Madam Rides the Bus

About the story

Introduction

‘Madam Rides the Bus’ is a sensitive story, narrated in a simple and haste language,
describing the long cherished first bus journey of an eight – year old village girl. It also
talks of her first experience of the dazzle and glittering display of merchandise in the shops
in a nearby 963fc83b town. Towards the end, this girl is brought face to face with the
mystery of death and she returns home sober and wise.

Summary

This heart touching sensitive story gives an account of an eight – year old village girl’s first
bus journey to a town near her village. In the absence of any playmates, this girl,
Valliammai or Valli, used to stand in the doorway of her house to see what all went on in
the street. A curious child, she experienced many unusual things as she watched the life
outside her home.

The most exciting experience for her was the hourly appearance of a bus that shuttled
between her and the nearest town. She developed a desire for riding the bus. This wish
became stronger and developed into an overwhelming desire. Whenever the bus passed her
house, she looked longingly at the passengers and dreamt of having a bus ride as soon as
possible.

For months, she listened to the conversation between her neighbours and other people who
frequently undertook the bus journey. She used to put various questions to them about
their experiences and thus gathered sufficient and relevant information about how to ride a
bus. She learnt about the approximate distance between the town and her village, the time
that the journey between the village and town took, and the amount charged for one way
fare. She also came to know, that if she took the one – o’clock bus, and returned without
alighting, she could be back home by about two forty – five. So, she made detailed
calculations and plans to fulfill her desire to ride a bus.

(II)

One fine spring day, Valli sneaked out of the house without her mother’s knowledge and
boarded the bus. The conductor volunteered to help her get into the bus but a confident
Valli declined the offer. She showed him the bus fare, which she was carrying, and got into
the bus. The conductor was amused by her actions and manner of conversation. He
jokingly called her “madam” and asked the other passengers in the bus to make way for
her. Everybody was looking at her, so Valli felt shy and hurriedly walked to a vacant seat.
The bus was new and its outside was painted white with green stripes on the sides. Valli
looked curiously at everything. The outside view was, however, cut off because of a canvas
blind covering the lower part of the window near Valli’s seat. So, she stood up to have a
good look at the outside world. She observed everything minutely. She was so engrossed
that she immediately snubbed the gentleman who advised her to sit down lest she should
hurt herself. Although, she was only eight years old, she did not like to be addressed as a
‘child’ or as ‘madam’. She made this quite clear to the conductor and her co – passengers.
Valli insisted upon standing on her seat but she sat down after a while for fear of losing it
to other passengers who had started getting into the bus.

(III)

Valli enjoyed the sight of the trees and fields passing by the bus but what interested her
the most (and sent her into peals of laughter) was a cow (with her tail high up in the air)
running in the middle of the road in front of the bus. At last, the cow moved off the road
and soon the bus reached the town after having crossed the railroad gate. Valli was thrilled
to see the “bright looking shops” laden with a lot of merchandise. All this made the little girl
very happy. Amidst all this excitement, the bus came to a standstill and all, except Valli,
got off. When the conductor asked her why she was not getting down the bus, she told him
that she would not alight but go back to her village by the same bus. She took out another
thirty paise form her pocket to pay the fare for her return journey.

(IV)

There weren’t many passengers in the bus during the return journey as well. The conductor
asked if her mother would worry about her and look for her when he gave her the return
ticket. A defiant Valli responded that no one would be looking for her. Valli enjoyed her
return journey too looking at the same sights that had amused her a great deal while riding
to the town.

However, she received a real shocked when she saw that the cow that had run ahead of the
bus during her onward journey was lying dead by the roadside. Sadness overcame her. The
sight of the dead cow, that had looked so lovable and beautiful just a little while ago, left
her shocked. This sad incident haunted her and dampened her excitement. She no longer
wanted to look out of the window and remained stuck to her seat till the bus reached her
village at three forty. After a brief chit chat with the conductor, Valli got down the bus.

When she reached home, she found one of her aunts, who was a chatterbox, talking to her
mother. The two ladies were talking casually about matters of the outside. Valli’s mother
was telling that it was not possible for ladies like them to know everything that happened
outside. She further added that even if they did come to know about such matters, they
couldn’t understand them fully. Valli responded to her mother’s observation by saying, “Oh,
yes”. This surprised both her mother and aunt when asked, Valli just smiled mysteriously.

