Jharkhand Board Class 10 English Notes | Madam Rides the Bus Solutions Chapter 9
Questions on Extract
Extract-1. 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. Valli would stare
wistfully at the people who got on or off the bus when it stopped
at the street corner. Their faces would kindle in her longings,
dreams, and hopes. If one of her friends happened to ride the bus
and tried to describe the sights of the town to her, Valli would be
too jealous to listen and would shout, in English: "Proud! proud!"
Neither she nor her friends really understood the meaning of the
word, but they used it often as a slang expression of disapproval.
[JAC 2010 (A); 2016 (A)]
Q. (a) What was Valli's tiny wish!?
(b) What did Valli do when her wish had become an
'overwhelming desire"?
(c) What was her strongest desire?
(d) What would excite Valli's wish?
(e) When would Valli be jealous ? What would she say?
(f) Find a word from the passage which is opposite in
meaning to quickly.
Ans.(a) Valli's 'tiny wish' was to ride the bus going to the
town.
(b) She stared with great desire at the people who got on or
off the bus when it stopped at the street comer.
(c) Her strongest desire was to have a ride on the bus.
(d) The faces of passengers would excite and kindle Valli's
longings, dreams and hopes.
(e) Valli would be jealous when one of her friends, who had
taken a ride of the bus, described the sights of the town. She
would shout in English "Proud! Proud!"
(f) ‘gradually’
Extract-2. Suddenly Valli clapped her hands with glee. A
young cow, tail high in the air, was running very fast, right in the
middle of the road, right in front of the bus. The bus slowed to a
crawl, and the driver sounded his horn loudly again and again.
But the more he honked, the more frightened the animal become
and the faster it galloped-always right in front of the bus.
Somehow this was very funny to Valli. She laughed and
laughed until there were tears in her eyes. "Hey, lady haven't you
laughed enough?" called the conductor. "better save some for
tomorrow".
Q. (a) How did the cow behave when the driver honked
repeatedly?
(b) What did the conductor advise Valli? Why?
(c) Why did the bus slow down?
(d) Why did Valli clap her hands with joy?
(e) Find a word that means "ran very fast".
Ans.(a) The cow got frightened as the driver honked repeatedly.
It ran faster and faster right in front of the bus.
(b) She laughed and laughed to see the funny incident. The
conductor advised her not to laugh so much. He asked her to save
some for tomorrow.
(c)The bus slowed down to prevent thee cow from dashing
he bus.
(d) Valli clapped her hands with joy because she saw a young
cow, with her tail high in the air, was running very fast, right in
the middle of the road in front of the bus.
(e) Galloped.
Extract-3. Over many days and months Valli listened
carefuly to conversations oetween her neightbours and people
who regularly used the bus, and she also asked a few discreet
questions here and there.This was she picked up various small
details about the bus journey. The town was six miles from her
village. The fare was thirty paise one way―"which is almost
nothing at all, "she heard one well-dressed may say, but to valli,
who scarcely saw that much money from one month to the next, it
seemed a fortune. The trip to the town took forty-five mintues. On
reaiching town, if she stayed in her seat and paid another thirty
paise, she could return home on the same bus. This meant that she
could take the onc-o'clock afternoon bus, reach the town at one
forty-five, and be back home by about two forty-five.
Q. (a) When did Valli ask a few questions?
(b) What seemed' a fortune' to Valli ?
(c) Was Valli poor? How do you know?
(d) When did Valli make her plan to ride on the bus?
(e) Find a word from the passage which means "careful" ?
Ans. (a) When Valli had listened carefully to conversations of her
neighbours who used the bus regularly she asked a few
questions.
(b) 'Thirty paise' seemed 'a fortune' to Valli.
(c) Valli was poor. This is clear from ".....but to Valli......it
seemed a fortune."
(d) When Valli had known that the trip to the town would
take forty-five minutes, she made her plan to ride the bus.
(e) 'discreet'.
Extract-4. Her first journey-what careful, painstaking,
elaborate plans she had had to make for it! She had thirftily saved
whatever stray coins came her way, resisting every temptation to
buy peppermints. toys, balloons, and the like, and finally she had
saved a total of sixty paise. How difficult it had been, particularly
that day at the village fair, but she had resolutely stifled a strong
desire to ride the merry-go-round, even though she had the money.
