Madam Rides the Bus — Valliammai (Valli)
Original NCERT questions • Bilingual answers (English + हिन्दी) • Lesson-only (poem separate)
About the writer: (Translated from Tamil by K. S. Sundaram) — A tender slice-of-life story of an eight-year-old, Valli, whose first bus ride becomes an initiation into curiosity, courage, and the reality of life and death.
Summary (EN): Valli longs to ride the village–town bus she watches daily. By saving sixty paise and planning during her mother’s nap, she travels alone, marvels at fields, canal, shops, and laughs at a frisky cow. On the return, she sees the same cow dead, which sobers her joy. Back home, her mother chats about how many things happen without our knowledge—Valli quietly agrees, holding her secret adventure.
सार (HI): आठ वर्ष की वल्ली रोज़ बस को देखकर उसमें बैठने की तीव्र इच्छा पालती है। वह साठ पैसे बचाती है और माँ की दोपहर की नींद में अकेली बस से शहर जाकर लौट आती है। जाते समय दृश्य देखकर खुश होती है और दौड़ती गाय पर हँसती है, पर लौटते वक्त वही गाय मरी हुई देखकर उसका उत्साह बुझ जाता है। घर पर माँ कहती है कि बहुत-सी बातें हमारी जानकारी के बिना हो जाती हैं—वल्ली मुस्कराकर सहमति जताती है।
1. Look at the words and phrases… put a tick against the ones you think you will find in the text.
✔ get on the bus • ✔ get off the bus • ✔ Tickets, please (implied via ticket) • ✔ a row of seats • ✔ a roar and a rattle (train) • ✔ slowing down to a crawl • ✔ blowing a whistle • ✖ platform (not used as railway platform word) • ✔ a set of passengers.
✔ बस में चढ़ना/उतरना • ✔ टिकट/कंडक्टर • ✔ सीटों की पंक्ति • ✔ गरज/खड़खड़ (रेल) • ✔ धीरे-धीरे रेंगना • ✔ सीटी बजाना • ✖ प्लेटफॉर्म (शब्द सीधे नहीं) • ✔ यात्रियों का समूह।
2. You must have travelled by bus… (sample brief scenes)
Green fields, canal banks, roadside shops, markets, railway crossings with trains roaring past, animals on roads, long rows of trees.
हरी खेतियाँ, नहर का किनारा, सड़क किनारे दुकानें, बाज़ार, रेल फाटक से गुजरती ट्रेनें, सड़क पर पशु, पेड़ों की कतारें।
1. What was Valli’s favourite pastime?
Standing in her front doorway watching the street outside.
घर के मुख्य द्वार पर खड़े होकर बाहर सड़क का नज़ारा देखना।
2. What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?
The hourly village–town bus with new passengers each time; her strongest desire was to ride that bus at least once.
गाँव–शहर की बस—हर बार नए यात्री। उसकी प्रबल इच्छा थी कि वह उसी बस में एक बार सवारी करे।
3. What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find out these details?
Distance: 6 miles; fare: 30 paise one way; duration: ~45 minutes; she could return on same bus by paying again; 1 o’clock bus plan. She learnt by listening to regular passengers and asking discreet questions.
दूरी: 6 मील; किराया: 30 पैसे एक तरफ़; समय: ~45 मिनट; वही बस लौटती है—फिर 30 पैसे; 1 बजे वाली बस। यह सब नियमित यात्रियों की बातें सुनकर और सावधानी से पूछकर जाना।
4. What do you think Valli was planning to do?
To ride alone to town on the 1 p.m. bus and return on the same bus before her mother woke up.
दोपहर 1 बजे की बस से अकेले शहर जाना और उसी बस से लौट आना—माँ की नींद खुलने से पहले।
1. Why does the conductor call Valli ‘madam’?
Playfully and respectfully, teasing her grown-up manner and independence.
मज़ाकिया/सम्मानजनक ढंग से—उसके बड़े होने जैसे रवैये और आत्मनिर्भरता पर।
2. Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now?
A canvas blind blocked her lower window; standing let her see the canal, palm trees, fields, distant hills, blue sky, and the deep ditch with green fields.
खिड़की पर पर्दा था; सीट पर खड़े होकर नहर, ताड़ के पेड़, खेत, दूर पहाड़, नीला आकाश और गहरी खाई के पार हरियाली दिखी।
3. What does Valli tell the elderly man when he calls her a child?
That nobody there is a child; she has paid her thirty paise like everyone else.
कि यहाँ कोई बच्चा नहीं; उसने भी सबकी तरह तीस पैसे दिए हैं।
4. Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?
She found her repulsive (huge earholes, betel chewing) and intrusive; asked nosy questions.
वह औरत उसे अप्रिय लगी (कान के बड़े छेद, पान), और बेवजह टोह लेने वाले सवाल पूछ रही थी।
1. How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?
She thriftily saved stray coins, resisted buying peppermints, toys, balloons, and even the village-fair merry-go-round; she saved 60 paise. It was difficult but determined.
छिटपुट पैसे बचाए, टॉफ़ी/खिलौनों/गुब्बारों और मेले की झूला-सवारी तक से इंकार किया; 60 पैसे जोड़े—मुश्किल था पर दृढ़ रही।
2. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?