Valliammai

Valliammai is a eight year old girl character of the story. She has many qualities that make
her an amazing young person. For example, she is a happy child, although she does not
have any playmates. She is very observant and keeps watching the scenes in the street
outside her house. The same sense of observation is perceptible when she views the interior
of the bus, the scene outside the window, the sight of the cow in panic, the scene of the
town market, and the cow lying dead by the side of the road.

Valli is essentially a dreamer who makes efforts to realize her dreams. She dreams of going
on a bus journey to the nearest town and plans it intelligently. She saves money for it and
executes her plan neatly without her mother getting even a hint of it.

Valli has a very confident and a nonchalant demeanour. Her speech exudes confidence that
looks odd but fascinating for a girl of her age. She considers herself grown up, and speaks
with the conductor and fellow passengers with panache. However, she easily gets annoyed
and irritated if others pole their noses in her business and ask her too many questions. In
particular, she chooses to give the old woman passenger a piece of her mind when the
latter keeps probing her. At times, she appears to be rude, haughty and commanding, but
at heart she is very sensitive and fun-loving.

Valli plans cleverly and saves meticulously. She resists all sorts of temptations in order to
save enough money for her bus ride. Her plan of the journey is flawless and her ability to
take care of herself is exceptional. She has the courage to say ‘no’ whenever necessary. For
example, she turns down the conductor’s offer of a cold drink.

Overall, Valli is a delightful girl who is intelligent, mature and capable of looking after
herself. She is cheerful and curious by nature and has her way with the people as well as
her plans.

The conductor

The unnamed bus conductor in the story is a man of cheerful disposition. Not many
conductors are as helpful as he is. He is surprised to find an eight year Valli wanting to
travel all by herself. He greets her cheerfully and helps her board the bus. He is truly
impressed with her self – confidence and assertiveness. That is why he calls her a ‘Madam’.
On the way to the town, he tries his best to keep her in good humour and does not mind
when she gets irritated and annoyed on account of the fun he has at her expense.

Once the bus reaches the town, he is surprised to find out that the girl does not want to get
down to go around the town market and that she intends to return home by the same bus.
Thinking that she must be tired and thirsty, he even offers to buy her a cold – drink, which
she declines. On the way back, he readily answers all her questions about the dead cow.
This shows that the loves children and is patient with them.

In short, the conductor is a good-natured, cheerful man who enjoys his work and who
knows how to take care of his passengers, especially child-passengers. He is very nice to
Valli and takes good care of her. He even invites her to come again for another bus ride.

Why do you think standing in front of her doorway and watching what was happening
on the street became Valli’s favourite pastime?

Or

Why did Valli watch the happenings in the street?

Valli had no playmates of her own age in the neighbourhood. So, watching the activities of
the street became her favourite past time and it gave her many rich and unusual
experiences.

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

Every time the bus loaded with passengers passed by her house. It made Valli experience
an immense joy. Her strongest desire was to have a ride in the bus that travelled between
the village and the nearest town.

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

Valli found out small details about the bus journey form conversations between her
neighbours and the passengers who regularly used the bus. She came to know that the
distance between the village and town was six kilometers, and that the one-way bus fare
was thirty paise. She also learnt about its daily schedule and the time that each trip took.

What do you think Valli was planning to do?

Valli had a strong desire to undertake the bus journey from conversations between her
neighbours and the passengers who regularly used the bus. She came to know that the
distance between the village and town was six kilometers, and that the one-way bus fare
was thirty paise. She also learnt about its daily schedule and the times that teach trip took.

What do you think Valli was planning to do?

Valli had a strong desire to undertake the bus journey from her village to the nearest town.
She used to think a great deal about it and would make elaborate calculations,
recalculations, plans and preplans about how she could fulfill this overwhelming desire.

Why does the conductor refer to Valli as ‘madam’?

The conductor calls Valli ‘madam’ because of her haughty and over confident manner.
Though she is just eight, she talks like grown-up person and does not show any hesitation
while talking to him or to the other co-passengers.

How did Valli conduct herself before and after entering the bus for a ride?

Or

Why did Valli avoid everyone’s eyes and walk quickly to take her seat?

