy shopping street, with big, bright shops and lots of people. Valli was amazed and watched everything in wonder. Soon, the bus stopped and everyone got off except Valli.

“Hey, lady,” the conductor said, “are you not getting off? Your thirty paise can only take you so far.” “No,” Valli replied. “I am going back on this same bus.” She took the thirty-piece out of her pocket and gave it to the conductor. “Why? Is something wrong?” the conductor asked. “No, there is nothing wrong. I just wanted to ride the bus, that’s all,” Valli said. “Now that you are here, don’t you want to look around?” the conductor asked. “Alone? I would be very scared,” Valli replied.

The conductor smiled and said, “But you are not scared to ride the bus alone.” “Oh, that is different,” Valli replied. “Then, why don’t we go to that stall and have a drink? There is nothing to be scared of.” Valli shook her head. “No, I can’t do that.” The conductor laughed and said, “Okay, then I will bring you a cold drink.”

Section IV

“Won’t your mother be looking for you?” the conductor asked when he gave the girl her ticket.

“No, no one will be looking for me,” she said.

The bus started again, and again there were the same wonderful sights.

Valli wasn’t bored at all and looked at everything with the same excitement as before.

But suddenly, she saw a young cow lying dead by the roadside, just where a fast-moving vehicle had hit it

“Isn’t that the same cow that ran in front of the bus on our trip to town?” she asked the conductor.

The conductor nodded, and she felt very sad. What had been a lovable, beautiful creature just a little while ago had now suddenly lost its charm and its life. It looked so horrible, so frightening as it lay there, legs spreadeagled, a fixed stare in its lifeless eyes, blood all over...

The bus moved on. The memory of the dead cow haunted her, making her feel less excited. She no longer wanted to look out of the window.

She sat like that, stuck to her seat, until the bus reached her village at three forty. She stood up and stretched herself. Then she turned to the conductor and said, “Well, sir, I hope to see you again.”

“Okay, madam,” he answered, smiling. “Whenever you feel like a bus ride, come and join us. And don’t forget to bring your fare.”

She laughed and jumped down from the bus. Then she ran straight home.

When she entered her house, she saw her mother awake and talking to one of Valli’s aunts, the one from South Street. This aunt was a real chatterbox, never stopping once she started talking.

“And where have you been?” her aunt asked when Valli came in. She spoke very casually, not really expecting an answer. So Valli just smiled, and her mother and aunt continued their conversation.

“Yes, you’re right,” her mother said. “There are so many things around us and in the world outside. How can we know everything? And even when we do know something, we often can’t understand it completely, can we?”

“Oh, yes!” breathed Valli.

“What?” asked her mother. “What did you say?”

“Oh,” said Valli, “I just agree with what you said about things happening without our knowledge.”

“Just a chit of a girl, she is,” said her aunt, “and yet look how she pokes her nose into our conversation, just as though she were a grown lady.”

Valli smiled to herself. She didn’t want them to understand her smile. But then, there wasn’t much chance of that, was there? 

Thinking about the Text

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

Valli wanted to ride the bus all by herself. The story says she had a "strong desire" and would "stand in the doorway and watch the bus."

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

Valli asked people about the bus and listened to their talks. She found out that the bus fare was thirty paise one way and that the ride took forty-five minutes. To save money, she didn’t buy sweets, toys, or balloons.

3. 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 .....................” 

Answer the above Questions

(i) “Stop the bus! Stop the bus!” And a tiny hand was raised commandingly.

(ii) “Yes, I do go to town,” said Valli, still standing outside the bus.

(iii) “There’s nobody here who is my guardian,” 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, firmly.

(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 ride again.”

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

The conductor calls Valli "madam" to joke with her because she acts like a grown-up.

4. Why does the conductor refer to Valli as ‘madam’? 5. Find the lines in the text which tell you that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus. 6. Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back? 7. What does Valli mean when she says, “I was just agreeing with what you said about things happening without our knowledge.” 8. 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?

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

The story says:

"She clapped her hands with joy."

"Oh, it was all so wonderful!"

"She laughed and laughed until there were tears in her eyes."

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

On the way back, Valli saw a dead cow on the road. She felt very sad and did not want to look outside anymore.

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

Valli means that life goes on, and sometimes things happen without us knowing, just like the dead cow on the road.

8. 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?

She finds the bus and the ride very exciting.

She enjoys little things like looking at the road, trees, and fields.

She laughs at the way the bus bounces.

She is very curious and asks many questions.

Class 10 English book: NCERT First flight Mijbil the Otter Lesson 6