Growing up often means seeing the world beyond our own small circle. NCERT Solutions For Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 9: Madam Rides the Bus beautifully captures this idea through the innocent curiosity of Valli, an eight-year-old girl who longs to experience the world outside her home. The story follows her first solo bus ride and describes how a simple journey teaches her maturity, awareness, and the realities of life.
Q.
What do you think Valli was planning to do?
Q.
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.”
Q.
Have you made a journey that was unforgettable in some way? What made it memorable?
Q.
Writing
Write a page — about three paragraphs — on one of the following topics.
Have you ever planned something entirely on your own, without taking grown-ups into your confidence? What did you plan, and how? Did you carry out your plan?
Q.
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?
Q.
What does Valli mean when she says, “I was just agreeing with what you said about things happening without our knowledge.”
Q.
Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?
Q.
Find the lines in the text which tell you that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus.
Q.
Why does the conductor refer to Valli as ‘madam’?
Q.
How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus, and how did she save up the fare?
Q.
Oral Comprehension Check
Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?
Q.
Thinking about the text
What was Valli’s deepest desire? Find the words and phrases in the story that tell you this.
Q.
Why didn’t Valli want to go to the stall and have a drink? What does this tell you about her?
Q.
Why didn’t she get off the bus at the bus station?
Q.
What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?
Q.
Oral Comprehension Check
How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?
Q.
Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?
Q.
What does Valli tell the elderly man when he calls her a child?
Q.
Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now?
Q.
Are you concerned about traffic and road safety? What are your concerns? How would you make road travel safer and more enjoyable?
These NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 9 provide clear and complete answers to all textbook questions. They help students understand Valli’s character, the story’s themes of curiosity, courage, and growing up, and prepare confidently for exams.
Class 10 English Chapter 9 Questions & Answers – Madam Rides the Bus
Class 10 English Chapter 9 Questions & Answers – Madam Rides the Bus
Q. What do you think Valli was planning to do?
Solution:
Valli was planning to have a bus ride to the nearest town. She was quite methodical in collecting all relevant details about the bus journey.
Q. 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 ________.”
Solution:
(i) “Stop the bus! Stop the bus!” And a tiny hand was raised commandingly.
(ii) “Yes, I simply have to go to town,” said Valli, still standing outside the bus.
(iii) “There’s nobody here who’s a child,” 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, irritably.”
(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 see you again.”
Valli’s deepest desire was to ride the bus. She paid her own money to buy the ticket, like everyone else. It was a matter of great pride and satisfaction for her to be able to plan her bus ride. Thus, though a child, Valli wanted to be treated as a grown-up in the bus, and was easily irritated when anyone treated her as a child. Also, she refused to take anyone’s help as she had a sense of self-respect.
Q. Have you made a journey that was unforgettable in some way? What made it memorable?
Solution:
I have gone on many trips and summer camps, but one journey which I can't forget is my trip to Leh and Laddakh. The scenery over there was mesmerizing and as you leave Srinagar, you enjoy cool fresh air and see breathtaking scenes. The road trip is very exciting as roads are narrow. We reached Khardungla Pass. It was snowing there. There was a tea shop on the snow mountain. The wind was ice cold. Every moment of that trip is memorable.
Q. Writing – Write a page (about three paragraphs) on one of the following topics:
Have you ever planned something entirely on your own, without taking grown-ups into your confidence? What did you plan, and how? Did you carry out your plan?
Solution:
It was during my winter vacation, I wanted to plan my father's birthday. So I requested my mother to help me make the plan to celebrate his birthday. I saved my pocket money, and my sister Siyona also helped me. We saved our monthly pocket money and didn't go out for our weekly outings for some time. In this way, we were able to save two thousand rupees for his birthday party. We arranged everything without letting father know anything. On his birthday we pretended as if we didn't remember his birthday at all. Before he came back from office we arranged everything like cake, decorations, flowers, and even invited few of his best friends. When he came back, he got the pleasant surprise.
Q. 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?
Solution:
There is no doubt whatsoever that the author has described the things that Valli saw from an eight-year-old’s point of view. It was fascinating for her to watch the bus fill with a new set of people each time. It was a source of unending joy for a girl of her age. Her strongest desire was to ride the bus.
She saved money by cutting on peppermints, toys and balloons, and even resisting the temptation to ride the merry-go-round at the fair. Also, the author describes the bus by highlighting its colour and look. He describes it as a “new bus”, “painted a gleaming white”. The overhead bars “shone like silver”. The seats were “soft and luxurious”.
Q. What does Valli mean when she says, “I was just agreeing with what you said about things happening without our knowledge.”
Solution:
Valli had gone on a bus ride to town all alone, and had come back without any harm. She did all this without the knowledge of her mother. Thus, she agrees with her mother when she says, “So many things in our midst and in the world outside. How can we possibly know about everything?”
