CBSE Class 10 English Madam Rides the Bus Important Questions Set 03

Short Answer Questions

Question 1. What did Valli remark when she heard the conversation between her mother and her aunt?
Answer: When Valli heard the conversation between her mother and her aunt, she remarked that she agreed with what they said about things happening outside without their knowledge.

Question 2. What was Valli’s deepest desire? Find words and phrases in the story that tell you this.
Answer: The deepest desire of Valli was to enjoy a bus ride. The bus plied from her village to the nearest town. The following words and phrases tell us this: ‘... fascinating things’, ‘sight of the bus’, ‘unending joy’, ‘tiny wish’, ‘overwhelming desire, etc’.

Question 3. What was the favourite pastime of Valli?
Answer: 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.

Question 4. What was the tiny wish that crept into Valli’s head?
Answer: 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, just once. This wish became so strong that it grew into an overwhelming desire.

Question 5. Why was Valli overcome with shyness and avoided everyone’s eyes?
Answer: 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.

Question 6. What was the next problem after Valli had enough money?
Answer: 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.

Question 7. Why didn’t Valli accept a free drink from the bus conductor? What does this act show about her character?
Answer: 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.

Question 8. Did Valli’s bus ride remain a secret for her mother and aunt?
Answer: 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.

Question 9. 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 have 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 towards the window and staring out. (vi) Then she turned to the conductor and said, “Well, sir, I hope ...... .”
Answer: (i) commandingly (ii) simply have to (iii) who’s a child (iv) get on by myself; haughtily (v) can take care of myself (vi) to see you again

Question 10. Find the lines in the text which tell you that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus.
Answer: The following lines clearly tell us that Valli was enjoying the bus journey: (i) ‘She went on seeing as far as her eyes could see.’ She uttered, ‘Oh, it was all so wonderful!’ (ii) ‘... Valli suddenly clapped her hands with glee.’ (iii) ‘The scene made her laugh until there were tears in her eyes.’ (iv) ‘Struck with wonder, Valli gaped at everything.’

Question 11. What does Valli mean when she says, “I was just agreeing with what you said about things happening without our knowledge.”
Answer: Valli returned home after the bus ride. At that time her mother was talking with an aunt. They were talking about things happening without their knowledge in the world outside. Valli also agreed to their view because she had enjoyed a bus journey and they didn’t know about it. Sometimes we know the things but can’t understand.

Question 12. 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?
Answer: These are the evidences from the text for this statement: (i) The most fascinating thing for her was the bus. (ii) She travelled between her village and the nearest town. (iii) Valli devoured everything with her eyes. (iv) It was all so wonderful for her! (v) She was very happy to see the canal, palm trees, grasslands, distant mountains and the blue sky. (vi) Struck dumb with wonder. (vii) Valli gaped at everything.

Question 13. How did Valli calculate and plan the bus journey?
Answer: 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.

Question 14. Why didn’t Valli like the remark of the elderly man? What did she say to him?
Answer: An elderly man saw Valli standing in 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.

Question 15. Why did Valli find the elderly woman absolutely repulsive?
Answer: The elderly woman who was sitting beside Valli in 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 betel juice was about to spill over her lips at any moment. She couldn’t be social with such a woman.

Question 16. Why didn’t Valli get off the bus when the bus stopped at the town?
Answer: 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 him 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.

Question 17. How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus, and how did she save up the fare?
Answer: did a lot of planning for her bus ride — She thriftily saved sixty paise resisting the temptation of buying toys, peppermints and balloons — listened to the conversations of her neighbours who were regular bus commuters — even questioned them to get all the details about the bus journey.

Question 18. Why does the conductor refer to Valli as a ‘madam’?
Answer: Valli was just eight years old — was enjoying the bus journey all alone — was annoyed if anyone called her a ‘child’ or thought so — made it clear that she could take care of herself and didn’t need anyone’s help — the conductor, who was fond of joking called her ‘madam’ — was behaving as if — were a grown up lady.

Question 19. What did Valli see when she peered over the blind?
Answer: found that a canvas blind cut off her view — peered over the blind to look outside — bus was going along the bank of a canal — Beyond it were palm trees and grassland and distant mountains — acres of green fields as far as her eyes could see.

