English CBSE Class 10 NCERT First Flight Chapter 9 Madam Rides the Bus Free Solution of Textbook Questions and Answers
MADAM RIDES THE BUS
(Textbook Questions)
Oral Comprehension Check
Answer: Valli’s favourite pastime was to stand in the front doorway of her house, watching what was happening in the street outside.
Answer: The sight of the bus filled each time with new passengers was a source of never ending joy for Valli.
Her strongest desire was to travel in the bus even if it was only for once.
Answer: Valli found out that every hour there was a bus from the village to town and from town to village. She observed this by standing at the front door of her house.
She listened to conversation between those who had travelled by bus. She also asked some questions to them. Thus she found that town was six miles from the village. It took forty five minutes for one way journey and that the fare was thirty paise.
Answer: Valli was planning to take a ride in the bus.
Answer: Conductor was surprised to know that Valli was travelling alone in the bus. Valli refused to take help of conductor in getting into the bus. Thus she was behaving like a grown up lady. Hence the conductor called her ‘madam’.
Answer: The lower part of the window was covered by a canvas blind. This cut off her view. So to have a clear view of the outside she stood on her seat.
She observed that bus was travelling along bank of canal and the road was very narrow. Beyond canal were 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 as far as the eye could see.
Answer: She told there was nobody a child there. She had also paid her fare of thirty piase like everyone else.
Answer: The woman had big holes in her ear lobes and was wearing ugly ear rings. She was chewing beetle nut and its juice was threatening to come out of her mouth.
Therefore Valli found the woman repulsive and did not want to make friends with her.
Answer: She had thriftily saved whatever stray coins came her way. She resisted every temptation to buy peppermints, toys, balloons.
It was very difficult for her to resist such temptations particularly during village fair time.
Finally she had saved sixty paise for the bus journey
Answer: 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 more the driver gave horn, more frightened it became. It ran faster in front of the bus. This was very funny to Valli and she laughed a lot.
Answer: Valli wanted to travel back to the village in the same bus. Therefore she did not get down from the bus.
Answer: Valli did not have money to buy any thing from the stall, Therefore she did not want to go there. She refused the offer of conductor to buy her something to drink.
It tells us that though she was poor, she believed in reality and self-dignity. She exhibited maturity in denying help from the conductor. It was good of her not to accept any eatable from a stranger.
Thinking about the Text
Answer: Valli’s deepest desire was to travel in the bus even if it was only for once.
Following sentences tell us about it
- The most fascinating thing of all was the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town.
- The sight of the bus, filled each time with a new set of passengers, was a source of unending joy for Valli.
- 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.
Answer: Valli observed that every hour there was a bus from the village to town and from town to village. She listened to conversation between those who had travelled by bus. She also asked some questions to them. Thus she found that town was six miles from the village. It took forty five minutes for one way journey and that the fare was thirty paise.
She had thriftily saved whatever stray coins came her way. She resisted every temptation to buy peppermints, toys, balloons. It was very difficult for her to resist such temptations particularly during village fair time. Finally she had saved sixty paise for the bus journey
Her mother used to sleep after taking lunch. Valli planned her bus journey during that time.
Thus she completed her planning before taking up the journey.
 Valli was a confident child. She believed in her own ability. Sometimes she became haughty but was courteous as well.
Answer: Conductor was surprised to know that Valli was travelling alone in the bus. Valli refused to take help of conductor in getting into the bus. Thus she was behaving like a grown up lady. Hence the conductor called her ‘madam’.
Answer: Following lines from the text indicate that Valli enjoyed her bus ride
Answer: Valli noticed a young dead cow by the roadside through the window on her return journey. It was the same cow that was running ahead of the bus during her journey to town. She became very sad at this sight. Thus she did not look out of her window.
Answer: Valli meant to say that she had made bus journey to the town and nobody knew about it.
Answer: Following description indicate things from point of view of an eight year old girl
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THE TALE OF CUSTARD THE DRAGON
(Textbook Questions)
Thinking about the Poem
Answer: Following are the characters in the poem
A little girl – Belinda
A little black kitten – Ink
A little grey mouse – Blink
A little yellow dog – Mustard
A little dragon – Custord
And a pirate
Answer: The Custard cried for a nice safe cage because it was a coward animal.
Belinda has been projected as brave as barrel of bears. Other animals kitten, mouse and dog have been also projected as brave animals. But Custard always wanted to stay in the safety of a cage. Hence it has been called as ‘cowardly dragon’.
Answer: Belinda teased Custard because it was a coward animal. It liked to stay within the safety of a nice cage. Everybody laughed at the dragon for his cowardice.
Answer: Some poetic devices are tabulated below.
| Poetic Devices | |
| Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful, | Repetition |
| they rudely called him Percival, | Personification |
| They all sat laughing in the little red wagon | Alliteration |
You may go through the explanation of the poem to understand more poetics devices used in the the poem.
Answer: The dragon had big and sharp teeth. It had some sharp projections on top of its body and scales on its lower portion. Its mouth looked like a fireplace and was very hot. Its nose was as long as a chimney. The nails on feet of the dragon were like a knife.
Answer: Stanza 1 – aabb
Stanza 2 – aabb
Stanza 3 – aabb
Answer: Some of the expressions used by the poet are ‘mouth like a fireplace’, ‘chimney for a nose’, ‘brave as barrelful of bears’, ‘brave as tiger in rage’, ‘went at pirate like a robin at a worm’
Answer: The poem is full of funny words, situations and comparison.
Name of pets rhymes in pairs – Ink and Blink; Mustard and Custard.
Three animals and the little girl are projected as very brave. They used to tease the fourth animal for being coward.
But when there was a need to show bravery and save the house, every brave member ran for cover. The coward dragon fought with the pirate and gobbled it. Everybody appreciated the dragon.
However, soon the situation was back to earlier one. The dragon went back to its cage. Everybody started teasing it.
Thus poem also gives a strong message that those who boast about themselves may not be so in reality. We do have many silent workers in our daily life. We must respect such people.
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