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Madam Rides The Bus

Class 10th First Flight CBSE Solution
Oral Comprehension Check Pg-119
  1. What was Vallis favourite pastime?
  2. What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?…
  3. What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find out these details?…
  4. What do you think Valli was planning to do?
Oral Comprehension Check Pg-122
  1. Why does the conductor call Valli madam?
  2. Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now?
  3. What does Valli tell the elderly man when he calls her a child?
  4. Why didnt Valli want to make friendship with the elderly woman?
Oral Comprehension Check Pg-125
  1. How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?…
  2. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?
  3. Why didnt she get off the bus at the bus station?
  4. Why didnt Valli want to go to the stall and have a drink? What does this tell you about…
Thinking About The Text
  1. What was Vallis deepest desire? Find words and phrases in the story that tell you this.…
  2. How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus, and how did she save…
  3. What kind of a person is Valli? To answer this question, pick out the following sentences…
  4. Why does the conductor refer to Valli as a madam?
  5. Find the lines in the text which tell you that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus.…
  6. Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?
  7. What does Valli mean when she says, I was just agreeing with what you said about things…
  8. The author describes the things that Valli sees from an eight-year olds point of view. Can…
Writing
  1. Write a page about three paragraphs-on one of the following topics1. Have you ever planned…
The Tale Of Custard The Dragon - Thinking About The Poem
  1. Who are the characters in the poem? List them with their pet names.…
  2. Why did Custard cry for a nice safe cage? Why is the dragon called the cowardly dragon?…
  3. Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful.., Why?
  4. The poet has employed many poetic devices in the poem. For example, Clashed his tail like…
  5. Read stanza three again to know how the poet describes the appearance of the dragon.…
  6. Can you find out the rhyme scheme of two or three stanzas of the poem?…
  7. Writers use words to give us a picture or image without actually saying what they mean.…
  8. Do you find The Tale of Custard the Dragon to be a serious or a light-hearted poem? Give…
  9. This poem, in ballad form, tells a story. Have you come across any such modem songs or…

Oral Comprehension Check Pg-119
Question 1.

What was Valli's favourite pastime?


Answer:

Valli's favourite pastime was to stand in the front doorway of her house and observe everything happening around on the street.



Question 2.

What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?


Answer:

Valli derived unending joy by looking at the bus plying on the street. Her strongest desire was to ride the bus one day as she was highly attracted towards it.



Question 3.

What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find out these details?


Answer:

Valli found out the bus took forty-five minutes to travel between the town which was six miles away from her village. She also found out that the fare for the one-way trip was thirty paisa. She found out these details by listening to the conversation of the passengers and sometimes by asking them.



Question 4.

What do you think Valli was planning to do?


Answer:

Valli was planning to ride on the bus. She had calculated the time to cover the complete journey. It took ninety minutes in total to go to the town and return. She also planned and saved the money that was required for the bus ride.




Oral Comprehension Check Pg-122
Question 1.

Why does the conductor call Valli 'madam'?


Answer:

The conductor calls Valli 'madam' because of her confidence. When she was trying to board the bus, the conductor stretched his hand to help her, but Valli didn’t take his help and said that she can get on the bus by herself. She tried to behave like a mature lady. Therefore, the conductor tried to crack a light-hearted joke by addressing her as ‘madam’.



Question 2.

Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now?


Answer:

Valli wanted to look out of the window and see the things outside the moving bus. But as bus curtains had covered the lower part of the windows she was not able to see the sights. So, she stood up. She saw the bus moving along the canal, the narrow road, green grass fields, and palm trees.



Question 3.

What does Valli tell the elderly man when he calls her a child?


Answer:

Valli tells the elderly man when he calls her a child that there was no child on the bus as she had paid full fare just like other passengers.



Question 4.

Why didn't Valli want to make friendship with the elderly woman?


Answer:

Valli didn't want to make friendship with the elderly woman because she found her repulsive in nature. Also, she thought that the elderly woman looked dirty because the earing holes in the ear lobes of the woman were quite big and she was wearing an ugly earing. Moreover, the betel juice almost flowing through her lips. Due to the appearance of the elderly woman, Valli did not want to socialize with her.




Oral Comprehension Check Pg-125
Question 1.

How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?


