Before You Read - Activity
1. Look at the words and phrases given below. Then put a tick against the ones you think you will find in the text.
Based on the story content, the following words and phrases would be found in the text:
- ✓ a set of passengers
- ✓ get on the bus
- ✓ get off the bus
- ✓ Tickets, please
- ✓ a roar and a rattle
- ✓ a row of seats
- ✓ slowing down to a crawl
- ✓ blowing a whistle
The word "platform" is less likely to appear as the story is about a bus journey, not a train journey.
Oral Comprehension Check
1. What was Valli's favourite pastime?
Valli's favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway of her house, watching what was happening in the street outside.
2. What was a source of unending joy for Valli? What was her strongest desire?
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 that bus, even if just once.
3. What did Valli find out about the bus journey? How did she find out these details?
Valli found out that the town was six miles from her village, the fare was thirty paise one way, and the trip to town took forty-five minutes. She learned these details by listening carefully to conversations between her neighbours and people who regularly used the bus, and by asking a few discreet questions.
4. What do you think Valli was planning to do?
Valli was planning to take the bus to town and back by herself, using the money she had saved.
5. Why does the conductor call Valli 'madam'?
The conductor calls Valli 'madam' in a joking, affectionate way because she acts very grown-up and independent for her age.
6. Why does Valli stand up on the seat? What does she see now?
Valli stands up on the seat because her view is cut off by a canvas blind that covers the lower part of her window. When she stands up, she sees the canal, palm trees, grassland, distant mountains, the blue sky, a deep ditch, and acres of green fields.
7. What does Valli tell the elderly man when he calls her a child?
Valli tells the elderly man, "There's nobody here who's a child. I've paid my thirty paise like everyone else."
8. Why didn't Valli want to make friends with the elderly woman?
Valli didn't want to make friends with the elderly woman because she found her repulsive - she had big holes in her ear lobes with ugly earrings, she was chewing betel nut, and betel juice was threatening to spill over her lips.
9. How did Valli save up money for her first journey? Was it easy for her?
Valli saved up money by thriftily saving whatever stray coins came her way, resisting every temptation to buy peppermints, toys, balloons, and the like. It was not easy for her, particularly at the village fair where she had to resist a strong desire to ride the merry-go-round.
10. What did Valli see on her way that made her laugh?
Valli saw a young cow running very fast right in the middle of the road in front of the bus. The more the driver honked, the more frightened the animal became and the faster it galloped, which Valli found very funny.
11. Why didn't she get off the bus at the bus station?
Valli didn't get off the bus at the bus station because she was afraid to explore the town all by herself. She just wanted to experience the bus ride.
12. Why didn't Valli want to go to the stall and have a drink? What does this tell you about her?
Valli didn't want to go to the stall because she didn't have enough money and didn't want to accept the conductor's offer to treat her. This shows that she was independent, responsible, and had strong self-control.
Thinking about the Text
1. What was Valli's deepest desire? Find the words and phrases in the story that tell you this.
Valli's deepest desire was to ride on the bus that travelled between her village and the nearest town. The story uses these words and phrases to describe her desire:
- "a tiny wish crept into her head and grew there: she wanted to ride on that bus, even if just once"
- "This wish became stronger and stronger, until it was an overwhelming desire"
- "Valli would stare wistfully at the people who got on or off the bus"
- "Their faces would kindle in her longings, dreams, and hopes"
2. How did Valli plan her bus ride? What did she find out about the bus, and how did she save up the fare?
Valli planned her bus ride very carefully:
- She listened to conversations between her neighbours and regular bus users
- She asked discreet questions to gather information
- She found out the town was six miles away, the fare was thirty paise one way, and the trip took forty-five minutes
- She calculated that she could take the one-o'clock bus, reach town at one forty-five, and be back by two forty-five
- She saved money by resisting temptations to buy sweets, toys, and balloons, and by not riding the merry-go-round at the fair
- She planned to slip out of the house during her mother's afternoon nap
3. What kind of a person is Valli? To answer this question, pick out the following sentences from the text and fill in the blanks. The words you fill in are the clues to your answer.
(i) "Stop the bus! Stop the bus!" And a tiny hand was raised commandingly.
(ii) "Yes, I simply have to go to town," said Valli, still standing outside the bus.
(iii) "There's nobody here who's a child," she said haughtily. "I've paid my thirty paise like everyone else."
(iv) "Never mind," she said, "I can get on by myself. You don't have to help me. I'm not a child, I tell you," she said, irritably.
(v) "You needn't bother about me. I can take care of myself," Valli said, turning her face toward the window and staring out.
(vi) Then she turned to the conductor and said, "Well, sir, I hope to see you again."
These sentences show that Valli is confident, independent, determined, self-reliant, and polite despite her strong will.
4. Why does the conductor refer to Valli as 'madam'?
The conductor refers to Valli as 'madam' because she behaves in a very grown-up manner for an eight-year-old. She insists on paying her own fare, refuses help to get on the bus, and speaks with confidence and authority.
5. Find the lines in the text which tell you that Valli was enjoying her ride on the bus.
These lines show Valli was enjoying her ride:
- "Valli devoured everything with her eyes."
- "Oh, it was all so wonderful!"
- "Suddenly Valli clapped her hands with glee."
- "She laughed and laughed until there were tears in her eyes."
- "Struck dumb with wonder, Valli gaped at everything."
- "Valli wasn't bored in the slightest and greeted everything with the same excitement she'd felt the first time."