Question 20. Why did Valli laugh until there were tears in her eyes?
Answer: saw a young cow running very fast in the middle of the road — right in front of the bus — bus slowed down to a crawl — driver sounded the horn loudly again and again — more he honked, the more frightened the animal became and galloped right in front of the bus — laughed until there were tears in her eyes.

Question 21. Why didn’t Valli want to have a look at the sights alone?
Answer: The conductor asked if Valli didn’t want to have a look at the sights in the town — replied — would be too afraid to visit them all alone — the conductor reminded that she was travelling all alone by bus — replied that there was nothing to be afraid of in the bus.

Question 22. Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?
Answer: While on her way back home — saw a young cow lying dead by the roadside — Perhaps — was the same beautiful cow she had seen a while ago — was looking horrible and frightening — a fixed stare in her lifeless eyes and her body was smeared with blood — lost all enthusiasm and excitement — didn’t feel like looking outside.

Question 23. Why did Valli listen to the conversations? What did she get from them?
Answer: anxious to know more and more about the bus journey — had nourished a strong desire to enjoy a bus ride from her village to the nearest town — listened to the neighbours and people who regularly used the bus — was collecting the necessary details from them to plan out her bus journey — Such details could help her in her mission.

Question 24. How did Valli board the bus? Why did she say, ‘I can get on by myself’?
Answer: sighted the bus she shouted ‘Stop the bus! Stop the bus!’ — raised her tiny hand ‘commandingly’. The bus slowed down and finally stopped — told the conductor that she wanted to go to the town and she tried to handover the money. The conductor seeing that she was just a child, stretched out his hand to help her up — replied that she could get on by herself and didn’t need any help.

Question 25. How did Valli react when the conductor called her ‘a very grown-up madam’?
Answer: — bus conductor teased Valli by calling her ‘a very grown-up madam’ — Valli — reacted sharply saying that she was not a madam — reminded him that he had not yet given her ticket — conductor mimicked her tone and said, ‘I’ll remember’ — Everyone laughed and gradually Valli too joined in the laughter.

Question 26. How careful and painstaking elaborate plans did Valli have to make for her first journey and how did she save money for it?
Answer: had to make careful and painstaking plans for her first bus journey — Saving sixty paise for the both ways fare was not an easy job — saved thriftily every stray coin that came in her way — had to give up the temptation of buying peppermints, toys and balloons and stifle her desire to ride on the merry-go-round.

Question 27. What dampened Valli’s enthusiasm during the return journey?
Answer: During her return journey — saw a young cow lying dead by the side of the road — 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 — was a fixed stare in her lifeless eyes and she was smeared with blood — the sight dampened her enthusiasm and she stopped looking outside.

Question 28. Why did Valli smile to herself? Did her mother and aunt had any chance of knowing the secret of her smile?
Answer: agreed with her mother that many things were happening outside in the world without their knowledge — the two ladies didn’t know anything about Valli’s bus-journey — didn’t know that ‘just a chit of a girl’ had done such a great feat. Valli smiled to herself — no chance of her secret being exposed.

Question 29. Elucidate the things that Valli saw on her way that made her laugh.
Answer: On her journey to the town, Valli saw a young cow running very fast right in the middle of the road in front of the bus. The driver honked to make the cow move to the side of the road, but it got scared and ran even faster. The funny sight of the cow made Valli laugh till tears came to her eyes.

Question 30. During her journey, Valli observed the natural beauty and clapped her hands in happiness on seeing a young cow running very fast. What does this reveal about her?
Answer: When Valli saw the natural beauty and the running cow during her bus journey, she was delighted. This tells us that even though Valli had planned the journey all alone with maturity, she was still a child who felt happy looking at the outside world.

Question 31. Discuss the significance of Valli’s decision not to explore the town but to stay seated in the bus.
Answer: The main thing Valli wanted was to ride the bus, and she was happy when she got it. She had just enough money for the return fare and had to be home before her mother woke up. Her choice to skip exploring the town suggests that she was mature enough to realise that doing so alone might not be wise.

Question 32. Justify the opinion that Valli was a mature girl, ahead of her age.
Answer: Valli’s deliberate approach to saving money for the bus ride demonstrates her maturity beyond her years. She showed responsibility by resisting the temptation of peppermints, toys and balloons. Her determination to travel alone and her ability to handle the conductor’s jokes and the passengers’ questions show an emotional maturity unusual at her tender age.