Answer:

To save up money for her first journey, Valli resisted her temptations to buy toffees, peppermints, toys, balloons, etc. from the stray coins that she had collected. Moreover, in the village fair, she eagerly wanted to ride the merry-go-round but she suppressed her desire to save the money for using it later in the bus ride.



Question 2.

What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?


Answer:

On her way, Valli saw that a cow coming in front of the bus. The driver slowed down the vehicle and sounded the horn but the cow got scared and instead of leaving the road, she kept on galloping in front of the bus. This made Valli laughed heartily. She laughed so hard that she had tears in her eyes.



Question 3.

Why didn't she get off the bus at the bus station?


Answer:

She didn't get off the bus at the bus station as she was afraid to move alone. She had already planned to take the return journey from the same bus. Also, she knew that she did not have money to buy things from the stalls.



Question 4.

Why didn't Valli want to go to the stall and have a drink? What does this tell you about her?


Answer:

Valli didn't want to go to the stall and have a drink because she didn't have money for it. She even tried to refuse the offer of a treat by the conductor. This tells us that she was a wise girl and had self-control on her feelings. She also knew the value of money and was righteous enough to avoid taking a favour from strangers.




Thinking About The Text
Question 1.

What was Valli's deepest desire? Find words and phrases in the story that tell you this.


Answer:

Valli's deepest desire was to enjoy a ride on the bus. The words and phrases that tell us this are:


(i) A fascinating thing


(ii) the sight of the bus


(iii) a source of unending joy


(iv) a tiny wish crept into her head


(v) she watched the bus


(vi) wanted to ride on that bus


(vii) became stronger and stronger


(vii) picked up small details about the bus journey.



Question 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:

Valli enquired about the fare of the bus from the people who traveled on the bus. She also listened to the travelers to understand the time taken to complete the journey. She saved the money for the fare by making sure she did not spend the money she got on buying things like toys, sweets etc. She also saved money by avoiding riding the swings in the village fair.



Question 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. The words you fill in are the clues to your answer.
(i) "Stop the bus! Stop the bus!" And a tiny hand was raised.......

(ii) "Yes, I ...... go to town,"said Valli, still standing outside the bus.

(iii) "There's nobody here ......," she said haughtily. "I have paid my thirty-paise like everyone else."

(iv) "Never mind," she said, "I can .......

You don't have to help me. I'm not a child, I tell you," she said .......

(v) "You needn't bother about me. I .....," Valli said, turning her face toward the window and staring out.

(vi) Then she turned to the conductor and said, "Well, sir, I hope ......."


Answer:

(i) commandingly


(ii) simply have to


(iii) who's a child


(iv) get on by myself; haughtily


(v) can take care of myself


(vi) to see you again.


Valli is a confident and courageous girl.


She had clarity about what she wanted to do.


She didn't like to call herself a child. She understands the value of money and the dynamics attached to it. She wants to be considered like a matured lady.


She is strong-willed and does not like to take any unnecessary favours from anyone.


She is independent and does not like to be told what to do.


She is good natured and mild mannered.



Question 4.

Why does the conductor refer to Valli as a 'madam'?


Answer:

The conductor refers to Valli as 'madam' because as a joking jibe on the manner in which she behaved when he offered her help to get on the bus. Her behaviour is like that of a matured lady while she is just eight years of age. She behaves like a mature woman.



Question 5.

Find the lines in the text which tell you that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus.


Answer:

These lines in the text tell us that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus-


(i) Valli clapped her hands with glee.


(ii) This was very funny to Valli.


(iii) Se laughed and laughed.


(iv) Struck dumb with wonder.


(v) Valli gaped at everything.



Question 6.

Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?


Answer:

Valli refuses to look out of the window on her way back because she saw the cow lying dead on the wayside. It was hit by a vehicle. Valli has seen the same cow happily galloping while travelling from the village to the town. The death of the cow made her very sad.



Question 7.

What does Valli mean when she says, "I was just agreeing with what you said about things happening without our knowledge."


Answer:

When Valli returned home after bus riding, her mother was talking with one of Valli’s aunts. They were talking about things happening without their knowledge in the world outside. Valli was also agreed to their view because she had enjoyed a bus journey and they did not know about it.



Question 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:

These are the evidence from the text for this statement:


(i) A fascinating thing for her was the bus.


(ii) She travelled between her village and the nearest town.