Valli conducted herself with dignity and confidence before entering the bus for a ride. She
raised her tiny hand commandingly to stop the bus and got in without taking any one’s
help. Instead the bus, Valli was overcome with shyness when she noticed that everyone
was looking at her. So, she avoided everyone’s glance and walked quickly to an empty seat
and sat down.

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

Or

Why does Valli initially stand during her bus ride? What does she see as the bus goes
along the bank of a canal?

Valli is rather short and she finds her outside view cut off owing to the canvas blind that
covered the lower part of her window. So, she stands up on her seat to be able to look over
the blind and see the view outside. On one side, she sees the canal and palm trees,
grassland, distant mountains and the blue sky beyond it. On the other side, she sees a
deep ditch and acres and acres of green fields.

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

Or

What did the elderly man on the bus tell Valli? How did Valli respond to him?

When the elderly gentleman calls Valli a child and asks her to sit down, the little girl is
extremely annoyed and irritated. To show her displeasure she tells him that she is not a
child as she is already eight years of age. Besides, she has paid her thirty paise to buy the
ticket like every other passenger.

How did the elderly woman irritate Valli with her endless drivel? How did Valli
retort?

Valli was a fiercely independent girl and was therefore irritated when the elderly woman
asked her if she were all alone. Valli answered back curtly that she was travelling alone and
had got a ticket too. She told the woman not to bother her as she could take care of herself.
How did the train seem to Valli from the bus?

Valli saw the train from her bus when they reached the railway crossing gate. The train
seemed like a tiny speak in the distance and it grew bigger and bigger as it drew nearer.
When it crossed the gate, its tremendous roar shook the bus that Valli was riding.

Describe the shopping street that Valli saw as the bus entered the thoroughfare.

The thoroughfare was a wide one with big and bright-looking shops. These shops had
glittering displays of clothes and other merchandise. Big crowds of people thronged this
place.

Why didn’t Valli get off the bus at the bus stop?

Valid did not get off the bus at the bus stop firstly because she was to go back by the same
bus, and secondly because she was too afraid to go out all by herself in the shopping street.

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

Valid did not want to get down and to a stall to have a drink because she was a bit too
afraid. Also because she had just enough money to buy the ticket for her return journey.
This shows that she was a cautious girl and avoided undue risks.

Why did Valli’s happiness change to sadness on the bus ride back to her village? How
did she behave then?

Valli had no desire to look out of the window on her way back because the memory of a
young cow lying dead by the roadside haunted her. What was so beautiful a little while ago
had turned into a ghastly sight. Her enthusiasm was dampened and she sat glued to her
seat until the bus reached her village.

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

Valli had in her mind her excursion that she had accomplished without the knowledge of
her mother. She had had a firsthand experience of an event related to the sudden end of
life. Having all this in mind, she agreed with her mother that so many things happen
without our knowledge.

Do you think the bus journey made Valli wiser and more Knowledgeable?

Any new experience makes a person wiser and more knowledgeable. A trip to the town
certainly adds to Valli’s knowledge. Moreover, she becomes wiser because she has seen the
difference between life and death.

How do you think Valli learns about the mystery of death?

The body of “the cow lying dead by the roadside” inducted Valli into the mystery of death. A
little while ago she had seen the same cow running for her life ahead of the bus and now it
was found lying lifeless and still. Thus, Valli realizes the transitoriness of life and the
inevitability of death.

Long answer questions

What was Valli’s deepest desire and why?

Having no playmates around her, Valli just stood in the doorway of her house to observe
the activities taking place in the street outside. The bus plying between her village and then
nearby town fascinated her and she vaguely decided to ride it someday. Watching the bus
day after day, she developed in her an irresistible desire to ride it, even if she would get to
do it just once. As time passed the desire to enjoy the bus ride became stronger and
stronger till it became an uncontrollable passion for her. The curious nature if this bold
and daring child gave depth to her desire.

How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus, and how did she
save up the fare?

Or

What elaborate calculations and preparations did Valli make for undertaking her first
bus journey?

