Class 10 English First Flight – Chapter 9: Madam Rides the Bus by Vallikannan. 10

 Class 10 English First Flight – Chapter 9: Madam Rides the Bus by Vallikannan.

Word Meanings 

• Eager – very curious, wanting to know

• Discreet – careful, cautious

• Thrill – excitement, happiness

• Slack – loose, not tight

• Devour – to read quickly / eat greedily

• Stare – look fixedly

• Anxious – worried, nervous

• Spectacle – a show, something to see

• Drift – move slowly

• Creeper – a plant growing along ground/walls

• Unhappiness – sadness

• Chatter – talk quickly

• Gazed – looked steadily

 NCERT Question–Answers

Thinking about the Text

Q1. What was Valli’s favourite pastime?
Valli’s favourite pastime was standing at the doorway of her house and watching the street. She spent hours watching people, animals, vehicles, and happenings outside. This gave her joy and made her dream of riding the bus.

Q2. What was the source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?
The bus that travelled to the nearby town gave Valli endless joy. Watching it filled her with excitement. Her strongest desire was to ride that bus once and experience the thrilling journey herself.

Q3. What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find these details?
Valli found out that the bus trip to town was thirty paise one way, and it took forty-five minutes to reach. She carefully gathered these details by listening to passengers and asking discreet questions.

Q4. What do you think Valli was planning to do?
Valli was planning to save money and secretly ride the bus to town alone. She wanted to enjoy the adventure of the bus journey without informing anyone at home, fulfilling her greatest desire.

Q5. Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?
The conductor called Valli “madam” jokingly because she behaved with maturity and demanded respect like a grown-up. Though she was just an eight-year-old child, her seriousness made the conductor humorously treat her as if she were a lady.

Q6. Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now?
Valli stood up to get a better view outside because she was short. She saw trees, mountains, green fields, and the road running like a ribbon. The moving scenery made her journey even more thrilling and beautiful.

Q7. What does Valli mean when she says, “I was just agreeing with what you said about things happening without our knowledge”?
Valli meant that life goes on outside, and many events happen even if we don’t know about them. She agreed with the conductor that the world is full of happenings beyond one’s small understanding.

Q8. The town was just six miles from her village. What was Valli’s view of the town?
Valli was disappointed when she reached the town. It was just a busy street full of traffic, noise, and big shops. She expected something grand, but she realised it looked quite ordinary and uninteresting.

Q9. How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?
Valli saved every single coin she got. She resisted her temptations like buying toys, balloons, or candies. It was not easy for her, but her determination and willpower helped her save enough money for the bus ride.

Q10. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?
On her way, Valli saw a young cow running in the middle of the road in front of the bus. Its funny actions and jumps made her burst into uncontrollable laughter, amusing other passengers too.

Q11. Why didn’t she get off the bus at the bus station?
Valli didn’t get off because she had no money for other expenses. She only wanted to experience the ride. She sat quietly, waiting for the return journey, as she didn’t want to wander around the town.

Q12. Why didn’t Valli want to go to the stall and have a drink? What does this tell you about her?
Valli refused the conductor’s offer of a cold drink because she didn’t want to waste her hard-saved money. This shows her maturity, self-control, and determination. She was clear about her purpose and didn’t want to spend unnecessarily.

Madam Rides the Bus – Vallikkannan

Q1. What was Valli’s favourite pastime?
Valli’s favourite pastime was to stand in the doorway of her house and watch what was happening on the street. She loved seeing people, vehicles, and especially the bus that passed by her village every hour. It gave her great joy and excitement.

Q2. What was the source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?
The bus that passed through her street every hour was a great source of joy for Valli. She loved to watch it come and go. Her strongest desire was to ride on that bus at least once in her life and see what lay beyond her village.

Q3. What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find these details?
Valli wanted to know everything about the bus journey, so she asked many questions from people who travelled on the bus regularly. She listened carefully to their talks and slowly learned that the town was six miles away, the one-way fare was thirty paise, and the trip took about forty-five minutes.

Q4. What do you think Valli was planning to do?
Valli was planning to ride the bus all alone to the nearby town. She wanted to experience the journey for herself. She carefully saved money for the fare and chose a time when her mother would be asleep, so no one would stop her from going.

Q5. Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?
The conductor called Valli “madam” jokingly because she behaved like a grown-up lady. She was confident, serious, and refused to take anyone’s help. Her boldness and maturity made the conductor tease her politely by calling her “madam.”

Q6. Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now?
Valli was too small to see clearly outside while sitting, so she stood up on the seat to look through the window. She saw trees, green fields, and hills passing by. Everything looked beautiful and new to her, and she enjoyed every moment of the ride.

Q7. Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?
Valli did not like the elderly woman because she found her boring and unpleasant. The woman had ugly earrings, was chewing betel nut, and her mouth was red with juice. Valli didn’t want to talk to her and sat quietly instead.

Q8. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?
On her way, Valli saw a young cow running right in front of the bus. It was jumping, kicking, and running fast. The driver honked loudly, but the cow kept running. Valli laughed so much that she couldn’t stop—it was the funniest sight she had ever seen!

Q9. Why didn’t she get off the bus at the bus station?
Valli didn’t get off the bus at the town bus station because she was afraid of getting lost. She had planned only to go to the town and return on the same bus. She wanted to enjoy the journey—not the town itself.

Q10. Why didn’t Valli want to go to the stall to have a drink? What does this tell you about her?
Valli didn’t want to go to the stall because she had no money left. She had spent all her coins on the bus fare. She refused politely, saying she didn’t want anything. This shows that she was honest, self-respecting, and careful with money.