Friendship
Complete, detailed answers for every question in the chapter — The Unlikely Best Friends, A Friend’s Prayer and The Chair. Intext and exercise questions are split for quick access.
Quick jump
💬 Unlikely Best Friends 💬 The Chair ✏️ Unlikely Best Friends ✏️ A Friend’s Prayer ✏️ The ChairThese are the “Let us discuss” questions that appear inside the reading texts.
The Unlikely Best Friends
Gajaraj (the elephant) and Buntee (the dog) did many happy things together:
- Played with each other (given example).
- Ate / shared food — Gajaraj pushed his food towards the hungry dog.
- Bathed together — Gajaraj playfully splashed water on Buntee with his trunk.
- Went for rides — Gajaraj lifted Buntee with his trunk and carried him on his back.
The farmer hugged Buntee because Buntee was his own dog who had gone missing. He had been searching for the dog ever since it disappeared from his house. When he suddenly saw Buntee again, he was so happy and relieved to find him that he hugged him lovingly.
No. Even though the farmer takes Buntee home, Buntee does not want to leave his dear friend Gajaraj. Both friends miss each other so much that they stop eating. In the end Buntee runs back to the stable to be with Gajaraj. This shows a true friend does not want to stay away from a friend. 💡 This is a “guess” question — you may say “Yes, at first he had to go”, but give a reason.
Gajaraj did not eat his food because he was missing his friend Buntee, who had been taken away by the farmer. He was so sad and lonely without his friend that even his favourite food was left untouched. The mahout checked his tummy and found nothing physically wrong — Gajaraj was simply heartbroken.
At the end of the story there were two pairs of friends:
- Gajaraj (elephant) and Buntee (dog) — the two unlikely best friends who were reunited.
- The mahout and the farmer — the mahout hugged the farmer and said, “I’ve also found one”, meaning he too had found a friend.
The Chair
Mario loved having lots of friends and showed off (boasted) a lot, always talking about how many friends he had — so he was indeed proud of it.
The grandfather brought a very special, invisible (magic) chair from the attic. Mario could see nothing in his hands, yet grandpa said it was a real chair with magic powers.
Yes. Because the chair is invisible, it is very tricky to sit on — Mario cannot see where to place himself. So he will have to try many times and may fall before he succeeds. 💡 A prediction question — give a reason for your guess.
Yes. Mario is brave and determined and does not give up. After falling several times he finally manages to sit on the invisible chair and experiences the magic — he discovers who his real friends are.
On his first attempt Mario missed the chair and fell straight onto his backside, and his classmates laughed. He kept falling and only sat successfully after trying again and again.
Mario’s grandfather challenged him to a bet of a fruit chaat.
Guneet, Asma and Deepa → (i) held Mario up, so he wouldn’t fall
The other option — (ii) made fun of Mario’s attempts — describes the other classmates, who were not real friends.
All end-of-text exercises — Let us think and reflect · Let us learn · Let us listen · Let us speak · Let us write · Let us explore.
The Unlikely Best Friends
‘Unlikely’ means something that is not expected or not likely to happen — a surprise. Here it means two very different animals becoming best friends, which no one would normally expect.
Some unlikely friend pairs: a cat and a mouse, a lion and a mouse, a dog and a cat, a cow and a leopard, or a tiger and a goat. They look like enemies, yet can become friends.
mahout : kind :: Gajaraj : sad
The mahout is described as kind; Gajaraj is described as sad (“In spite of royal comforts, Gajaraj was sad”).
… he gave food to Gajaraj and a bath in the pond.
A caretaker looks after your basic physical needs — like giving food and a bath — usually as a duty. A friend gives you love, company and emotional support, plays with you and shares your feelings. That is why Gajaraj, though well cared for by the mahout, still felt lonely and sad — a caretaker is not the same as a friend.
The farmer uses the word him — in the line, “If you miss your friend so much, go to him.”
The farmer noticed that Buntee had not touched his food ever since he was brought home. Seeing the untouched food and the dog’s sad face, the farmer understood that Buntee was hungry but too unhappy to eat because he was missing his friend.
The farmer could not bear to see Buntee go hungry and sad. He realised the dog was missing his friend Gajaraj very badly. Out of love, he set Buntee free so that the dog could return to his friend and be happy again.
Gajaraj : Buntee :: mahout : farmer
Gajaraj’s human caretaker is the mahout, just as Buntee’s owner is the farmer.
- He shared his food with the dog and played with him, splashing water on him at bath time.
- He picked up the dog with his trunk, placed him on his back for a ride, and gave him a joyous swing.
The mahout noticed that Gajaraj had stopped eating his favourite food for several days. When he ran his hand over Gajaraj’s tummy, he found nothing physically wrong. So he understood that Gajaraj was sad because he was missing his friend, the dog.
