NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Prose Chapter 7 Madam Rides the Bus

"Madam Rides the Bus" is a very sweet and simple story written by Vallikkannan. This chapter is part of the Class 10 English First Flight textbook. The story is about a small girl named Valli and her little adventure. Even though it is a short journey, it teaches us many important lessons about curiosity, courage, innocence, and growing up.

Valli is an eight-year-old girl who lives in a village. Like most children, she is full of curiosity. She watches the bus go up and down the road every day and wonders what it feels like to ride in it. Even though she is young, Valli is very brave and independent. She decides to plan her first bus ride alone, without telling anyone. She saves money for the ticket and carefully makes all the arrangements to take the bus during a time when her mother is sleeping.

As the bus moves along the road, Valli feels very excited. She observes everything around her — the fields, the trees, the animals, and the people. She enjoys seeing new places and talking to the conductor, who treats her kindly and calls her "Madam" in a fun way. Valli feels proud and grown-up as she sits in the bus like an adult.

However, during her journey, she also learns about the harsh realities of life. She sees a young cow lying dead on the road, which makes her sad. This moment teaches her that life is not always happy and fun. It shows her that the world is much bigger and more complex than she thought.

Do Check: NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English

The story beautifully shows how a small child can have big dreams and a strong will. It also highlights the innocence of childhood and the small but meaningful experiences that help children grow and understand life better. The author uses simple language and everyday events to tell a touching story that many students can easily relate to.

The NCERT Solutions for this chapter help students understand the story in a clear and simple way. They include easy-to-understand answers to textbook questions, explanations of difficult words, and summaries of important ideas. These solutions are very helpful for revising the chapter, preparing for exams, and improving writing skills.

Class 10 English First Flight Prose Chapter 7 Madam Rides the Bus - PDF Download

Students can easily download the PDF of NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight Chapter 7 Madam Rides the Bus to help with their studies. This PDF includes detailed answers, word meanings, important questions, and summaries of the chapter in simple language. The story talks about a young girl named Valli who takes her first bus ride and learns about the world outside her village. 

The PDF will help students understand the chapter better, prepare for exams, and revise quickly. It is a helpful resource for homework, class tests, and board exam preparation.

Madam Rides the Bus Questions and Answers​

Q1. What was Valli’s favourite pastime?

Valli was around eight years old and had a curious nature. She loved standing at the front door of her house, watching everything that happened on the street. This was her favourite way to spend time.

Q2. What brought endless joy to Valli? What was her biggest wish?

Valli found great happiness in watching the street from her doorway. She enjoyed seeing different people and activities every day. The thing she loved most was watching the bus pass by with new passengers each time. Her biggest dream was to travel in that bus.

Q3. How did Valli learn about the bus journey?

Valli, being very curious, wanted to know all the details about the bus trip. She listened carefully to people who regularly took the bus. From their conversations, she learned that the bus fare was thirty paise for one way, and the whole journey took about forty-five minutes. She even asked a few questions to be sure of the information.

Q4. What was Valli planning to do?

Valli was planning to take a bus ride on her own and visit the nearby town.

Do Check: NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English First Flight

Oral Comprehension Check 

Q1. Why does the conductor call Valli 'madam'?

When the bus came one spring afternoon, Valli stopped it and got on by herself. She refused the conductor's help and behaved like a grown-up. Seeing her confidence, the cheerful conductor jokingly addressed her as "madam."

Q2. Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see?

Valli was very excited about her bus ride. She stood up because the canvas on the window blocked her view. When she stood up, she saw a narrow road with a canal, palm trees, grasslands, distant mountains, and a bright blue sky on one side, and a deep ditch with wide green fields on the other.

Q3. What does Valli tell the old man when he calls her a child?

When the old man called her a child, Valli firmly said she was not a child because she had paid her full fare like all other passengers and should be treated like an adult.

Q4. Why didn’t Valli want to be friends with the old woman?

The old woman was chewing betel nut, and red juice was about to drip from her mouth. She looked unattractive to Valli, with large earlobes and big holes in them. Valli did not like her appearance and didn’t want to talk to her.

Oral Comprehension Check

Q1. How did Valli save money for her first ride? Was it easy?

Valli was very determined to travel by bus. She saved every coin she got and avoided spending on sweets, toys, and rides. Although it was hard, her strong desire to ride the bus helped her stay focused and save sixty paise.

Q2. What made Valli laugh during the journey?

