Madam Rides the Bus — Practice

Question 1

How much did Valli save for the bus ride?

Accepted Answer

✦ Answer: 60 paise — 30 paise one-way + 30 paise return. She saved by refusing sweets and toys at fairs and festivals.

Question 2

Why did Valli refuse the conductor's and other passengers' offers in town?

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — Her single goal.
  Her goal was JUST to ride the bus — not visit town, eat ice cream, or use facilities.

Step 2 — Her dignity.
  She wanted to maintain her independence. She refused help to assert 'I'm a big girl now.'

Step 3 — Her plan.
  Her plan was specific: go, ride, return. Anything else might risk her secret or upset her mother's schedule.

Step 4 — Her self-respect.
  She had paid for what she wanted. She did not seek charity or pity.

✦ Answer: Valli refused offers because her goal was ONLY to ride the bus — go and return. She wanted to maintain independence ('I'm a big girl now'), keep to her plan, and avoid risking her secret. She had paid for what she wanted and didn't need charity.

Question 3

What does the dead cow symbolise in 'Madam Rides the Bus'?

Accepted Answer

Step 1 — The earlier scene.
  On the outward journey, a cow ran in front of the bus. The driver swerved. Everyone was RELIEVED. Valli was thrilled by the close call.

Step 2 — The return scene.
  On the way back, they pass the SAME cow — now DEAD on the road. It must have been killed by a later vehicle.

Step 3 — Valli's reaction.
  She is DEEPLY SHOCKED. Her excitement dies. She realises that the cow she earlier 'survived' was not so lucky after all.

Step 4 — Symbolic meaning.
  • Life is FRAGILE — celebrated narrow escapes can become tragedies
  • Death is SUDDEN — no warning
  • Joy and sorrow are CLOSE — back-to-back on same road
  • Innocence is LOST — Valli first encounters mortality

Step 5 — Literary significance.
  The story now has TWO LEVELS:
  • Surface: a child's adventure
  • Deep: a first encounter with death and life's reality

Step 6 — Connection to growing up.
  This is Valli's FIRST adult realisation. She returns home different — outwardly the same little girl, inwardly aware.

Step 7 — Author's craft.
  The dead cow transforms a simple adventure into a profound story about life, death, and innocence — without preaching.

✦ Answer: The dead cow symbolises the harsh reality of life and death. Earlier the cow had narrowly escaped the bus — a moment of relief. On return, the same cow lies dead — proof that danger doesn't always pass. For Valli, this is her FIRST encounter with mortality. The same road that gave her joy gave the cow death. The dead cow turns her childhood adventure into a quiet lesson about life's fragility and her own loss of innocence.

Practice — Madam Rides the Bus

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