Madam Rides the Bus

Long Answer (Value Based) Type Questions [8 Marks each]

Question 1.
In such a fast moving world when we hear so many incidents happening with people, do you
think Valli did right by not telling her mother about the bus journey? [CBSE 2015]
Answer: No, I don’t think that Valli did the right thing in travelling alone to the town without
informing her mother. By doing this, she put herself in a vulnerable position as she could
have easily been a victim of child abuse had she come in contact with wrong people. In fact,
she was lucky to return home safelty.
Children should always travel along with their parents or elders as they are easy targets for
criminals. We hear a lot of instances of crime committed against children these days like
kidnapping, child abuse, molestation, rape etc. Valli could have expressed her desire of
travelling in the bus to her mother. I am sure that her mother would have fulfilled her wish by
talking her on a bus ride.

Question 2.
The people and surroundings are a great book to learn. Valli in the lesson ‘Madam Rides The
Bus’ learns a lot from others. Mention the traits of her character which help her to learn from
her surroundings.
Answer: Valli dreamt of riding on the bus. Her eagerness to fulfill her dream fired her
curiosity. This curiousness led her to listen to the conversations of people going on the bus
ride and asking discreet questions so that she could gather as much information as she can
regarding the bus journey.
On the bus journey, Valli acted confidently and behaved maturedly. She did not consider
herself to be any less than an adult. She was focused on fulfilling her dream and did not get
tempted to go outside the bus and explore the town when the bus reached the town.
On the return journey, she learnt about death when she came to terms with the dead cow.
This made her aware of the fact that death is a part of life and should be accepted as it is a
natural phenomenon. Thus, the bus journey made her learn a lot of things.

Question 3.
Age is not a barrier when it comes to doing something different and great. Which
characteristics of Valli help her achieve the wonder of visiting the town at such a tender age?
[CBSE 2014]
Answer:
In today’s era, age is no more a barrier. Children are doing wonders at a very young age.
Same goes with Valli. At an age of 8 years, Valli was able to pursue her dream all alone by
travelling in the bus to town. She was no different from others, except that she had certain
characteristics that made her fulfil her dreams. Valli was a very confident and a bold girl. She
had a knowledge of proper planning and execution. She controlled her wishes to save money
for the bus ride. Also, she was a very good observer and learner. All these qualities made her
realise the dream of visiting the town. Hence, one should always remember that there is no
age to learn and experience new things.

Question 4.
What kind of person is Valli? Illustrate your answer from the text that you have read. [CBSE
2012]
Answer:
Valli was a detetmined, confident and brave girl. She was also a good planner and
executioner. She sacrificed a lot of things to achieve her dream. For example, she curbed the
temptation to buy sweets and riding on the merry-go-round in the fair so that she could save
money for the bus ride. Sacrificing all these things at such a tender age is very difficult for a
child. She also behaved confidently in the bus and did not get bobbed down in the presence
of elders.
When the bus reached the town, Valli did not succumb to the temptation of going out to
explore the town or having a drink. She did this as she had a limited amount of money which
she wanted to ‘ save for her return journey. So, Valli used her money wisely. When the
conductor offered her a drink, she showed good manners in refusing to have it.