Unit 2: Friendship

Hello my dear students! Welcome to today's English class. I am so happy to see all of you here. Today we are going to learn a very beautiful and heartwarming chapter from your NCERT book. The chapter is about something that is extremely important in everyone's life — friendship. Yes, you heard it right! Our chapter is titled "Friendship" and it has some wonderful stories and poems that will teach us about the true meaning of friendship.

Now, before we start reading the chapter, let me ask you a question. Can you think about your best friend? Who is your best friend? What do you do when you are with your friends? How do you feel when you are with them? Take a moment and think about these questions.

Friends are indeed a very important part of our lives. We spend so much time with our friends, we share our tiffins with them, we play with them, we tell them our secrets, and we also fight with them sometimes! But through all of this, our friends stay with us and make our lives happier and more meaningful.

Now, let us do the first activity given in your book. Look at the shapes given below. You need to complete the sentences using the words "play" and "happy" that are given to you. The first one has been done for you. So you will write "play" in the first blank — "With my friend I play." And for the second sentence, you will write "happy" — "With my friend I feel happy." Now, I want each one of you to think about what else you do with your friends and how you feel when you are with them. You can share these answers with your classmates and your teacher.

Now, look at the title of our chapter — "The Unlikely Best Friends." The word "unlikely" is very interesting here. What do you think "unlikely" means? Let me explain. When we say something is "unlikely," we mean that it is not expected to happen, or it is something that we do not think will occur. For example, if I say "It is unlikely that it will snow in Delhi in July," I mean that it is very unlikely, almost impossible. So, when the title says "The Unlikely Best Friends," it is suggesting that two friends who became best friends were not expected to become friends — they were very different from each other.

Now, can you think of some unlikely friends? For example, a cat and a mouse are usually enemies, but what if they became friends? Or a lion and a lamb? Or maybe a big elephant and a tiny dog? Think about this and discuss with your friends and your teacher.

Let us now read the story. This story is called "The Unlikely Best Friends" and it is about an elephant named Gajaraj and a dog named Buntee.

So students, let us begin.

Gajaraj, the elephant, lived in the best booth of the royal stables. The king was very fond of Gajaraj, and he had ordered that the elephant should be well looked after. Now, students, a booth here means a rectangular space, and stables are the living spaces for animals like horses and elephants in a royal palace. So Gajaraj had the best place to live in the king's palace. He was given the best food, the best care, and he lived in great comfort.

But in spite of all these royal comforts, Gajaraj was sad. Can you guess why? He was sad because he had no friends. The only person he ever interacted with was his mahout, or elephant trainer. The mahout was a very kind man who served Gajaraj food and gave him a bath in the elephant pond every day. He was a good caretaker, but not a friend. Do you understand the difference? A caretaker is someone who looks after you and does their duty, but a friend is someone who loves you, plays with you, and cares for you genuinely. The mahout was doing his job well, but he was not spending time with Gajaraj like a friend would.

One late evening, a dog strayed into the stable. Strayed means the dog came by mistake or got lost and wandered into the stable. Gajaraj could see that the visitor was tired and hungry. What did Gajaraj do? He pushed some of the food he was munching towards the dog. Munching means chewing. So Gajaraj was eating his food, and he shared some of it with the tired dog. The visitor wagged his tail — wagging means moving from side to side — and looked up at the elephant to convey his thanks. Convey means to communicate. The dog was saying thank you in his own way! Then the dog turned his full attention to the food in front of him. As soon as he finished eating, he fell asleep because he was so tired.

The next morning, the mahout found the stray dog in the stable. He did not mind the dog. He also noticed that Gajaraj seemed to like the company. So, he threw some crumbs to the dog. Crumbs are small pieces of food. The dog accepted the food, wagging his tail.

When the elephant went out for his bath, the dog accompanied his friend. Accompanied means went with someone. So the dog went with Gajaraj to the pond. Plunging into the water — plunging means jumping in — the elephant gave himself a shower using his long trunk, as the dog watched. The trunk is the long nose of an elephant. The elephant took a trunkful of water and playfully splashed the water on his friend. Splashed means threw. The dog yelped — yelped means cried — because he hated taking showers! Even though the dog did not like the water, he stayed with his friend. The mahout laughed at this scene.

On their way home, the elephant picked up the dog with his trunk and placed him on his back. The dog was delighted to get a ride. Delighted means very happy. Imagine riding on top of an elephant! That must have been amazing for the little dog.

A farmer passing by saw the dog. "Buntee," he yelled. So the dog's name was Buntee! The dog ran to him. The farmer hugged the dog — hugged means held closely — and told the mahout that he was looking for his dog ever since he disappeared from his house. Disappeared means was not seen. The farmer was very happy to find his dog. The mahout had no objection to the farmer taking the dog home. The farmer tossed a rope round the neck of the dog, saying, "Come Buntee, let's go home."

Now, students, let me pause here and ask you some questions from the "Let us discuss" section.

First question: Talk about the things that Gajaraj and Buntee did together. Now, write in the shapes given below. One has been done for you. So you need to write what they did together. They played together, they went for baths together, the elephant gave the dog a ride on his back, they ate food together, and they splashed water on each other. You can write these activities in the shapes provided in your book.

Second question: Why did the farmer hug Buntee? The farmer hugged Buntee because he was very happy to find his lost dog. He had been looking for Buntee ever since the dog disappeared from his house. So the hug was a way of showing his love and relief at finding his pet.

