NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 7 Madam Rides the Bus
NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 7 Madam Rides the Bus
NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter Madam Rides the Bus
NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter Madam Rides the Bus
This worksheet provides NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter Madam Rides the Bus from the NCERT book First Flight. The chapter tells the story of an eight-year-old girl named Valli who dreams of riding the bus that passes through her village. Through curiosity, determination, and careful planning, she finally takes her first journey to the town and learns important life lessons from the experience. This chapter is important because it helps students understand character emotions, observation skills, and storytelling techniques. This worksheet provides complete and accurate NCERT Solutions that help students check their answers and understand the chapter clearly.
Chapter summary: stories, poems & themes
The chapter Madam Rides the Bus presents a short story about a young girl’s curiosity and excitement about taking her first bus journey. Through the story, students observe how Valli carefully listens to conversations, plans her trip, and experiences the outside world for the first time.
The worksheet also includes questions related to the poem The Tale of Custard the Dragon. This poem introduces students to a humorous narrative about a dragon named Custard and the characters around him. Through the poem, students learn about poetic devices, rhyme schemes, imagery, and character actions.
In addition to story and poem-based questions, the worksheet includes speaking activities, writing tasks, and discussion-based activities that help students develop reading comprehension, observation skills, and language understanding.
What this NCERT chapter covers?
• Reading comprehension through story-based questions
• Understanding characters, events, and emotions in a narrative
• Vocabulary and interpretation from a literary text
• Identification of poetic devices and rhyme schemes in a poem
• Speaking and discussion activities for language development
• Writing practice based on real-life experiences and creative topics
• Observation and interpretation from a child’s perspective
How to use these NCERT solutions?
Students should first read the chapter Madam Rides the Bus carefully and try to understand the sequence of events and the characters involved. After reading, they should attempt the worksheet questions on their own.
Once students complete their answers, they can use these NCERT Solutions to check whether their responses match the correct answers provided in the worksheet. Since the solutions follow the exact order and structure of the worksheet, it becomes easier for students to review their work.
Parents and teachers can also use these solutions to guide students while explaining difficult questions or checking homework. Following the NCERT structure helps students revise efficiently and understand how answers are expected to be written in school exams.
Student tips & learning tricks
Students should carefully read the story before attempting the comprehension questions so they clearly understand Valli’s thoughts, actions, and experiences.
When answering literature questions, students should focus on key events in the story such as Valli’s curiosity, how she planned her journey, and what she observed during the bus ride.
While studying the poem, students should pay attention to descriptions, poetic devices, and the behaviour of different characters.
For activity-based questions such as speaking and writing tasks, students should focus on expressing ideas clearly and confidently. These activities help improve communication and creative thinking skills.
Students should also read each question carefully before writing the answer to avoid missing important details.
Why NCERT solutions are important?
NCERT Solutions help students understand how answers should be written according to the NCERT pattern. They provide accurate responses that match textbook expectations, which helps students prepare effectively for school assessments and board examinations.
Using NCERT-aligned solutions strengthens foundational understanding and ensures that students learn the correct concepts. These solutions also help students build confidence while practicing questions and revising important chapters.
Complete answer key – NCERT solutions
Before You Read
1. Look at the words and phrases given below. Then put a tick against the ones you think you will find in the text.
a set of passengers - ✓
get on the bus - ✓
get off the bus - ✓
platform - ✘
Tickets, please - ✓
a roar and a rattle - ✓
a row of seats - ✓
slowing down to a crawl - ✓
blowing a whistle - ✓
Explanation: Read each word/phrase and try to relate it to your experiences or what you might encounter in the story. Tick those that you think you will find in the text.
2. You must have travelled by bus more than once. What can you see from a fast-moving bus? Given below are some suggestions. Speak briefly about some of these scenes, or about other such scenes that you have seen; or write a sentence or two about them.
Explanation: Imagine you're sitting on a fast-moving bus. Look out the window and think about the scenes you would see. Write about rivers, green fields, or anything else that might pass by.
Rivers, green fields, hills, roadside shops, market places, railway tracks, moving trains, vehicles on the road, trees, a crowd, clothes in shops, animals.
Oral Comprehension Check
1. Valli’s favourite pastime was standing at the front doorway of her house, watching what was happening in the street outside.
2. The bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town was a source of unending joy for Valli. Her strongest desire was to ride on the bus, even if just once.
