Chapter 7 Solutions — Madam Rides the Bus

Valli's favourite pastime was standing in the front doorway of her house, watching what was happening in the street outside.

There were no playmates of her own age on her street, so this was about all she had to do. Yet for her, standing at the front door was every bit as enjoyable as the elaborate games other children played, because watching the street gave her many new and unusual experiences.

Valli planned her ride carefully. She found out that the town was six miles away, the fare was thirty paise one way, and the trip took forty-five minutes, and that by paying another thirty paise she could return on the same bus. She learnt all this by listening to conversations and asking a few discreet questions.

She worked out that she could take the one-o'clock afternoon bus and be back home by about two forty-five, during the hours her mother napped from one to four. To save the sixty-paise fare, she thriftily saved every stray coin, resisting all temptations, including the merry-go-round at the village fair.

The characters in the poem are Belinda and her four pets.

The pets and their names are: the little black kitten named Ink; the little grey mouse called Blink; the little yellow dog called Mustard; and the little pet dragon called Custard. There is also a pirate who climbs in through the window.