6. Why does Valli refuse to look out of the window on her way back?
Valli refuses to look out of the window on her way back because she saw a dead cow lying by the roadside - the same young cow that had made her laugh earlier. The sight of the dead animal haunts her and dampens her enthusiasm.
7. What does Valli mean when she says, "I was just agreeing with what you said about things happening without our knowledge."
Valli is referring to her secret bus ride that happened without her mother's knowledge. She's subtly acknowledging that her mother is right - many things happen around us that we don't know about, just as her mother didn't know about Valli's bus adventure.
8. The author describes the things that Valli sees from an eight-year-old's point of view. Can you find evidence from the text for this statement?
Yes, there are several examples of descriptions from a child's perspective:
- "The bus seemed on the point of gobbling up another vehicle" - using imagery a child would understand
- "Trees came running towards them but then stopped as the bus reached them" - personification that reflects a child's imagination
- Her excitement at simple things like the cow running in front of the bus
- Her description of the elderly woman as "repulsive" with "big holes" in her ears - a child's honest observation
- Her wonder at the "big, bright-looking shops" and "glittering displays" in town
Poem - The Tale of Custard the Dragon
Belinda lived in a little white house,
With a little black kitten and a little grey mouse,
And a little yellow dog and a little red wagon,
And a realio, trulio, little pet dragon.
Now the name of the little black kitten was Ink,
And the little grey mouse, she called him Blink,
And the little yellow dog was sharp as Mustard,
But the dragon was a coward, and she called him Custard.
Custard the dragon had big sharp teeth,
And spikes on top of him and scales underneath,
Mouth like a fireplace, chimney for a nose,
And realio, trulio daggers on his toes.
Glossary:
grog: a drink typically drunk by sailors
gyrate: to move around in circles
1. Who are the characters in this poem? List them with their pet names.
- Belinda - the owner (no pet name)
- Ink - the little black kitten
- Blink - the little grey mouse
- Mustard - the little yellow dog
- Custard - the dragon
2. Why did Custard cry for a nice safe cage? Why is the dragon called "cowardly dragon"?
Custard cried for a nice safe cage because he was cowardly and wanted protection. The dragon is called "cowardly" because despite his fearsome appearance with big sharp teeth, spikes, and scales, he was actually very timid and fearful.
3. "Belinda tickled him, she tickled him unmerciful…" Why?
Belinda tickled Custard unmercifully because she and her other pets found his cowardice amusing and wanted to tease him about it.
4. The poet has employed many poetic devices in the poem. For example: "Clashed his tail like iron in a dungeon" — the poetic device here is a simile. Can you, with your partner, list some more such poetic devices used in the poem?
Some poetic devices used in the poem:
- Simile: "as brave as a barrel full of bears", "as brave as a tiger in a rage", "sharp as Mustard"
- Repetition: "realio, trulio" is repeated throughout the poem
- Onomatopoeia: "Weeck!" (sound made by the mouse), "Meowch!" (sound made by the kitten)
- Alliteration: "Belinda was as brave as a barrel full of bears"
- Imagery: Vivid descriptions of Custard's appearance and the pirate
5. Read stanza three again to know how the poet describes the appearance of the dragon.
The poet describes Custard the dragon as having:
- Big sharp teeth
- Spikes on top of him
- Scales underneath
- A mouth like a fireplace
- A nose like a chimney
- Daggers on his toes
This creates an image of a fearsome, dangerous-looking dragon, which contrasts humorously with his cowardly nature.
6. Can you find out the rhyme scheme of two or three stanzas of the poem?
The rhyme scheme of the poem is AABB throughout. For example:
Stanza 1: house (A), mouse (A), wagon (B), dragon (B) - AABB
Stanza 2: Ink (A), Blink (A), Mustard (B), Custard (B) - AABB
Stanza 3: teeth (A), underneath (A), nose (B), toes (B) - AABB
7. Writers use words to give us a picture or image without actually saying what they mean. Can you trace some images used in the poem?
Some images used in the poem:
- "Mouth like a fireplace, chimney for a nose" - creates an image of a dragon that could breathe fire
- "Clashed his tail like irons in a dungeon" - creates an image of a loud, metallic sound
- "Pistol in his left hand, pistol in his right, And he held in his teeth a cutlass bright" - creates a clear image of the pirate
- "His beard was black, one leg was wood" - creates a distinctive image of the pirate's appearance
8. Do you find The Tale of Custard the Dragon to be a serious or a light-hearted poem? Give reasons to support your answer.
The Tale of Custard the Dragon is a light-hearted, humorous poem. Reasons:
- It has a playful tone and simple, rhyming structure
- It uses humorous contrasts (a fierce-looking dragon who is actually cowardly)
- It has comical character names (Ink, Blink, Mustard, Custard)
- It includes funny sounds and exaggerated actions
- The ending is happy and humorous with the other pets claiming they would have been braver
9. This poem, in ballad form, tells a story. Have you come across any such modern song or lyric that tells a story? If you know one, tell it to the class. Collect such songs as a project.
Many modern songs tell stories, such as:
- "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" by Charlie Daniels Band - tells the story of a fiddle contest between a boy and the devil
- "Cat's in the Cradle" by Harry Chapin - tells the story of a father-son relationship over time
- "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot - tells the story of a shipwreck
- "Stan" by Eminem - tells a story through letters from an obsessed fan
These songs, like ballads, use narrative elements to tell complete stories with characters, settings, and plots.