Please refer to Chapter 9 Madam Rides The Bus Class 10 English Important Questions with solutions provided below. These questions and answers have been provided for Class 10 English based on the latest syllabus and examination guidelines issued by CBSE, NCERT, and KVS. Students should learn these problem solutions as it will help them to gain more marks in examinations. We have provided Important Questions for Class 10 English for all chapters in your book. These Board exam questions have been designed by expert teachers of Standard 10.
Class 10 English Important Questions Madam Rides The Bus Chapter 9
Short Answer Type Questions
Question. 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. During her journey, Valli observed the natural beauty and clapped her hands in happiness on seeing a young cow running wry fast. What does this reveal about Valli ?
Answer : When Valli saw the natural beauty and the running cow during her bus journey, she was bemused. This tells us that even though Valli had planned the journey all alone, she was still a child who got happy Lacking at the outside world.
Question. How did Valliammai gather the information a bout the bus ride?
Answer : Valli gathered the information by asking various questions to the people who travelled on the bus from the village to the town. She also talked to the neighbours.
Question. What dampened Valli’s enthusiasm during the return journey?
Answer : During her return journey, Valli saw a young cow lying dead by the side of the road. She 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. 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. How did Valli feel about seeing the dead cow on the road?
Answer : When Valli saw the dead cow on the roadside, she became extremely sad and pensive. The dreadful event dampened her enthusiasm so much so that she had no more desire to Look out of the window and kept glued to her seat till she reached the village.
Question. How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?
Answer : Valli was a keen observer as well as a meticulous planner. She had collected all the usefuL information by observing the passengers everyday and by making discreet inquiries about the timings, duration and fare for the ride. She saved every penny to finance her trip and finally accomplished it by the efficient execution of her plans.
Question. How did Custard the dragon face the pirate? What was the outcome of their fight?
Answer : Custard the dragon jumped up snorting. He clashed his tail. Thus, he prepared himself to face the pirate. The pirate was amazed at this heroic gesture of the dragon. He gulped some wine to cheer up his drooping spirits. He fired two bullets but missed the aim. In the meantime, Custard the dragon swallowed him.
Question. How did all boast of their false bravery?
Answer : After the pirate had been killed, Mustard boasted that he would have been twice as brave if he had not been confused. Ink and Blink said that they would have been thrice as brave.
Long Answer Type Questions
Question..” Never mind,” she said, “I can get on by myself.” “You don’t have to help me,” said Valli to the conductor. She shows extraordinary courage in making the bus journey all alone. Taking inspiration from Valli’s character, write how the ability and courage to take risk are essential to fulfilling one’s dream. Or Valli nurtures a strong desire to travel by bus and visit the city. She works hard for it and finally, she is successful. Based on this incident, analyse what values of life do you need to nurture to attain your goals in life?
Answer : Valli is an eight-year-old village girl. She is fascinated by the bus that comes to the village every hour. She develops a desire and then a longing turning into a firm determination to ride the bus. She meticulously plans for it and saves money for the bus journey. Then she boards the bus without anyone’s help. She travels all alone, confidently and independently and finally returns home successfully. Her self-dependence and self-respecting nature help her to nurture her goal. She enjoys her journey. Similarly, to achieve goals in life, we need to have such values in us. One should be confident and self-dependent. Proper planning and strong determination lead to success. Enthusiasm and excitement to achieve the goal are also needed to nurture our goals in life.
Question. If you were one of the passengers on the bus in which Valli was travelling, would you appreciate her taking the journey alone or would you discourage her decision?
Imagine yourself as the author of ‘Madam Rides the Bus’ and write an imaginary conversation between you and Valli to answer the question.
Answer : Valli: (to the bus conductor) Here’s your money for the ticket sir!
Me: Hey you little kid. Where are your parents? Whom ore you travelling with?
Valli: Myself. I am a big girl now I can travel all alone. Also, I have paid for the ticket fare myself.
Me: (shocking) What! Is there no one accompanying you, dear? Well this is insane. I know that you are a big girL now, but I believe not as big as to be able to travel alone. You should have taken someone along with you. Do your parents know about this journey?
Valli: No. My mother was asleep. But I will return to the town by the same bus itself. Do not worry about me. str. I have calculated everything.
Mei What if the tyre of the bus gets punctured and you couldn’t get back home in time? What will you do then Valli?
Valli: [tensed) Oh yesl You are right I haven’t thought about it at all I will never traveL alone from next time.
Me: Good girl
Question. Describe Valli’s return journey.
Answer : The bus resumed its return journey. There were the same wonderful sights. Valli enjoyed the scene again. But suddenly she saw a young cow lying dead, by the roadside. It had been struck by a fast moving vehicle. She asked the conductor if it was the same cow they saw earlier. The conductor nodded. Valli became sad. It had been a lovable, beautiful creature just a little ago. But now the cow was without its charm and its life. The bus moved on. The memory of the dead cow haunted Valli. She no longer wanted to see out of the window. She kept sitting on her seat until her village came. She got down and wished the conductor to see him again. The conductor smiled. He told Valli that whenever
she felt like riding the bus she could come and join them.
Question. The dragon, custard was considered a coward. The humble dragon proved his bravery in adversity. Analyse that certain qualities like bravery and courage are situational and spontaneous.
Express your views with reference to the poem.
Answer : Custard’s humbleness won every reader’s heart as he showed true bravery and did not boast like Belinda and her other pets. Everyone boasted of their bravery but when they faced real danger, it was only Custard, who had the courage to face it. And he proved his bravery by not running away and facing the pirate and killing him. Qualities like bravery and courage can only be tested when someone is actually put in a dangerous situation. Therefore, these qualities are situational as becomes clear from Custard’s example. Custard looked for comfort all the time but this did not mean that he was a coward.
.
Question. Evaluate Ogden Nash’s ‘The Tale of Custard the Dragon’ as a ballad. What message does the poet give to the readers in this poem?
Answer : Ballads are stories told in verse. Generally, ballads are tales of adventures and heroism. In the poem, the poet does present the encounter of Custard and the pirate in the typical spirit of a ballad.
The four-line stanzas have the rhyme scheme: aa, bb throughout the poem.
Ogden Nash gives a subtle message to the readers through the fate of Custard, the dragon. In this world of deceit, self-confidence, self-dependence and self-respect are essentials to earn your rightful place among your peers. The mere presence of physical strength is not enough. The more important point is that you must be conscious of your strength. You must be fully aware of the fact that many others who are far inferior in strength and power should have no right to taunt and ridicule you.
