Page 2 - LN4- QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

8. Why didn’t Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?

A. Valli was already annoyed with how everyone was treating her like a child. When
that elderly woman came and showed concern about her, it irritated her further.
Moreover, she had large holes in her earlobes with ugly earrings that Valli developed
strong dislike for. The lady was chewing betel nut and its juice could have spilled any
moment, automatically making her a less socially desirable person according to Valli.
9. How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?

A. Undoubtedly, she had put innumerable amount of effort in planning and saving for
her first ever bus journey. It was a dream ride for her. She resisted every temptation
ranging from peppermints, toys, balloons to merry-go-round at the village fair. After
so many efforts, she finally saved sixty paise. No, it was not easy for her.
10. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?

A. Valli saw a cow that was running along the road and came in front of the bus. As
the driver honked, it started running in front of the bus. The more the driver blew
the horn, faster did it run but did not get out of the way. This was funny for Valli and
she kept on laughing till she had tears in her eyes.

11. Why didn’t she get off the bus at the bus station?
A. Valli didn’t get off the bus on reaching the town because she only boarded the bus
with the intention of taking a ride to and from the nearby town. Moreover, she was
too afraid to even casually have a look at her surroundings as she was all alone.

12. Why didn’t Valli want to go to the stall and have a drink? What does this tell
you about her?
A. Valli was too afraid to get off the bus alone. Moreover, she didn’t have enough
money to buy herself a drink. Therefore, she didn’t intend on going to the stall for a
drink. This shows that Valli was a responsible and careful child who was aware that
getting off the bus without an adult could get her in trouble. Moreover, as she did
not have the money, she denied the treat offered by the conductor which showed
that she was a mature child.

13. What was Valli’s deepest desire? Find the words and phrases in the story that
tell you this.

A. Valli’s deepest desire was to travel by bus. Words and phrases like “the most
fascinating thing of all” and “source of unending joy” have been used to describe
Valli’s deepest desire.

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

A. Once she decided to travel by bus, she started listening to her neighbour’s
conversations about their bus rides very carefully. In the process, she would herself

2