After she had enough money saved, her next problem was
how to slip out of the house without her mother's knowledge. But
she managed this without too much difficulty. Every day after
lunch her mother would nap from about one to four or so. Valli
always used these hours for her 'excursions' as she stood looking
from the doorway of her house or sometimes even ventured out
into the village today, these same hours could be used for her first
excursion outside the village.
Q. (a) How had Valli saved the money and what for?
(b) What did Valli usually buy?
(c) What were two problems before Valli before she
travelled in the bus?
(d) When could Valli use her time for her 'first excursion"?
(e) Find a word from the passage which means 'carefulness
in money matters'.
Ans. Valli had saved the money by resisting the temptations
to buy toys, balloons etc, for riding on the bus.
(b) She usually bought peppermints, toys, balloons etc.
(c) One problem was to save enough money for the bus fare.
Second was to slip out of the house without her mother's
knowledge.
(d) She could use the time of one hour after lunch when her
mother would nap.
Long Type Questions and Answer
Q. 1. What was Valli's deepest desire? What did she do to
fulfil it?
Or, How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out
about the bus, and how did she find the fare?
Or, What was Valli's dream? How did it come true?
Or, How did Valli save up money for her first journey?
Was it easy for her?
Ans. Valli was an eight years old girl. She lived in a village.
She had no playmates. She used to see a bus pass by her village
daily. It was her favourite passtime. The new set of passengers
each time the bus carried was a source of joy for Valli. She wished
to travel by the bus. The bus daily went to the nearest town, Valli
watched the bus regularly. It developed in her a strong desire to
go to the town by the bus:
Valli had taken much pain to plan her bus ride. She planned
this ride very carefully. She quietly listened to the conversation
between the passengers to collect more details about the journey.
She found that the town was six miles away from her village. The
journey to one side took forty-five minutes. The fare was thirty
paise one side. Thus she had to save sixty paise for journey to the
town and return back.
She saved up the fare with great difficulty. She thriftily saved
sixty paise ― the fair for the journey to and back from the town.
She resisted every temptation to buy peppermints, toys, balloons,
etc. She suppressed the desire to ride the merry-go-round at the
village fair. In this way she saved up the fare for the journey.
Q. 2. Why does the conductor call Valli 'Madam'? What
does Valli tell the elderly man when he calls her a child?
Ans. Valli said that she did not need any help. She was
behaving like a grown up lady. So the conductor called her
'Madam in a jolly mood.
The elderly man called Valli a child. At this Valli was irritated.
She told him that he should not call her a child; she was eight
years old.
Q. 3. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?
Ans. A young cow with tail high in the air was running very
fast in the middle of the road. The bus slowed down. The driver
sounded his horn loudly again and again. But the more he hanked
the more frightened the animal became. At this Valli laughed
until there were tears in her eyes.
Q. 4. What made Valli sad on her journey back home?
Or, What scene did Valli see on her way back home that
made her very serious? Why didn't she look outside then?
Or, Describe what Valli learnt something serious about life
on her journey back home?
Ans. Valli went to the town in a bus. It was her first journey
by bus. She came back by the same bus. On her way back she was
very happy.
Suddenly, she saw a dead cow lying on the roadside. The
conductor told her that it was the same cow that they had seen
galloping during their journey to the town. It was lying dead with
its legs spread and eyes fixed. It presented a horrible sight. Valli
became sad. The memory of the dead cow haunted her. A lovely
cow, which made her clap and laugh, was lying dead and looked
frightening. She no longer wanted to look outside the bus. She
did not talk much. The sight of the dead cow had turned her very
sad and serious.
Q.5. Describe what happened when Valli signalled for the
bus to stop to let her in?
OR, Describe the beginning of Valli's ride on the bus.