Q. Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?
Solution:
Valli refuses to look out of the window on her way back home because she sees the same young cow lying dead by the roadside that ran in front of their bus on their trip to town. Though the bus moves, the sight of the dead cow makes her overcome with sadness. The memory of the dead cow haunts her; thereby, dampening her enthusiasm.
Q. Find the lines in the text which tell you that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus.
Solution:
The following lines in the text show that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus:
- “Valli devoured everything with her eyes.”
- “On the one side there was the canal and, beyond it, palm trees, grassland, distant mountains, and the blue, blue sky. On the other side was a deep ditch and then acres and acres of green fields − green, green, green, as far as the eye could see. Oh, it was all so wonderful!”
- “Everyone laughed, and gradually Valli too joined in the laughter. Suddenly, Valli clapped her hands with glee.”
- “Somehow this was very funny to Valli. She laughed and laughed until there were tears in her eyes.”
- “Valli wasn’t bored to the slightest and greeted everything with the same excitement she’d felt the first time.”
Q. Why does the conductor refer to Valli as ‘madam’?
Solution:
Valli tries to behave more mature than her age in order to look smart and confident amidst the adults in the bus. She says that she can get on the bus on her own and that she doesn’t need anyone’s help. Her behaviour amuses the conductor, and so he calls her ‘madam’.
Q. How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus, and how did she save up the fare?
Solution:
Valli had developed a strong desire to ride the bus at least once. She was quite methodical in collecting all the relevant details about the bus journey.
She planned that she would take the one o’clock afternoon bus, reach the town at one forty-five, and be back home by about two forty-five, as during that time her mother usually slept. She got the information about the distance of the town from her village, the total journey time and the fare of the journey. She saved carefully whatever stray coins came her way, resisting every temptation to buy peppermints, toys, balloons, etc. Eventually, she managed to save sixty paise for her bus ride.
Oral Comprehension Check
Q. Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?
Solution:
Valli tries to behave more mature than her age and tries to look over-smart and overconfident. Her behaviour amuses the conductor and so he calls her ‘madam’ to tease her.
Thinking About the Text (Additional)
Q. What was Valli’s deepest desire? Find the words and phrases in the story that tell you this.
Solution:
Valli’s deepest desire was to take a ride in the bus at least once. The following words and phrases in the story depict this:
“Day after day she watched the bus, and gradually a tiny wish crept into her head and grew there: she wanted to ride on that bus, even if just once. This wish became stronger and stronger, until it was an overwhelming desire.”
Q. Why didn’t Valli want to go to the stall and have a drink? What does this tell you about her?
Solution:
Valli did not want to take obligation from the conductor by taking the drink. This indicates that she is taught not to take anything from strangers. She may be a small child but she knows how to behave properly in the outside world.
Q. Why didn’t she get off the bus at the bus station?
Solution:
Valli did not get off the bus because she didn’t know anything about the town and so she was afraid of getting lost. Moreover, her meticulous savings plan allowed her enough money to buy only the tickets for her journey. She also had to return home before her mother could find her missing.
Q. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?
Solution:
A young cow was running dangerously in the middle of the road. It was jumping with its tail up. The more incessantly the bus driver honked, the more furious its scamper became. Seeing this Valli could not control her laughter.
Oral Comprehension Check (Additional)
Q. How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?
Solution:
For her first journey, Valli saved every coin she received. Also, she controlled her wishes to have candies, toys and joyrides. It was a great sacrifice on her part as generally kids find it very tempting to savour a candy or to enjoy a toy.
Q. Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?
Solution:
The elderly woman had big holes in her earlobes and ugly earrings in them. She was chewing betel nut and the betel juice was about to seep out of her mouth. Her demeanour wasn’t that of a refined elderly woman, which was why Valli did not want to make friends with her.
Q. What does Valli tell the elderly man when he calls her a child?
Solution:
Valli doesn’t like to be called a child as she thinks that she is a grown-up. So when the elderly man calls her a child, she tells him that she has paid her full fare like everyone else and she was not a child.
Q. Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now?
Solution:
Valli’s view gets obstructed because of a canvas blind on the window. Also, because of her small height she is unable to look over the blind. Thus, she stands up on her seat to have a better view of the scenery outside. Now she could see a canal with palm trees, grasslands, distant mountains and blue sky as backdrop. On the other side is a ditch followed by vast tract of greenery.
Q. Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now?
Solution:
Valli’s view gets obstructed because of a canvas blind on the window. Also, because of her small height she is unable to look over the blind. Thus, she stands up on her seat to have a better view of the scenery outside. Now she could see a canal with palm trees, grasslands, distant mountains and blue sky as backdrop. On the other side is a ditch followed by vast tract of greenery.