A young cow ran ahead of the bus; the more the driver honked, the faster it ran—she laughed till tears came.
एक बछिया बस के आगे भागती रही; जितना हॉर्न, उतनी तेज़—वह हँसते-हँसते रो पड़ी।
3. Why didn’t she get off the bus at the bus station?
She had planned only the ride; she felt afraid to go alone and intended to return on the same bus.
उसने केवल सवारी की योजना बनाई थी; अकेले घूमने से डरती थी और इसी बस से लौटना था।
4. Why didn’t Valli want to go to the stall and have a drink? What does this tell you about her?
She had no extra money and was firm about paying her own way; shows frugality, self-respect, and discipline.
उसके पास अतिरिक्त पैसे नहीं थे और वह आत्मनिर्भर/स्वाभिमानी थी—मितव्ययी और अनुशासित स्वभाव।
1. What was Valli’s deepest desire? Find the words and phrases in the story that tell you this.
Answer: To ride the bus. Phrases: “a tiny wish crept into her head and grew…”, “an overwhelming desire”, “she wanted to ride on that bus, even if just once”.
उत्तर: बस की सवारी करना। वाक्यांश: “मन में छोटी-सी इच्छा…”, “अत्यधिक प्रबल इच्छा”, “कम-से-कम एक बार बस में बैठना।”
2. How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus, and how did she save up the fare?
Answer: She learnt: distance 6 miles, fare 30p one way, 45 minutes per trip, possible to return on same bus; 1 p.m. bus fits mother’s nap (1–4 p.m.). She saved 60p by resisting small purchases and temptations (even the fair ride).
उत्तर: जानकारी: 6 मील, 30 पैसे, ~45 मिनट, उसी बस से वापसी; दोपहर 1 बजे की बस—माँ की नींद में। 60 पैसे बचाए—टॉफ़ी/खिलौने/झूला आदि से परहेज़।
3. What kind of a person is Valli? To answer this question, pick out the following sentences from the text and fill in the blanks…
| Prompt (Original) | Fill-in (from text) |
|---|---|
| (i) “Stop the bus! Stop the bus!” And a tiny hand was raised ______. | commandingly |
| (ii) “Yes, I ______ go to town,” said Valli, still standing outside the bus. | simply have to |
| (iii) “There’s nobody here ______,” she said haughtily. “I’ve paid my thirty paise like everyone else.” | who’s a child |
| (iv) “Never mind,” she said, “I can ______. You don’t have to help me.” “I’m not a child, I tell you,” she said, ______. | get on by myself; irritably |
| (v) “You needn’t bother about me. I ______,” Valli said… | can take care of myself |
| (vi) Then she turned to the conductor and said, “Well, sir, I hope ______.” | to see you again |
Traits: brave, independent, self-respecting, organized, observant, disciplined.
स्वभाव: साहसी, आत्मनिर्भर, स्वाभिमानी, योजनाबद्ध, सूक्ष्म पर्यवेक्षक, अनुशासित।
4. Why does the conductor refer to Valli as ‘madam’?
Answer: To humor her adult-like manner and assertiveness; playful respect.
उत्तर: उसके बड़े-सा बर्ताव और आत्मविश्वास को देखते हुए—मज़ाकिया सम्मान के रूप में “madam”।
5. Find the lines in the text which tell you that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus.
Answer (examples): “Valli devoured everything with her eyes.” • “Oh, it was all so wonderful!” • “Struck dumb with wonder, Valli gaped at everything.” • Laughing at the cow till tears came.
उत्तर (उदाहरण): “वल्ली ने सब कुछ आँखों से निगल लिया।” • “ओह, कितना अद्भुत!” • “आश्चर्य से निशब्द होकर सब कुछ निहारा।” • गाय पर हँसते-हँसते आँसू आना।
6. Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?
Answer: She saw the same cow dead; the memory haunted her and dampened her enthusiasm.
उत्तर: वही गाय सड़क किनारे मरी हुई दिखी—यह दृश्य बार-बार याद आता रहा, उसका उत्साह ठंडा पड़ गया।
7. What does Valli mean when she says, “I was just agreeing with what you said about things happening without our knowledge.”
Answer: A double-meaning hint to her secret bus trip that happened without her mother’s knowledge.
उत्तर: अपने गुप्त बस-यात्रा की ओर संकेत—जो माँ की जानकारी के बिना हुई।
8. The author describes the things that Valli sees from an eight-year-old’s point of view. Can you find evidence from the text for this statement?
Answer (evidence): Childlike metaphors (“trees came running… bus gobbling”), glee at the cow, fear of going alone in town, frugal saving of small coins, curiosity about every sight, standing on seat to see better.
उत्तर (प्रमाण): बाल-सुलभ कल्पना (“पेड़ दौड़कर आते… बस निगलने वाली”), गाय पर हँसी, अकेले शहर घूमने का डर, छोटे-छोटे पैसे जोड़ना, हर दृश्य के प्रति जिज्ञासा, देखने को सीट पर खड़ा होना।
- Valli’s planning: details, saving 60p, timing during mother’s nap.
- Key scenes: canal/fields view; cow episode; dead cow on return.
- Themes: curiosity, independence, innocence → encounter with mortality.
- Character sketch: brave, frugal, self-respecting, observant.
Read More……….