While looking out of the window, Valli saw a young cow running wildly in the middle of the road with its tail up. The bus horn made the cow run even faster. Valli found this scene so funny that she laughed until her eyes filled with tears.

Q3. Why didn’t she get off the bus at the town?

Valli had only planned to enjoy the bus ride, not to visit the town. She stayed on the bus and paid another thirty paise to return home.

Q4. Why didn’t Valli want a drink at the stall? What does this show about her?

Valli had self-respect and pride. She had just enough money for the return fare and did not want to borrow money from anyone, even though she was thirsty. This showed that she was independent and valued her dignity.

Thinking about the Text

Q1. What was Valli’s strongest wish? Find words from the story that show this.

Valli’s strongest wish was to take a ride on the bus. The story says:
"Day after day she watched the bus, and gradually a tiny wish crept into her head and grew there: she wanted to ride on that bus, even if just once. This wish became stronger and stronger, until it was an overwhelming desire."

Q2. How did Valli plan her ride? How did she gather information and save money?

Valli listened carefully to people who often rode the bus. She learned that the town was six miles away, and the fare was thirty paise each way. To save money, she avoided buying candies, toys, or going on fun rides. After much effort, she collected sixty paise for the round trip.

Q3. Why does the conductor call Valli 'madam'?

Since Valli acted maturely and handled everything herself, the conductor, in a friendly way, called her 'madam.' She refused help while climbing the bus, paid her fare like an adult, and insisted on being treated as one.

Q4. Find sentences that show Valli enjoyed her bus ride.

The following sentences show Valli’s excitement:

• "Valli devoured everything with her eyes."
• "Oh, it was all so wonderful!"
• "Suddenly, Valli clapped her hands with glee."
• "She laughed and laughed until there were tears in her eyes."
• "Valli wasn’t bored to the slightest and greeted everything with the same excitement she’d felt the first time."

Do Check: NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Footprints Without Feet

Q5. Why did Valli stop looking out of the window on her return trip?

While returning, she saw the same cow lying dead on the roadside, which deeply saddened her. This sight disturbed her so much that she didn’t feel like looking out anymore.

Q6. What does Valli mean when she says, “I was just agreeing with what you said about things happening without our knowledge.”

Valli’s mother said that many things happen without us knowing. Valli secretly remembered how she had taken the bus ride while her mother was unaware. She smiled and agreed, thinking about her secret trip.

Q7. How does the author show that Valli saw the world like an eight-year-old?

Though Valli tried to behave like a grown-up, she still saw everything with a child’s excitement. She enjoyed simple things like seeing a bus, beautiful sceneries, and even found the running cow funny. The detailed description of the bus—its shiny new look, silver bars, and soft seats—shows how even small things thrilled her. Her happiness turned into sadness when she saw the dead cow, reflecting her sensitive young mind.

Madam Rides the Bus Summary

"Madam Rides the Bus" is a short and sweet story written by Vallikkannan. The story is about a little girl named Valli, who is only eight years old. She lives in a small village and is very curious about the world around her. Every day, she watches the bus that travels between her village and the nearby town. She loves watching the bus go back and forth with new passengers. Slowly, she develops a strong desire to ride the bus herself.

Valli starts saving money to fulfill her dream. She controls her temptations and doesn’t spend any money on toys, candies, or rides at the fair. After saving sixty paise, she finally has enough to buy a round-trip ticket (thirty paise each way).

One afternoon, while her mother is asleep, Valli secretly boards the bus. She feels very excited and proud to take the ride alone. The bus conductor, who is friendly and playful, calls her "Madam" as a joke, seeing her mature behaviour.

During the journey, Valli enjoys watching the beautiful scenery — green fields, mountains, palm trees, canals, and the wide blue sky. She is filled with happiness and excitement. At one point, she laughs a lot when she sees a cow running in front of the bus, frightened by the honking.

When the bus reaches the town, Valli does not get down because she has no purpose there. She buys another ticket for the return trip. However, on her way back, her mood changes. She sees the same cow lying dead on the roadside, which makes her very sad. This teaches her that life is not always happy and fun — sometimes it can be painful too.

When Valli returns home, she hides her little adventure from her mother. The story ends with Valli agreeing with her mother that many things happen around us that we don’t even know about — just like her secret bus ride.

This story shows the innocence of childhood, the excitement of small adventures, and how simple experiences can teach us big life lessons.