Valli planned and re-planned her journey to the town and made discreet queries about it
gathering all possible information. She also listened to the conversation between regular
commuters and her neighbours. She learnt that town was six miles away from her village
and the bus took about two hours while going to town and coming back, and that the two
way fare was sixty paise. She took days and months to save this money. She saved thriftily
every single coin that she came upon without succumbing to the temptation of buying toys,
balloons and peppermints. Having done that she decided to board the one-o’clock afternoon
bus and return home on the same bus by about two forty-five. She planned so well that no
one could get to know about her adventure and her mother too would be enjoying a nap
during that time.

How did Valli conduct herself during her bus journey?

Or

Valli’s conduct in the bus amused the conductor as well as her fellow passengers.
How?

One fine spring afternoon, after having secured the bus-fare, Valli walked up to the point
where the bus turned into the main highway. As the bus approached her, she shouted
commandingly for the bus to stop. A bit too excited at the prospect of fulfilling a long
cherished desire, she was beside herself with joy. As she was about to step into the bus,
the conductor of the bus offered to assist her. However, Valli, who considered eight years to
be an age where an individual could look after oneself, declined his offer. Very conscious of
the fact that she had paid for her ticket, she didn’t want to be bossed around by anyone.
She snubbed the elderly man who advised her not to stand on her seat. She formed a
negative opinion about the elderly woman who sat near her. Her conduct and way of
speaking amused other in the bus and the conductor jokingly addressed her a s ‘Madam’.
On reaching the town, she chose to remain seated in the bus and refused to listen to the
conductor’s advice to get off and go over to the stalls or take a cold drink. Hence, Valli
conducted herself very confidently and independently without allowing anyone to dictate
her.

What made Valli’s journey to the town thrilling? Why? (or)

How did Valli enjoy her first bus ride? (or)

What did Valli see through the bus window during her bus ride that amused her?

Valli’s journey to the town was very thrilling. She saw a lot of interesting images through
the window of bus. She enjoyed it so much that she stood up on her seat to have a clearer
view of the canal, the palm trees, the mountains and the green fields. She saw the traffic on
the narrow road and it seemed to her as if her bus was gobbling up another vehicle or
pedestrian coming towards them. However, everything passed smoothly and all obstacles
were left behind safely. Trees seemed to be running towards them but stopped as the bus
reached them. They simply stood for a moment and then seemed to rush away in the other
direction. But what really tickled her and gave her maximum joy was the cow incident. A
cow suddenly appeared and started running in front of the bus when the bus rolled ahead
across the bare landscape through a tiny hamlet past a wayside shop. It ran as fast it could
in the middle of the road with her tail up in the air. Her tail went up out of sheer fright but
this amused Valli so much that she laughter and laughed till she had tears in her eyes. The
more the driver honked his horn, the faster the cow ran. The animal was utterly confused
and for while did not know what to do. All this gave Valli a lot of joy and she clapped her
hands with glee.

Give an account of Valli’s experience at the railway crossing and the market of the
town.

After the cow moved off the road, the bus came to a halt. A short while later, the bus
reached the railway crossing gate that was closed because a train was to pass. In the
distance, Valli saw the train as a tiny speck. It grew bigger and bigger as it drew nearer. It
crossed the gate with a tremendous roar shaking the bus. Then the bus passed the train
station and moved through a busy well-laid out shopping street to reach a wider
thoroughfare. Valli saw that the shops were very big and were laden with a display of
clothes and gazed at everything in amazement. It was here that everybody got off the bus
but Valli was much too afraid to roam around in the market place all by herself. Hence, she
remained seated in the bus and bought herself another ticket for her return journey.

Give an account of the change of mood that Valli experienced after she saw the cow
lying dead on the roadside. (or)

What horrifying experience did Valli have during her return journey by bus? (or)

What make Valli sad and dispirited on her journey back home?

During her onward journey Valli was immensely excited and enjoyed every moment of the
journey. When the bus commenced the return journey she still had the same mood and her
joy had not subsided. However, she experienced a sudden change of mood on seeing the
young cow that lay dead by the roadside. She was overcome by sadness at this painful
sight. She reflected thoughtfully that what had been a beautiful and lovable creature a little
while back, that had been a source foo so much amusement to her, was now lying lifeless
and looking so horrible and frightening. The blood smeared body and the fixed stare in its
lifeless eyes upset Valli. The dead cow’s memory haunted her and she remained glued to
her seat during the rest of her journey. She did not even look out of the window for fear of
seeing something more horrifying.