Madam Rides the Bus
Introduction
Valli, an eight-year-old girl, is the protagonist of ‘Madam Rides the Bus’ She had maturity, intelligence, practicality, and self-respect beyond her years. Her favourite hobby consisted of standing at the front doorway and observing the street below. She was a skilled organiser. She scrimped and saved every penny she could for her first bus ride. Valli’s first bus ride was filled with eagerness and excitement. She appreciated the scenery, the canal, the palm trees, the distant mountains, and the lush fields that stretched as far as the eye could see. She responded negatively when referred to as “a child” or “ma’am.” The self-respecting girl declined the conductor’s offer of a complimentary cold drink.
She arranged her bus trip during her mother’s nap time. Interestingly, her mother could never have known about the bus ride her daughter had during her afternoon nap.
Summary
This is a touching story about an eight-year-old girl’s first bus ride outside her village. Valli, a young girl, attempts to comprehend the mystery of life and death. The outside world is lovely and exciting to Valli, but also perplexing. She wishes she could go through it on her own. The villager’s conversations about the town fueled the flames. She resolves to travel to town by herself, without anyone’s help. She asked the bus driver to take her to town. She paid for her own ticket. She wanted to devour everything with her gaze. She noticed the canal, palm trees, grassland, distant mountain, and blue sky. She also noticed a long stretch of green field. She was pleased when she saw a cow racing with her tail high on the road ahead of the bus. When she returned, she discovered that the same cow’s body had been crushed and bled. She was transferred from within. Perhaps she was attempting to comprehend the meaning of life and death in her own terms. She arrived home safely. None of her family members were aware of her exciting excursion.
Short questions & Answers
Q. 1. Who was Vlliammai?
A: Valliammai was an eight year old girl.
Q. 2. What was her favourite pastime?
A: To stand at the front doorway and look into the street.
Q. 6. What did Valli do one fine spring day?
A: She slipped from her house and caught the bus to the town.
Q. 7. What did the conductor call Valli?
A: He called her ‘Madam’.
Q. 8. What amused Valli the most?
A: The sight of cow running in front of the bus.
Q. 9. What did the conductor offer Valli at the bus stop in the town?
A: Soft drink.
Q. 10. How much money did Valli pay for her to and fro journey?
A: She paid sixty paise.
Text Book Questions & Answers
Q. 1. What was Valli’s favourite pastime?
Answer: Valli’s favourite hobby was standing at her doorway and watching the street because she had no playmates her age. The street outside used to be bustling with activity, which kept her entertained and interested.
Q. 2. What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?
Answer: For her, the bus was an endless source of joy. Every time the bus returned from town, it brought a fresh set of people. Valli enjoyed watching the variety of people and their activities. Her deepest desire was to ride the bus at least once.
Q. 3. What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find out these details?
Answer: Valli attempted to listen to her neighbours in order to obtain the necessary information regarding the bus trip. She would ask specific inquiries to gather more information. She learned the distance between the town and her village, as well as the average travel time.
Q. 4. What do you think Valli was planning to do?
Answer: So far, the information in the story points to her intention to accomplish her deepest wish, which was to take a bus ride.
Q. 5. Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?
Answer: Valli is attempting to act mature for her age. She is trying to appear confident and knowledgeable. The conductor is charmed by her behaviour and teases her by calling her “madam.”
Q. 6. Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now?
Answer: Valli’s view was hindered by a canvas blind on the window, and she was also unable to see outside due to her short height. She rose from her seat to get a closer look at the beauty outside. She could see a canal against a backdrop of palm trees, grasslands, distant mountains, and blue sky. There was a ditch on the opposite side, followed by a large expanse of vegetation.
Q. 7. What does Valli tell the elderly man when he calls her a child?
Answer: Valli dislikes being referred to as a child. She considers herself to be an adult. She claims she paid her full fair the way adults do. This is typical behaviour for many children Valli’s age.
Q. 8. Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?
Answer: The old lady had large earlobes with larger perforations. She was chewing a betel nut, and betel juice was going to escape her mouth. She gave the impression of an unrefined elderly lady. That’s why Vaali didn’t want to befriend her.
Q. 9. How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?
Answer: Valli saved every coin she came across. She made significant sacrifices by resisting her natural infantile desires for chocolates, toys, and joyrides. This had to be difficult for her. It is tough for children to enjoy a treat or a toy.
Q. 10. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?
Answer: In the centre of the road, a terrified cow was fleeing for her life. It was leaping with its tails up. The more the bus driver honked, the angrier the guy became. Valli couldn’t stop laughing after seeing this.
Q. 11. Why didn’t she get off the bus at the bus station?
Answer: She was afraid of getting lost because she didn’t know anything about the town. Furthermore, her rigorous savings plan enabled her to purchase only the tickets for her journey. She also had to return before her mother discovered she was missing.
Q. 12. Why didn’t Valli want to go to the stall and have a drink? What does this tell you about her?
Answer: She had no intention of taking responsibility away from the conductor. This suggests that she is trained to refrain from accepting anything from unknown people. She may be a little child, but she is aware of how to act appropriately in the outside world despite her age.