Buntee licked the farmer’s hand to show his love and thanks. The farmer had understood his sadness and set him free to go back to his friend. Licking the hand was Buntee’s way of saying “thank you” and showing he still loved the farmer.
An elephant and a dog are completely different animals — one is huge and one is small, and they are not usually seen as friends. Nobody would expect such a pair to become best friends. That is why their deep, loving friendship was ‘unlikely’ — surprising and unexpected.
Across
Down
My pencil was missing. I was very worried as 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 laughed and told me to look under my pillow. I was delighted when I found the pencil there.
| Simple Past (action happened earlier) | Past Progressive (was/were + verb-ing) | Past Perfect (had + 3rd form) |
|---|---|---|
| looked, gave, hated, noticed, went, served, told, asked, felt, touched, joined, arrived, threw | was looking, was missing, was munching | had ordered, had followed, had remained, had tied |
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.
Tip: “the day before” needs past perfect (had tied); an ongoing feeling uses past progressive (was missing).
- Neither…nor joins two negative ideas — it means not one and not the other. E.g. Neither Shikha nor Anuj likes to tell stories. (Both do not like it.)
- Either…or shows a choice between two things. E.g. Either Bhavesh or Abha made this painting. (One of the two made it.)
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 night to meet the cow. The leopard would sit beside the cow. They also played together. The villagers were surprised at their friendship.
| Order | Sentence |
|---|---|
| 1 | The cow took care of the leopard cub as a mother. (given) |
| 2 | The leopard left the village after growing up. |
| 3 | The leopard came to meet the cow at night. |
| 4 | The leopard stopped coming regularly. |
- Let us speak: Talk to a friend and list your common likes/dislikes (e.g. “Both of us like cricket; I like drawing but my friend likes singing”).
- Let us write: Write six sentences about your friend using same, different, both, but, like, unlike, neither…nor, either…or — show how you are similar and different.
- Let us explore: Read another Jataka tale (e.g. “The Monkey and the Crocodile”), discuss elephants in Indian culture, and read about Tarra & Bella — a real elephant-and-dog friendship.
These are your-own-answer activities — do them with your friends and teacher.
A Friend’s Prayer (poem by Jill Wolf)
Sentence 3 — “May my friend get well soon.” is closest to a prayer. A prayer is a hopeful wish for someone’s wellbeing, and it often begins with “May…”. Sentence 1 is only a wish about tiffin and Sentence 2 is a hope about winning — but Sentence 3 sincerely wishes good health for a friend, like a prayer.
“May my friend always be happy, healthy and successful. May we stay true friends forever and help each other in every difficulty.” — Write your own prayer in your words.
The poet says a prayer for friendship and friends. She wants that friendship should always be an important part of her complete life. She says that her friendship makes her feel special. She wishes to do the best she can, for her friends. She wants to listen to the wishes of her friends. As a good friend, she prays that she is able to make her friends’ wishes come true. She wants her heart to understand what a true friend is. She prays that she loves her friends as they are. She tells us that true friends accept their friends for all their qualities.
Blessed
Her heart
She wants to do more than share her friends’ hopes — she wants to make their wishes come true. That shows she is caring.
By trying hard — she says she will “try all that a friend can do”.
happy (delighted)
The line “Let me use my heart to see” — using the heart means using feelings to understand friendship.
She thinks deeply, does not judge, and loves friends as they are — so she is thoughtful.
judgements — she cares for her friends just as they are.
The poem is a prayer because the poet expresses sincere wishes and hopes for her friends (using words like “May…”), asking to be a good friend and to make her friends’ wishes come true — just as we ask for good things in a prayer.
Because she cares deeply for her friends. She does not just want to share their hopes and plans — she wants to actively help and do everything a friend can to make their wishes come true.
Yes. She talks about making “their wishes come true” and sharing their “hopes and plans”. You can only help fulfil wishes if you already know and listen to them — so the speaker clearly knows her friends’ wishes.
Yes, I pray for my friend’s health, happiness and success, and that our friendship stays strong forever. — Share your own wish.
grateful and thankful
(excited, understood and relaxed are not correct.)
Words: loyal, h elpful → helpful, kind → kind, caring → caring, h onest → honest
- My friend is always kind to me even when I make a mistake.
- My friend shares things with me. She is very caring.
- My friend is helpful because he always supports me.
- My friend never lies. She is an honest person.
- My friend and I believe in loyalty for each other.
1. What do the two friends purchase and use on the park bench? → a comic book (they sit on the bench and read it).
2. Circle the pictures that show their activities: → 1 (reading on bench), 2 (cycling & walking), 3 (eating ice-cream), 4 (walking) and 6 (cycling).
(Picture 5 shows reading on a mat, not on a bench.)
- Speak & Write: Describe how your friendship started (When? Where? How?) in about 80 words, and give it a title.