Question 33. Valli did not like being called ‘a child’ by other passengers. Comment.
Answer: When an elderly man addressed Valli as a child and asked her to sit down, it annoyed her. She replied that she was not a child and that she had paid her fare like everyone else. She wanted to be treated as a grown-up, independent passenger.

Question 34. Valli refused to look out of the window on her way back. Justify. (NCERT)
Answer: On her way back, Valli saw the young cow lying dead by the roadside. It was the same cow that had been so full of life on her way to the town. She was devastated by how something so lively could be lifeless in a moment. Thus, she sat silently in her seat and did not look out of the window.

Question 35. What did Valli think about the old lady? (Diksha)
Answer: Valli found the woman absolutely repulsive — she had such big holes in her ear lobes, and such ugly earrings in them! Valli could smell the betel nut the woman was chewing and see the betel juice that was threatening to spill over her lips at any moment.

Question 36. What was the most fascinating thing that Valli saw on the street? (CBSE 2019)
Answer: The most fascinating thing that Valli saw on the street was the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town. The sight of the bus, filled with a new set of passengers each time, was a source of unending joy for Valli.

Question 37. How did Valli feel about seeing the dead cow on the road? (CBSE 2014)
Answer: When Valli saw the dead cow on the roadside, she became extremely sad and pensive. The dreadful sight dampened her enthusiasm. Thereafter she had no desire to look out of the window and stayed glued to her seat till she reached her village.

Question 38. Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now? (CBSE 2013)
Answer: The canvas blind of the window cut off Valli’s view of the outside. So, she stood up on her seat to look out through the upper half of the window. Now she saw that the road was very narrow; on one side there was a canal and beyond it were palm trees, grassland, distant mountains and the blue sky.

Question 39. Give examples from the text to show that Valli was a meticulous planner. (CBSE 2014)
Answer: Valli was a keen observer as well as a meticulous planner. She collected all the useful information by listening to the passengers every day and by making discreet inquiries about the timings, duration and fare of the ride. She saved every coin to finance her trip and finally accomplished it by efficiently carrying out her plans, returning before her mother woke up.

Question 40. Valli’s unique maiden bus ride experience could be possible because she belonged to a small village. Do you agree? Why/Why not? (Give 2 reasons) (CBSE SQP 2022)
Answer: Yes, I agree that the maiden bus ride was possible because Valli belonged to a small village. Firstly, the bus was mostly empty, which is why it stopped when Valli held out her hand and she got a seat of her choice. Secondly, people in villages keep an eye on one another, so the conductor and passengers looked after her, which is not the case in cities.

Question 41. Explain how the sight of the young cow lying dead by the roadside reflects sadness within Valli.
Refer to the given lines from the text:
The memory of the dead cow haunted her, dampening her enthusiasm. She no longer wanted to look out of the window.
Answer: The same cow that had made Valli laugh on her way to town now lay dead by the road. The sight shocked her and made her realise how suddenly life can end. Her loss of interest in looking out of the window shows that her joy had turned into sadness and quiet reflection.

Question 42. How does the story challenge the notion that certain experiences and opportunities are limited by age or societal norms?
Answer: Valli is only eight, and the adults around her think a girl so young should not travel alone. Yet she plans her trip carefully, saves her own fare, travels to town and returns safely. Her success shows that determination and planning, not age, decide what one can achieve.

Question 43. How does the bus ride play a transformative role in Valli’s life?
Answer: The bus ride fulfils Valli’s dream and gives her confidence in her own abilities. She sees the wider world beyond her village. The sight of the dead cow also gives her a first lesson about death and the uncertainty of life. She returns more mature and thoughtful than before.

Question 44. What was the most fascinating thing that Valli saw on the street? (CBSE Delhi 2019)
Answer: The most fascinating thing that Valli saw on the street was the bus which travelled between her village and the nearest town. The bus was filled with a new set of passengers each time. Watching the bus come and go was a source of unending joy for Valli. She harboured a strong desire to ride the bus one day and even planned for it meticulously.

Question 45. How did Valli react when she saw the dead cow by the roadside? (CBSE Delhi 2016)
Answer: When Valli saw the dead cow by the roadside her enthusiasm dampened. She became sad and pensive as the memory of the dead cow kept coming back to her, making her think about the uncertainty and fragility of life.