Madam Rides the Bus Summary in English by Vallikkannan

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Madam Rides the Bus Summary in English by Vallikkannan

Madam Rides the Bus Summary in English

‘Madam Rides the Bus’ is a very sensitive story of a young girl who goes on her first journey into the world outside her village on a bus. She is wonderstruck at the large buildings, vehicles and people, etc. but at the same time she is sad to know about the callous attitude of the people who had witnessed a beautiful living cow turned into a ghastly lifeless body.

The story is about a little girl Valliammai known as Valli who decides to travel to town on a bus and surprises the bus conductor when she claims to be a grown-up person and not a child as she has paid full fare like everyone else. She had made careful plans for this journey and she was excited to be able to fulfil her dreams. She is horrified when she sees a cow lying dead on the road after being hit by some fast moving vehicle.

She is surprised on seeing the big bright looking shops and huge buildings. She is scared when she realises that all the passengers have got down the bus, but somehow she manages to keep herself calm. When she comes home, her aunt asks her about her whereabouts to which she replies that she wants to see the world outside.

Madam Rides the Bus Summary Questions and Answers

Question 1.
How did Valli react when she saw the dead cow by the roadside?
Answer:
When Valli saw the dead cow by the roadside, she was overwhelmed with sadness. The memory of the dead cow haunted her, depressing her enthusiasm. She no longer wanted to look out of the window.

Question 2.
Who was Valliammai? What was her favourite pastime?
Answer:
Valliammai was an eight-year-old girl. She was a mature girl but did not have any playmate of her age. Her favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway of her house, watching what was happening in the street outside.

Question 3.
What was the most fascinating thing that Valli saw on the street?
Answer:
Valli did not have any playmate of her age. She had a pastime of watching outside in the street. She used to watch the new passengers boarding the bus every day. The arrival of the bus was the most fascinating scene in the street for Valli. She watched the passengers boarding the bus and to listen to their conversation. The sight of the bus was a source of unending joy for Valli.

Question 4.
What did Valli wish? How did this desire creep in her mind?
Answer:
Valli wished to have a ride on the bus. She used to listen to the passengers conversation carefully. She heard about the city and many more things through them. A tiny wish crept into her mind and became a desire.

Question 5.
Why did Valli feel jealous of her friend?
Answer:
Valli had a strong desire to ride the bus. One of her friends had already visited the city. She wanted to describe her experience to Valli. Valli was so jealous that she did not listen to her and shouted ‘Proud! Proud!’

Question 6.
Why did Valli collect the information about the bus?
Answer:
Valli had a strong desire to ride the bus. She had to plan her journey to the city by the bus. So she started collecting information about the distance, time and fare of the journey.

Question 7.
What information did Valli collect about the bus journey?
Answer:
Valli collected some details of the journey. The city was six miles from her village. The fare was thirty paise one way. The trip takes forty five minutes one way. Now she could plan her journey by the bus in an easy way.

Question 8.
How did Valli slip away from her house?
Answer:
Valli had calculated that if she left her house at one o’clock she would be back by two forty-five. This was the time she could be away without the knowledge of her mother. She slipped from her house and boarded the bus.

Question 9.
How did the conductor treat Valli? How did Valli feel when the conductor called her ‘My Fine Madam’?
Answer:
When Valli got into the bus, the conductor treated her as a child. He asked her who was coming in the bus. Valli told him confidently that it was she only. She bought the ticket and the conductor called her ‘Madam’ jokingly. The conductor was a jolly fellow. Valli did not like him treating her as a child. Her temperament made the conductor call her ‘Madam’. Valli was overcome with shyness.

Question 10.
What did Valli see beyond the bank of a canal while on the busride?
Answer:
While on the bus ride, Valli saw beyond the canal through the window. There were palm trees, grassland, distant mountains and the blue sky. It was a wonderful scene for Valli.