- Explore: Discuss the meaning of quotes like “A friend in need is a friend indeed”, collect friendship quotations (any language) and decorate one for the class board.
These are personal / creative tasks.
The Chair
→ = across · ↓ = down. The orange outline marks each word’s first (bold) letter.
| Meaning | Word |
|---|---|
| (i) a person with whom you do activities together | p a r t n e r → PARTNER |
| (ii) an informal word for friends | b u d d i e s → BUDDIES |
| (iii) a person you spend a lot of time with | c o m p a n i o n → COMPANION |
| (iv) children in the same class as you | c l a s s m a t e s → CLASSMATES |
I·3: A friend in your own language — e.g. दोस्त / मित्र (Hindi), স্নেহভাজন, ਦੋਸਤ, etc. Write the word used in your language.
The chair is invisible and special (also ‘magic’).
Because the chair was invisible — Mario could not see it, so he could not tell exactly where to place himself. That is why he kept missing the seat and falling.
Because it was a magic chair. If Mario managed to sit on it, the magic would reveal who his real friends were — the ones who would hold him up so he wouldn’t fall.
… because he kept missing the invisible seat and falling down, and he did not want to admit that he could not see the chair.
Guneet, Asma and Deepa held Mario up so that he would not fall — showing they were caring and helpful.
The grandfather bet Mario a fruit chaat that Mario did not have as many real friends as he thought — that many of them were only companions or partners, not true friends.
Since he could not see the invisible chair, Mario missed the seat and fell straight onto his backside. His classmates had a good laugh at him.
When Mario finally “sat” and hung in mid-air, he looked around and saw Guneet, Asma and Deepa holding him up so he wouldn’t fall — while the others just laughed and made fun of him. This showed him that the three who cared and helped were his real friends.
Yes, the test was good because it cleverly showed the difference between true friends and false ones — real friends help you when you are in trouble, while others only enjoy your bad luck. Without the test, Mario could not have known who truly cared.
‘Friends for life’ means friends who stay with you forever — through happy and difficult times — who trust, help and support each other and never leave your side. (Write your own view.)
You can tell a real friend by seeing who helps and supports you when you are in trouble or fail, who feels happy at your success (and is not jealous), and who stands by you in your difficult times.
| Column A (Root word) | Column B (Suffix) |
|---|---|
| 1. friend | ly |
| 2. sudden | ly |
| 3. talk | ing |
| 4. carry | ing |
| 5. call | ed |
| 6. show | ed |
| Root | Word | Sample sentence |
|---|---|---|
| magic | magical | The magician performed an amazing magical act. |
| care | careful | Be careful while crossing the road. |
| celebrate | celebration | We enjoyed the birthday celebration. |
| laugh | laughing | The children were laughing at the joke. |
| wonder | wonderful | We had a wonderful time at the fair. |
| help | helpful | My friend is very helpful. |
| friend | friendly | Our new teacher is friendly. |
| courage | courageous | The soldier was courageous in the war. |
Note the spelling change: celebrate → celebration.
brave · determined · confident · cheerful
(You may also use: friendly, strong-willed, bold.)
| Adjective | Noun | Phrase → Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| brave | soldier | brave soldier → The brave soldier marched ahead. |
| clever | plan | clever plan → Grandpa made a clever plan. |
| tasty | peanuts | tasty peanuts → We ate tasty peanuts at the fair. |
| heavy | rain | heavy rain → There was heavy rain last night. |
| slight | cold | slight cold → She has a slight cold today. |
| true | friends | true friends → True friends always help us. |
Once upon a time in a little village, a/an happy boy named Abhishek found a/an old book in the attic. He read amazing stories about fairy lands, magical adventures and old castles. Abhishek’s eyes got big as he imagined these colourful creatures. He told his friends about the stories, and they started to have their own fantastic adventures when they played together.
- Manu found it difficult when she took admission in the school.
- Manu met Monika and was helped by her in many ways.
- So, it was not so difficult for the new girl to adjust in the school.
- Both friends experienced difficult and happy moments together.
- Manu is thankful to Monika for making her life easy and finding a friend.
Dear Guneet,
I am thankful to God to have you as a real friend for life. When everyone was laughing at me, Deepa, Asma and you showed me that you care for me. You are indeed a blessing in my life.
Best wishes, Mario
“Dear ___, thank you for always being there for me. You make me feel special and I am blessed to have a true friend like you. Best wishes, ___” — Write your own, using ideas from the story and the poem.
- Speak: In pairs, choose four qualities (loyal, honest, kind, caring…) you want in a friend and give reasons — “I feel my friend should be honest because…”
- Explore: Find more friendship stories, write an acrostic poem on F-R-I-E-N-D-S, and ask people of different ages “What does friendship mean to you?”
These are your-own speaking & project tasks.
✦ Answers based on Poorvi — Grade 6, Unit 2: Friendship · Illustrations from the NCERT text ✦