(iii) Valli devoured everything with her eyes.


(iv) It was all so wonderful for her!


(v) She was very happy to see the canal, palm trees, grassland, distant mountains and the blue sky.


(vi) Struck dumb with wonder.


(vii) Valli gaped at everything.




Writing
Question 1.

Write a page about three paragraphs-on one of the following topics

1. Have you ever planned something entirely on your own, without taking grown-ups into your confidence? What did you plan, and how? Did you carry out your plan?

2. Have you made a journey that was unforgettable in some way? What made it memorable?

3. Are you concerned about traffic and road safety? What are your concerns? How would you make road travel safer and more enjoyable?


Answer:

Plan to Visit the Taj Mahal


When was a young boy and studied in class VIII. I lived in Mathura with my family. I have heard a lot about the beauty of the Taj Mahal from my classmates. My city was about thirty kilometers away from the Taj Mahal. Many of my friends used to go there. When they talked about their journey, I heard very carefully. I collected every information from their explanation such as its distance, its fare and it's time to cover this journey. A desire to visit the Taj raised in my heart and it became stronger day by day. One day on a holiday I decided to visit the Taj and I had saved enough money from my pocket money that my father gave at the end of the month. I rode on a city bus and enjoyed the journey. I watched green trees, market, and many different schools. When the bus stopped, I got down and covering a distance on foot reached the Taj. After watching its beauty I forgot everything. I spent one hour there. It was looking like a heaven. Then I started for my house, once again, I rode the city bus and reached my house without' any problem. No one could know about it because my father was on duty and my mother was busy in her daily work. It was my first journey and a unique experience.




The Tale Of Custard The Dragon - Thinking About The Poem
Question 1.

Who are the characters in the poem? List them with their pet names.


Answer:

There are five characters described in this poem. A girl Belinda and her four pets; a kitten, a mouse, a dog and a dragon. List with their pet names-




Question 2.

Why did Custard cry for a nice safe cage? Why is the dragon called the 'cowardly dragon'?


Answer:

Custard cried for a nice safe cage to be safe in case some danger comes up.


The dragon had a very ferocious and frightening appearance but did not behave in an aggressive manner. This made others think that he was a coward and thus he is called the ‘cowardly dragon’.



Question 3.

"Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful..," Why?


Answer:

Belinda and everyone considered the dragon to be a coward. She wanted the dragon to show some behaviour that suited his fearsome external appearance. Also, as she was not afraid of him she behaved very casually around him.



Question 4.

The poet has employed many poetic devices in the poem. For example, "Clashed his tail like iron in a dungeon"-the poetic device here is a simile. Can you, with your partner, list some more poetic devices used in the poem?


Answer:


Question 5.

Read stanza three again to know how the poet describes the appearance of the dragon.


Answer:

In the third stanza, the poet describes the appearance of the dragon as having big sharp teeth, spike on the top body and scales underneath it. The dragon’s mouth had fire and thus has been called a fireplace and the nostrils have been compared with the chimney.



Question 6.

Can you find out the rhyme scheme of two or three stanzas of the poem?


Answer:

The rhyme scheme of the first and second stanza is-aa bb.



Question 7.

Writers use words to give us a picture or image without actually saying what they mean. Can you trace some images used in the poem?


Answer:

The looks of the dragon have been illustrated by simulating a visual imagery of fireplace and nostrils. The author has depicted the bravery of the cat, dog, and the mouse by creating a written image of them chasing lions etc. In the latter part of the poem, the author uses these imageries to describe the appearance and the engagement of pirate with Belinda and her pets.



Question 8.

Do you find 'The Tale of Custard the Dragon' to be a serious or a light-hearted poem? Give reasons for your answer.


Answer:

The poem 'The Tale of Custard the Dragon' is a humorous poem. The names of the characters are funny. The pets called Custard by funny names, which makes the poem all the more humorous. All the pets boasted of being very brave but went into hiding as soon as the pirate arrived. After the events have finished, they again started to boast like nothing has happened. This part is funny as well.


Question 9.

This poem, in ballad form, tells a story. Have you come across any such modem songs or lyric that tells a story? If you know one, tell it to the class. Collect such songs as a project.


Answer:

'Light of Asia' is an epic ballad. It tells the story of Prince Siddartha, whose life started as a royal and culminated as a saint.