3. Valli found out about the bus journey by listening to conversations and asking discreet questions. She learned that the town was six miles away, the fare was thirty paise one way, and the trip took forty-five minutes.
4. Valli was planning to travel on the bus and experience the town.
Oral Comprehension Check
1. Valli shouted, “Stop the bus! Stop the bus!”
2. Valli stood up on the seat to look outside but was blocked by a canvas blind. She peered over the blind to get a better view.
3. Valli told the elderly man that she was not a child and had paid for her fare like everyone else.
4. Valli didn’t want to make friends with the elderly woman because she found her repulsive.
Oral Comprehension Check
1. Valli saved money for her first journey by resisting temptations to buy toys, peppermints, and balloons. It wasn’t easy for her because it took a long time to save enough money.
2. Valli laughed when she saw the cow running fast in front of the bus, which startled the driver.
3. Valli didn’t get off the bus at the bus station because she wanted to continue her journey back without exploring the town.
4. Valli didn’t want to go to the stall and have a drink because she was afraid of doing so alone.
Thinking about the Text
1. Valli’s deepest desire was to ride the bus. Words and phrases: “She wanted to ride on that bus,” “a tiny wish crept into her head.”
2. Valli planned her bus ride by saving money and asking questions about the bus. She saved up the fare of sixty paise.
3. Valli is independent, determined, brave, and a little headstrong.
(i) “Stop the bus! Stop the bus!”
(ii) “Yes, I go to town.”
(iii) “There’s nobody here,”
(iv) “Never mind, I can get on by myself.”
(v) “You needn’t bother about me.”
(vi) “Well, sir, I hope to see you again.”
4. The conductor refers to Valli as ‘madam’ because she behaved like a grown-up person.
5. Valli’s laughter and excitement when the cow ran in front of the bus show that she was enjoying the ride.
6. Valli refused to look out of the window on the way back because the sight of the dead cow haunted her.
7. Valli’s statement means that she agrees with her mother’s idea that there are many things we don’t know or understand completely.
8. The text describes Valli’s innocent and curious perspective, such as her excitement at seeing the town, which shows an eight-year-old’s point of view.
Speaking
Student-generated activity
Explanation: In this activity, students reflect on the conversations in the story and think about similar situations from their own lives. Students mimic a person or persons who spoke to them and recreate the dialogue along with their responses.
Writing
Student-generated activity
Explanation: Students write about one of the following topics in about three paragraphs.
Planning something independently.
An unforgettable journey.
Concerns about traffic and road safety.
What You Can Do
Student-generated activity
Explanation: Students collect different kinds of used tickets such as bus tickets, train tickets, plane tickets, cinema tickets, or tickets to cultural events and create a collage on poster paper. They classify the tickets according to type or price and write a paragraph describing the collage.
Activity 1
Student-generated activity
Explanation: Students discuss in pairs how they spent their pocket money and whether it was spent on themselves or on someone else.
Activity 2
Student-generated activity
Explanation: Students discuss in groups an incident that troubled or discouraged them, similar to how Valli felt after seeing the dead cow.
Thinking about the Poem
1. Belinda, Ink — the kitten, Blink — the mouse, Mustard — the dog, Custard — the dragon, Pirate.
2. Custard cried for a nice safe cage because everyone called him cowardly and teased him. He was called the “cowardly dragon” because he always asked for safety and protection.
3. Belinda tickled him unmercifully as part of the teasing that all the characters did to make fun of Custard.
4. “Mouth like a fireplace” — simile
“Snorting like an engine” — simile
“Clashed his tail like irons in a dungeon” — simile
Repetition: “realio, trulio”
5. The dragon is described as having big sharp teeth, spikes on top, scales underneath, a mouth like a fireplace, a chimney-like nose, and dagger-like toes.
6. Stanza 1: house / mouse / wagon / dragon (AABB)
Stanza 2: Ink / Blink / Mustard / Custard (AABB)
7. “Mouth like a fireplace”
“Chimney for a nose”
“Clashed his tail like irons in a dungeon”
“Snorting like an engine”
8. The poem is light-hearted and humorous. The characters tease the dragon for being cowardly, but he proves his bravery by defeating the pirate.
9. Answers may vary.
Writing
Student-generated activity
Explanation: Students write their own ballad by choosing a theme, creating characters and a simple narrative, using rhythm and rhyme, dividing the poem into verses, and optionally adding a refrain.
Support your child’s English learning with structured NCERT Solutions designed to build strong reading, comprehension, and writing skills.