Madam Rides the Bus

Summary of Chapter 9 Madam Rides The Bus
First Flight CLASS 10
summary of Chapter 9

1. MADAM RIDES THE BUS Vallikkannan

2. What comes to your mind when you look at these images?

3. Valliammai Eight years old Very curious No playmates of her own age Favourite pastime - Standing in the front doorway of her house Watching the street

4. Most fascinating thing The bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town. Passed through her street each hour Every time a new set of passengers Source of unending joy. Valli wanted to ride on that bus. The wish became an overwhelming desire.

5. Valli would stare wistfully at the people who got on or off the bus when it stopped at the street corner.

6. If any of Valli’s friends rides the bus and describes the sights of the town, she would be too jealous. . Proud! Proud! The town is amazing!

7. Valli listened to the conversations and picked up the details about the bus journey The town was six miles from her village. The fare was thirty paise one way. The trip to the town took forty five minutes.

8. Calculation and Planning Valli thought about her bus journey. She calculated and recalculated, planned and replanned . She could take bus at 1 0’ clock afternoon. She could be back by 2:45

9. One spring afternoon When the bus was just on the point of leaving the village, a tiny hand was raised commandingly. Stop the bus! Stop the bus!

10. It’s me! I am the one who has to get on. I simply have to go to the town. The conductor asked her to get on the bus and stretched his hand to help her up but she refused saying she could get on by herself and that he did not have to help her.

11. The conductor was fond of joking. . Please don’t be angry with me, my fine madam. Here, have a seat right up there in front. Everybody move aside please - make way for madam.

12. Slack time - A time when there is not much work It was the slack time of the day and there were only six or seven passengers on the bus.

13. Everyone laughed with the conductor. Valli felt shy. She walked quickly to an empty seat and sat down. The conductor blew his whistle twice and the bus moved forward. Valli observed that it was a new bus. It was painted white with some green strips along the sides. The seats were soft and luxurious.

14. Valli devoured everything with her eyes. The canal Palm trees Grasslands Distant mountains Blue sky

15. While she was standing to watch outside An elderly man who was concerned asked Valli to sit. She was annoyed and told him that she was not a child. The conductor again joked and called her “very grown up madam”. She was angry at the conductor.

16. The conductor handed the ticket to Valli. He told her to sit as she had given the fare so she should be comfortable. Valli insisted that she wanted to stand. The conductor told her that she might fall when the bus makes a sharp turn or hits a bump. The bus stopped. A new set of passengers got on. Valli was afraid to lose her seat so she finally sat down. An elderly woman sat beside her.

17. The elderly woman had big holes in her ear lobes had ugly ear rings in them was chewing betel nut asked Valli if she was travelling alone went on with her ‘ nonsense’ She asked Valli if it was proper for a young girl like her to travel alone. She further asked where exactly was she she going in the town.

18. Valli’s first journey She made careful, painstaking and elaborate plans. She resisted the temptation to buy peppermints, toys and balloons. The most difficult was when she suppressed the desire to ride the merry go round in the village fair.

19. Everyday her mother used to nap after the lunch. She decided to go during that time without her mother’s knowledge. Her bus trip would be her first excursion outside the village. Valli started enjoying her journey observing the things she could look at. The bus passed smoothly leaving behind all the obstacles. She felt the trees coming running towards her but then they stopped once the bus reached them. She clapped her hands in glee.

20. The Cow A young cow was running very fast in the middle of the road, right in front of the bus. The driver sounded his horn again and again. This was very funny to Valli. She laughed until there were tears in her eyes. At last the cow moved off the road.

21. The Train Valli saw a speck of a train growing bigger and bigger. The train crossed making roars and shaking the bus.

22. The bus then travelled across a wide thoroughfare .

23. The town Seeing such huge crowds and glittering displays Valli was struck dumb with wonder. She gaped at everything. The bus stopped. Everyone got off except Valli. The conductor asked why she was not getting off. She told that she just wanted to have a bus ride. She admitted that she would be afraid to get out and move alone. The conductor offered her a cold drink but she refused. They waited until it was time for the return journey.

24. The Return Journey Valli greeted everything with the same excitement as the first time. Suddenly, she saw a young cow dead by the roadside. Valli asked the conductor if it was the same cow that ran in front of the bus. The conductor nodded and Valli was overcome with sadness. She no longer wanted to look out the window.

25. She sat glued to her seat until the bus reached the village. While leaving the bus, she waved goodbye to the conductor. She went running for her home. Her mother and aunt were busy in some conversation.

26. Yes, you are right. So many things in our midst and in the world outside. How can we possibly know about everything? And even if we do know about something, we often can’t understand it completely, can we? Oh, yes!

27. THANK YOU NOOPUR SHARMA TGT ENGLISH