1. Why does the bus conductor refer to Valli as ‘madam’?
Ans: The conductor called Valli ‘madam’ because she behaved like a woman. She declined his help and was very quick in her answers to the conductor’s questions. This made the conductor call him madam.
2. How far was the town from Valli’s village?
Ans: The distance between the town and Valli's village was six miles.
3. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?
Ans: Valli saw a young cow running very fast 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 laugh heartily, and she laughed so hard that she had tears in her eyes.
4. How old and what type of a girl was Valli?
Ans: Valliammai was an eight-year-old girl. She was a mature girl but did not have any playmate of her age. She was very about things.
5. How did Valli gave up money for her first bus journey? Was it easy for her?
Ans:- Valli saved up the money for her first bus journey by resisting the temptations to buy toys, balloons, peppermints, and so on. She had deliberately preserved every coin that appeared her way and sacrificed all her normal childish urges such as buying candies, joyrides and toys. It had been very difficult for her to save money, but she had been able to save sixty paisa for her first bus journey.
6. What did the bus conductor offer Valli at the bus stop in the town?
Ans:- The bus conductor offered Valli soft drink at the bus stop in the town.
7. How far was the town from Valli’s village?
Ans: The distance between the town and Valli's village was six miles.
8. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?
Ans: Valli saw a young cow running very fast 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 laugh heartily, and she laughed so hard that she had tears in her eyes.
9. How old and what type of a girl was Valli?
Ans: Valliammai was an eight-year-old girl. She was a mature girl but did not have any playmate of her age. She was very about things.
10. “Valli found the women absolutely repulsive” Why?
Ans: Valli found the woman absolutely repulsive — such big holes she had in her ear lobes, and such ugly earrings in them! And she could smell the betel nut the woman was chewing and see the betel juice that was threatening to spill over her lips at any moment.
11. Why didn’t Valli get off the bus at the bus station?
Ans: She did not get off the bus at the bus station because she was afraid of getting lost and also she had to go back on that same bus.
12. What was the source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?
Ans :- The sight of the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town, filled each time with a new set of passengers, was a source of unending joy for Valli. Her strongest desire was to take a ride on the bus.
13. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?
Ans: 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.
14. What was the tiny wish that crept into Valli’s head?
Ans: The tiny wish that crept into Valli’s head was to ride on that bus, even if just once.
15. What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find out these details?
Ans: Valli found out that the bus journey to the town took 45 minutes and the two-way fare was 60 paise. She found out these details by listening carefully to the conversations between her neighbours and people who regularly used the bus and asked a few questions here and there.
16. What was the source of unending joy for Valli?
What was her strongest desire? Or, What was her overwhelming desire?
Ans:- The sight of the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town, filled each time with a new set of passengers, was a source of unending joy for Valli. Her strongest/ overwhelming desire was to take a ride on the bus.
17. How far was the town from Valli’s village? What was the bus fare for a trip from the village to the town?
Ans: Valli found out that the town was six miles from her village. The fare was thirty paise one way. The trip to the town took forty-five minutes.
18. “Oh sir, but this a very grown up madam”. Who is the speaker? Who is addressee as sir?
Ans: The bus conductor is the speaker here. The addressee is a passenger, who is riding on the bus.
19. What is the full name of Valli?
Ans:- Valli's full name was Valliemai and she was 8 years old.
20. How did Valli save up money for her bus journey?
Ans:- Valli had economically saved whatever stray coins came her way. She resisted every temptation to buy peppermints, toys, balloons and ride on the merry-go-round at the village fair to save money for her bus journey.
21. Why did the bus conductor address Valli ‘Madam’?
Ans: The conductor called Valli ‘madam’ because she behaved like a woman.
She declined his help and quickly answered the conductor’s questions, making the conductor call Valli as a madam.
22. What were the information that Valli had collected about the bus journey?
Ans: Valli discovered that the bus ride between her hamlet and the town, which was six miles distant, took 45 minutes. She also discovered that the one-way cost for the journey was thirty paise. She learned this information by listening to the passengers' conversations and occasionally by questioning them.
23. How did the fatal scene of the dead cow haunted Valli? Did she learn something about life?
Ans: The sight of the cow lying dead in the middle of a pool of blood dampened her spirits. She became sad. The memory of the dead cow haunted her. She learnt that everything about travelling on the road was not exciting.
Or,
She learnt that death is inevitable to all. Anyone born on this earth is bound to death and that it is something the mystery of life lies into. Though she was too small to understand the entire concept of this mystery, she at least knew this much from her experiences now.
24. How did Valli pick up various small details about the bus journey? Or, How did Valli find out many details about the bus journey?
Ans: Valli found out these details by listening carefully to the conversations between her neighbours and people who regularly used the bus and asked a few questions here and there. This way, she picked up every small detail about the bus journey.
25. What made Valli laugh in her journey?
Ans:- Valli saw a young cow running very fast right in front of the bus. The cow's tail was high in the air, and the driver sounded his horn loudly again and again so that the cow would move away from the path. However, the cow became more frightened as the driver kept sounding the horn and it started running faster. This all seemed very funny and made Valli laugh.
26. What was Valli's deepest desire? How did she save up money for her journey? or, How did Valli collect the bus fare for her trip to the town?
Ans:- Valli’s deepest desire was to ride on the bus she saw everyday.
Valli saved up the money for her first bus journey by resisting the temptations to buy toys, balloons, peppermints, and so on. She had deliberately preserved every coin that appeared her way and sacrificed all her normal childish urges such as buying candies, joyrides and toys. It had been very difficult for her to save money, but she had been able to save sixty paisa for her first bus journey.
27. Describe the bus in which Valli was travelling?
Ans:- The bus in which Valli travelled was a new bus. Outside, it was brightly painted white with green strips. Inside, in front of the seats, there was a beautiful clock above the windshield. The seats of the bus were soft and luxurious.
28. What happened when an elderly woman entered the bus and seat beside Valli?
Ans:- An elderly woman entered the bus and sat beside Valli finding the seat vacant. Valli found the woman absolutely repulsive. She was wearing ugly earrings and smelt betel nut. Valli thought no one could be sociable with such a person.
29. What did Valli tell the passenger when he called her a child?
Ans:- When the elderly man called her a child, Valli told him that there was nobody on the bus who was a child. She had paid her fare of thirty paise like everyone else.
30. " May we start now madam"? -- Who is the speaker here? How old was the madam?
Ans:- The bus conductor was the speaker here. The madam was an eight-year-old girl.
31. Why didn't Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?
or,
The woman had big ear holes and was wearing ugly earrings. She was also chewing betel, and her mouth was filled with betel juice which was almost about to spill over her lips. Valli found the woman unpleasant and ugly, and that is why she did not want to make friends with her.