Before You Read (Page 39)
Question 1:
Friends are an important part of our lives. Why do you think so? Share your ideas with your friend. What do you do when you are with your friends and how do you feel?
Answer:
Friends are important because they make us happy, help us when we need them, and make our life more fun. When I am with my friends, we talk, play, and enjoy each other’s company. I feel happy, relaxed, and comfortable when I am with them.
Question 2:
The title of the chapter is “The Unlikely Best Friends”.
(a) What can be the meaning of ‘unlikely’? Discuss in groups, and then discuss with your teacher.
(b) Can you think of some unlikely friends? Share your answer with your teacher.
Answer:
Do this activity with your teacher and classmates. It’s about sharing examples of friendships that are unusual or surprising.
Let Us Discuss (Page 42)
Question 1:
Talk about the things that Gajaraj and Buntee did together. Now, write in the shapes given below. One has been done for you.
Answer:
Gajaraj and Buntee:
- Played
- Ate food
- Took a shower
- Enjoyed each other’s company
Question 2:
Why did the farmer hug Buntee?
Answer:
The farmer hugged Buntee because it was missing and he had been searching for it for a long time.
Question 3:
Do you think Buntee will leave Gajaraj and go home with the farmer?
Answer:
Buntee did not want to leave Gajaraj, but since the farmer was its owner, it had to go home with him.
Let Us Discuss (Page 45)
Question 1:
Why did Gajaraj not eat his food?
Answer:
Gajaraj did not eat because he was feeling sad and missed Buntee.
Question 2:
Who were friends at the end of the story?
Answer:
At the end of the story, the farmer and the mahout also became friends, just like Gajaraj and Buntee.
Let Us Think and Reflect (Pages 45-46)
Question 1:
Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow.
(a)
“In spite of royal comforts, Gajaraj was sad because he had no friends. The mahout, or elephant trainer, was the only one he ever interacted with. The mahout was a kind man who served Gajaraj food, and gave him a bath in the elephant pond daily. He was a good caretaker, but not a friend.”
(i) Complete with one word:
mahout: kind :: Gajaraj: …
Answer: Sad
(ii) The mahout was a good caretaker because he gave food to Gajaraj and a bath in the pond.
(iii) What do you think is the difference between a friend and a caretaker?
Answer: A friend shares feelings and has fun with you, while a caretaker only takes care of you, but doesn’t share emotions or play with you.
(b)
“Are you missing your friend?” asked the farmer remembering the happy look on Buntee’s face while sitting on the elephant’s back. “I cannot see you go hungry,” said the farmer, “If you miss your friend so much, go to him.” The farmer removed the rope with which he had tied the dog.
(i) The farmer uses the word friend to refer to the elephant.
(ii) How did the farmer know that Buntee was hungry?
Answer: Buntee had not eaten any food after being separated from Gajaraj, and it looked very sad. This made the farmer realize that Buntee was hungry.
(iii) Why did the farmer remove the rope with which he had tied Buntee?
Answer: The farmer removed the rope to let Buntee go to Gajaraj, its friend, and meet him.
(iv) Complete with one word:
Gajaraj : Buntee :: … : farmer
Answer: Mahout
Question 2:
Give two examples to show that Gajaraj was very happy to have a friend.
Answer:
- Gajaraj shared his food with Buntee.
- He placed Buntee on his back and carried him around, showing that they were good friends.
Question 3:
How did the mahout come to know that Gajaraj was sad?
Answer:
The mahout saw that Gajaraj did not eat for several days and seemed sad. He understood that Gajaraj missed Buntee.
Question 4:
Why do you think Buntee licked the farmer’s hand?
Answer:
Buntee licked the farmer’s hand because the farmer untied the rope and let Buntee go to meet Gajaraj, its friend. Buntee was showing gratitude for the farmer’s kindness.
Question 5:
What was ‘unlikely’ about the friendship of Gajaraj and Buntee?
Answer:
The friendship between Gajaraj and Buntee was unlikely because they were very different animals—a large elephant and a small dog. Despite these differences, they became best friends.
