Here are the 20 multiple-choice questions based on Chapter 9 “Madam Rides the Bus” and the poem “The Tale of Custard the Dragon”.
Part I: Madam Rides the Bus
1. What was Valli’s favourite pastime?
A) Playing elaborate games with friends
B) Standing in the front doorway of her house
C) Reading books about the city
D) Walking to the nearest town
2. What was the one-way fare for the bus ride from the village to the town?
A) Thirty paise
B) Sixty paise
C) Forty-five paise
D) One rupee
3. How long did the trip to the town take?
A) Thirty minutes
B) One hour
C) Forty-five minutes
D) Two hours
4. What slang expression did Valli and her friends use to show disapproval?
A) Silly! Silly!
B) Proud! proud!
C) Crazy! Crazy!
D) Stop! Stop!
5. Why did Valli stand up on the bus seat?
A) She wanted to talk to the conductor
B) She was tired of sitting
C) Her view was cut off by a canvas blind
D) The seat was hot
6. How did the conductor address Valli?
A) Child
B) Madam
C) Lady
D) Girl
7. What did Valli find repulsive about the elderly woman sitting next to her?
A) Her loud voice
B) Her rude questions
C) Her big earholes and the smell of betel nut
D) Her dirty clothes
8. How did Valli save the sixty paise for her journey?
A) She asked her aunt for money
B) She resisted temptations like toys and the merry-go-round
C) She sold her old clothes
D) She worked at a shop
9. What time of day did Valli choose for her excursion?
A) Early morning
B) During her mother’s afternoon nap
C) Late at night
D) During school hours
10. What made Valli laugh until there were tears in her eyes during the bus ride?
A) The conductor’s jokes
B) A young cow running in front of the bus
C) An old woman dropping her bag
D) A passenger falling off a seat
11. Why didn’t Valli get off the bus when it reached the town?
A) She was afraid to go alone
B) She had no money left
C) The conductor told her to stay
D) She fell asleep
12. What dampened Valli’s enthusiasm on the return journey?
A) It started raining
B) The conductor was rude
C) Seeing the young cow lying dead
D) She lost her ticket
Part II: The Tale of Custard the Dragon
13. In “The Tale of Custard the Dragon,” what was the name of the little black kitten?
A) Blink
B) Mustard
C) Ink
D) Custard
14. How is Custard the dragon described physically?
A) Small and furry
B) Big sharp teeth, spikes on top, and a chimney for a nose
C) Invisible and silent
D) Yellow with black stripes
15. What did Custard always cry for?
A) A nice safe cage
B) More food
C) A fight with a pirate
D) To go outside
16. Who climbed into the window in the poem?
A) A thief
B) A pirate
C) A monster
D) A neighbor
17. How did Mustard the dog react when he saw the pirate?
A) He attacked the pirate
B) He barked loudly
C) He fled with a terrified yelp
D) He laughed
18. What did Custard do to the pirate?
A) Chased him away
B) Gobbled him every bit
C) Locked him in a cage
D) Made friends with him
19. What did the other pets do after Custard ate the pirate?
A) They admitted Custard was the bravest forever
B) They made excuses for their cowardice
C) They left the house
D) They cried
20. Who is the poet of “The Tale of Custard the Dragon”?
A) Robert Frost
B) Ogden Nash
C) Walt Whitman
D) William Wordsworth
