Chapter 9 of Vallikkannan’s Class 10 English textbook, First Flight, has a prose piece titled Madam Rides the Bus. It is a delicate narrative of an eight-year-old girl whose first exciting bus voyage beyond her town taught her about life and death. Here is a synopsis of the text in the form of CBSE English Notes for Class 10. CBSE Class 10 students may get a synopsis of Madam Rides the Bus in prose form here. They will have easy access to the CBSE Class 10 English Prose Notes – Madam Rides the Bus while they prepare for their Board examinations.

CBSE Class 10 English notes will assist students in studying the topic thoroughly and clearly.

These CBSE Class 10 English notes were written by subject experts who made the study material very basic, both in terms of language and format.

Valliammai and Her Pastime

Valliammai was a young lady who went by the nickname Valli. She was eight years old at the time, and she was very curious about everything. She didn’t have anyone her age to play with. As a result, her favourite pastime was to stand at her front door and watch what was going on in the neighbourhood. She was captivated by the bus service that ran between her village and the nearest town. The bus passed through her street twice in an hour, she noticed. She grew a desire to ride the bus after seeing it fill up with new passengers every day.

Valli wants to Travel in the Bus

Valli’s desire to ride the bus grew stronger with each passing day until it became a strong desire. She used to stare at the passengers as they rode the bus up and down. She became envious of her friends if one of them went on a bus ride and described it to her.

Valli learns more about the bus journey.

Valli listened to the conversations between her neighbours and people who took the bus on a regular basis for days and months. She even questioned them to learn more about the bus journey. Valli learned from these conversations that the nearest town to her village was six miles away and that the bus ride would take 45 minutes. She also learned that the bus fare was thirty paise for one way. Sixty paise for a round trip on the bus was a lot of money for Valli. She did, however, intend to collect it. She also calculated the length of her journey in order to travel quickly.

Valli took the bus to her destination.

Valli got off the bus one day during the spring season. She told the conductor that she was a passenger when he inquired about the passenger. Even when the conductor offered to assist her in boarding the bus, she declined and boarded the bus on her own. She accepted the conductor’s offer to sit in the front seat. Valli was addressed as ‘madam’ by the conductor. The bus had only six to seven people on board. The bus was brand new, with plush seats.

Valli Thought about her Planning for the Journey

Valli had to make thorough planning for her first bus trip. She had saved up every penny she could. She resisted the urge to buy toys, peppermints, and balloons, among other things. She turned down to ride the merry-go-round even at the village fair. She also planned to sneak out of the house while her mother was sleeping in the afternoon. She had previously spent that time exploring the village.

View Outside the Bus

Valli was looking forward to seeing the view outside, but the canvas blocked her view. So she got out of her seat and stood up to get a better view. Outside, she noticed a narrow road. On one side of the road, there was a canal with palm trees, grasslands, mountains, and blue sky beyond it. There was a deep ditch on the other side, as well as acres of green fields.

Passengers Inside the Bus

Valli was a child named by an elderly bus passenger. He requested that she not stand. Valli despised being referred to as a child. As a result, she informed him that she was an adult, just like everyone else. Valli was also told to sit by the conductor because she would hurt herself if the bus took a sharp turn. Valli, on the other hand, is deafeningly deafeningly deafen

An Elderly Woman in the Bus

Valli sat down when the bus arrived at the next stop, fearing that her seat would be taken. An elderly woman approached the stand and sat next to Valli. Valli thought the lady was unattractive. Her ears were pierced and she wore obnoxious earring.

She was chewing betel and the juice was threatening to spill over her lips. Valli told the lady not to worry about her and turned her face towards the window when she asked if she was alone and where she was going.

The Bus Journey

The bus passed through a barren landscape. Valli was taken aback by how smoothly the bus moved even when another vehicle passed in front of it. Trees appeared to be moving but would come to a halt when the bus arrived.

Valli was overcome with joy when she saw a young cow running across the road in front of the bus. The cow would become frightened and run faster in front of the bus as the bus driver horned. Valli burst out laughing at this. The bus arrived at a railroad crossing after some time. The train shook the bus as it passed through the crossing gate.

The Bus Entered the Town

The bus arrived in town. When the bus passed through the market, Valli enjoyed looking at the brightly coloured shops. Except for Valli, the bus came to a halt and all of the passengers exited.

Valli was asked to exit the bus by the conductor. Valli informed him that she would be returning on the same bus and handed him the fare for the return journey. She explained to the conductor that she had come to take the bus. The conductor then offered her a cold drink, which Valli declined.

Valli saw a Dead Cow

After a while, the bus began its return journey. On the way back, Valli saw the same spectacular sights. She was not bored, and she approached everything with the same enthusiasm as the first time.

She was startled to see a young cow lying dead by the side of the road. When she was on her way to town, the same cow was running towards the bus.

A fast-moving vehicle had collided with the cow. When she saw her, she was overcome with sadness. The bus continued on, but Valli’s mind was still haunted by the image of the dead cow. She also didn’t bother to look out the window.

Valli Returns Home

Valli’s village was quickly reached by the bus. She informed the bus conductor that she would take the bus once more. The conductor laughed as he reminded her of the fare. Valli exited the bus and walked into her home. From South Street, she noticed her mother conversing with her aunt. She heared them discussing a variety of topics about which they were unaware in the outside world.

Valli agreed and added that there are many things going on behind our backs that we are unaware of. Valli’s aunt was taken aback by her statement and told her that Valli was acting maturely. Valli smiled, knowing that her mother and aunt would never know about her adventure.

Overview of the Chapter

Valli, an eight-year-old girl, takes her first bus ride in this story. She was an inquisitive young lady who yearned to travel by bus. She saves money for this purpose and boards the bus once she has enough money for the trip. Her journey turns out to be a brief encounter with life’s harsh realities. She discovers that there are many things in the world that are beyond our understanding and experience.

Character Information

Valliammai

Valliammai, also known as Valli, is a young girl of eight years old. She was an inquisitive, intelligent, sensitive, self-respecting, and fun-loving young lady who desired to travel by bus. She was a determined young lady who realised her ambition and took her first bus ride.

The Driver of the Bus

A merry-go-round type of person. Valli was asked to sit in the front row of the bus. ‘Madam,’ he addressed Valli.