Ans. At last Valli saved money for her bus fare. One fine
spring day she rode on the afternoon bus. The conductor was
surprised to see Valli in it. Valli told him that she was going to the
town and had the fare with her. There were only six or seven
passengers on the bus. They looked at Valli. Valli sat on an empty
seat. Valli saw that it was a new bus. Its outside was painted shinning
white. There were green stripes painted along the sides. Inside the
bus looked new and beautiful. The seats were comfortable. Above
the windshield, there was a beautiful clock. Valli observed
everything with all the seriousness. She started looking outside.
There were beautiful scenes outside.
Q. 6. Describe how Valli reacted to the elderly man and
woman who travelled with her in the bus.
Or, How did Valli handle the elderly man and woman who
were inside the bus when she rode on it?
Ans. Valli rode on the bus one fine spring day. Valli wanted
to see the outside scenes. But the canvas blind of the bus covered
the lower part of her window. She couldn't see the outside scenes.
So, she stood up on her seat. An elderly man called Valli 'child'
and told her not to stand as she would fall down. This annoyed
Valli. She at once replied that there was nobody there who was a
'child'. She also added that she had paid the full fare.
After some time an elderly woman entered the bus. She sat
beside her. Valli developed hatred for her because she smelled
foul. Betel nut juice was likely to come out of her mouth. She was
chewing it. The woman asked Valli a few questions. But Valli
gave cold replies to her. She told her to mind her own business.
Q.7. Describe what interrested Valli more while she was
riding on the bus.
Ans. Valli rode on the bus one fine spring day. She was quite
excited about it. On the way she saw trees that came running towards
them. There were palm trees, grassland, distant mountains and the
blue sky. Valli looked at these and enjoyed. It was so wonderful
for her.
Suddenly Valli clapped her hands with joy. A young cow
with her tail high in the air came running before the bus. It was
running right in the middle of the road right in front of the bus.
The bus slowed to a crawl. The driver sounded the horn loudly
again and again. But the more he played on the horn, the more
frightened was the animal. It also became faster as it galloped in
front of the bus. It was all very funny for Valli. She laughed and
laughed.
Q. 8. What scene did Valli see on way back home that
made her very serious? Why didn't she look outside then?
Or, Describe what Valli learnt something serious about
life on her journey back home.
Or, How can you say that Valli enjoyed as well as shocked
during the process of her journey?
Ans. Valli at last reached the town. The conductor told her
to get down. But Valli told him that she was going back on that
same bus. She also told that she only wanted a ride on the bus. The
conductor offered a cold drink to her. But she refused.
On way back home Valli saw a young cow lying dead by the
roadside. It had been struck dead by a fast moving vehicle. She
asked the conductor if the cow wasn't the same that had run in
front of the bus earlier. The conductor shook his head. Valli was
overcome with sadness. She knew that the cow was a lovely thing
earlier when it was alive. But now it looked so horrible and
frightening. It lay there with spread-out legs. There was blood all
over. The memory of this dead cow haunted (shocked) Valli. She
now no longer wanted to look out of the window.
Q.9. There is a lot of humour caused by the conductor due
to Valli's behaving like a mature woman. Describe this humour.
Ans. The story has a lot of humour. It is because of the
conductor. He is a jólly fellow. He is fond of joking. But he is a
man of understanding. He at once understand Valli. So Valli also
causes this humour. Valli is prompt to cut every man or woman to
size. The elder man in the bus calls her 'child'. But Valli objects to
it. She says she has paid full fare. At this the conductor adds that
she is a grown-up madam'. Valli reacts that she is not that. The
Conductor copies her and all laugh. The conductor offers to helb
Vallie get into the bus in the beginning. But Valli offers the money
first. The conductor tells her to first get in. But Valli tells him that
she can get on by herself. She doesn't need any help. This makes
tne conductor offer her a seat calling her madam. This causes
plenty of humour.
Q. 10. Write a character sketch of Valli.
Ans. Valli is an eight-year old girl. She is lonely and watches
the bus that passes her street every hour. She decides to have a
ride. She is determined. She for goes many enjoyment to save
enough money to travel to the town. She has Confidence and
courage she asserts. She is not a child and accept no help or
guidance. She loves natural beauty as well as the glittering shops.
She is faschinated by a cow running in front of the bus. But she is
upset to see it lying dead on her way back home. Valli is mature,
self-respecting, confident, determined land self-disciplined and
sensitive girl.
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