Let Us Learn (Pages 46 – 49)
Question 1:
Gajaraj was sad without a friend and when he met Buntee, he was filled with joy. ‘Sad’ and ‘filled with joy’ are opposites. Opposites can also be formed by adding some letters before a word. For example, un- (unhappy), in- (incorrect), dis- (disconnect), mis- (misuse).
Now, take help from the words given as hints and fill up their opposites in the puzzle.
Answer:
- Finished
- Disappeared
- Kind
- Delighted
- Touched
- Love
- Laughed
- Asleep
- Worried
- Found
Question 2:
Now, complete the paragraph with some of the words you have used in the puzzle.
Answer:
My pencil was missing. I was very worried because it was a gift from my friend. I woke up my elder brother, who was asleep on the bed. I told him that my pencil seemed to have disappeared. He woke up and told me to look under my pillow. I was relieved when I found the pencil there.
Question 3:
The words that tell us about an action are called verbs. In the story, the author tells us what happened before. To do that, the past form of the action word (verb) is used. Let us learn about the three forms of past tense.
Given below are some verbs from the story. Put the verbs in their correct column in the table.
Answer:
Simple Past: noticed, asked, felt
Past Continuous: was missing
Past Perfect: had tied
Select the correct form of the verb to complete the passage.
The farmer came back and noticed that Buntee was sad. He had tied Buntee with a rope the day before. He asked Buntee why he was sad. The farmer felt that Buntee was missing Gajaraj and set him free.
Question 4:
‘…neither the farmer nor the mahout noticed that the two friends were in tears.’
The words ‘neither’, ‘nor’ are used to state that the farmer and the mahout did not notice the same thing. ‘Neither, nor’ connect two negative choices. For example: Neither Rohit nor I want to play football.
When you need to choose between two things that you want, you may use ‘either/or’. For example: Rohit wants to play either cricket or kho-kho.
It means Rohit wants to play cricket or Rohit wants to play kho-kho.
Answer:
Do it yourself by creating sentences with “neither/nor” and “either/or.”
Let Us Listen (Pages 49-50)
Question 1:
You will listen to a story about ‘Unlikely Friends’. Use exact words from the story to fill up the missing details in the paragraph.
Answer:
The leopard is a wild animal but it became a friend of a cow. When the leopard grew up, it left the village. It came in the village to meet the cow. The leopard would sit beside the cow. They also played together. Villagers were surprised at their friendship.
Question 2:
Now, listen to the story again and number the sentences in correct order. The first one has been done for you.
Answer:
4. The leopard stopped coming regularly.
- The cow took care of the leopard cub as a mother.
- The leopard came to meet the cow at night.
- The leopard left the village after growing up.
Let Us Speak (Page 50)
Question 1:
Gajaraj and Buntee had a wonderful time with each other even if they were ‘unlikely’ friends. Talk to your friend and find out your common likes and dislikes. Share your answers with the class.
Now, tell your classmates about your friend. You may take help of the cues given below.
Answer:
Do it yourself by finding common likes/dislikes with your friend and sharing them with your class.
Let Us Write (Page 51)
Write six sentences about your friend with the help of the facts collected in the above task. Mention how you are not only similar but also different.
Answer:
- My friend and I like to play cricket, but we like different players.
- We both enjoy eating together but prefer different foods.
- Even though we have different likes, we are best friends.
- Some of our classmates don’t understand our friendship, but we enjoy it.
- Neither my friend nor I like to watch horror movies.
- Either my friend or I always stand first in class.
Let Us Explore (Page 51)
Question 1:
The story, ‘The Elephant and the Dog’ is found in the Jataka tales. These stories are ancient Buddhist stories of life values and wisdom. These stories have been told from one generation to the next for over two thousand years. Find and read another Jataka story.
Answer:
Do it yourself by reading another Jataka tale.
Question 2:
Elephants have historically held significant roles in Indian culture, spanning history, warfare, religion, festivals, and more. However, contemporary ecological challenges have strained the relationship between humans and elephants. Have a discussion in the class.
Answer:
Do it yourself with your classmates.
Question 3:
Given below is a news report from an Elephant Sanctuary in the United States about a real-life friendship between an elephant and a dog.
Answer:
Do it yourself by reading and discussing the report with your class.
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