Third question: Do you think Buntee will leave Gajaraj and go home with the farmer? This is an interesting question. Think about what happened. Buntee had found a friend in Gajaraj. They had spent time together, played together, and had become very close. But the farmer was his original owner who loved him and was looking for him. So what do you think Buntee will do? We will find out as we continue reading.

Now, let us continue with the story.

Only when the farmer pulled the rope did the dog realise that he was being taken away from his friend. Realise means understand. The dog yelped, the elephant winced — winced means shrunk back in pain or distress — but neither the farmer nor the mahout noticed that the two friends were in tears. They did not see that both Gajaraj and Buntee were crying! They were so sad to be separated from each other.

The next day at lunch time, the mahout served Gajaraj his favourite food. When the mahout came back after finishing his other chores — chores means daily duties — he was surprised to see that the food had remained untouched. Gajaraj had not eaten anything!

The mahout asked, "Why Gajaraj, aren't you hungry?" The elephant did not react. The mahout thought, "He may have slight indigestion." Slight means a little, and indigestion means an upset stomach. "Let me not force him to eat," thought the mahout.

That night too, Gajaraj did not touch his food — nor the next day. Now, the mahout was worried. He ran his hand on Gajaraj's tummy — tummy means stomach — and felt there was nothing wrong. "Why was he not eating then? Is he missing his friend, that dog?" the mahout wondered.

Meanwhile, at the farmer's house, the dog had also not touched his food ever since he was brought home.

The farmer asked, "Are you missing your friend?" 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. The dog, though weak — because he had not been eating — sprang to his feet. Sprang means jumped. He licked the farmer's hand once and then ran. He stopped only when he arrived at the stable.

The elephant picked up the dog with his trunk and gave him a joyous swing. Joyous means happy. The mahout was relieved — relieved means thankful. He quickly brought the food. "Both of you eat first," he said.

By then, the farmer who had followed the dog, joined him. The two of them watched with satisfaction — satisfaction means happiness — the two friends eating food. "It's not only Gajaraj who has found a friend," said the mahout hugging the farmer, "I've also found one."

So students, at the end of the story, who were friends? There were actually two friendships! First, Gajaraj and Buntee became friends — the unlikely elephant and dog. And second, the mahout and the farmer also became friends because they both understood the value of friendship and let the two friends be together.

Now, let us answer the discussion questions again.

First question: Why did Gajaraj not eat his food? Gajaraj did not eat his food because he was very sad after Buntee was taken away. He missed his friend very much and was not able to eat without him. This shows us how much Gajaraj cared for Buntee.

Second question: Who were friends at the end of the story? At the end of the story, Gajaraj and Buntee were friends, and the mahout and the farmer were also friends.

Now, students, let us move on to the "Let us think and reflect" section. This is very important, so pay attention.

First, read the following lines and answer the questions that follow.

The first paragraph is: "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."

Now, question (i): Complete with one word. Mahout : kind :: Gajaraj : _______. This is like a analogy. If the mahout is kind, then what is Gajaraj? Looking at the story, Gajaraj is described as sad. So the answer is "sad."

Question (ii): The mahout was a good caretaker because he gave _______ to Gajaraj and a _____ in the pond. From the story, the mahout gave food to Gajaraj and a bath in the pond. So the answers are "food" and "bath."

Question (iii): What do you think is the difference between a friend and a caretaker? This is a very important question. A caretaker does their job — they feed you, they take care of you, but they do it because it is their work. A friend, on the other hand, genuinely cares for you, plays with you, shares your happiness and sadness, and is there for you not because they have to, but because they want to. A caretaker may be kind, but a friend loves you truly.

Now, the second paragraph: "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.

Question (i): The farmer uses the word _______________ to refer to the elephant. The farmer calls the elephant "your friend" when he is talking to Buntee. So the answer is "friend."

Question (ii): How did the farmer know that Buntee was hungry? The farmer knew Buntee was hungry because the dog had not touched his food ever since he was brought home. The farmer could see that Buntee was not eating.

Question (iii): Why did the farmer remove the rope with which he had tied Buntee? The farmer removed the rope because he saw that Buntee was very sad and hungry. He could not see his pet go hungry and suffer. He wanted Buntee to be happy, so he let him go back to his friend Gajaraj.

Question (iv): Complete with one word. Gajaraj : Buntee :: _______ : farmer. This is another analogy. Gajaraj is to Buntee as the farmer is to whom? The farmer is the owner of Buntee. So the answer is "owner" or we can say "master." But looking at the story, the mahout is the one who takes care of Gajaraj, so we can say "mahout." Actually, let me think about this more carefully. Gajaraj is the elephant, Buntee is the dog. The farmer is the owner of Buntee. So who is the owner of Gajaraj? The mahout takes care of Gajaraj, but the king owns Gajaraj. But in the context of the story, the mahout is the one who looks after Gajaraj. So the answer could be "mahout" or "keeper." Let us think about the relationship. Gajaraj is to Buntee as the farmer is to the mahout. Actually, wait. Gajaraj is an elephant, Buntee is a dog. The farmer is the owner of Buntee. The mahout is the caretaker of Gajaraj. So the answer is "mahout."

Now, question II: Give two examples to show that Gajaraj was very happy to have a friend. First, when Buntee was with him, Gajaraj played with him, gave him rides on his back, and splashed water on him happily. Second, when Buntee came back after being freed by the farmer, Gajaraj picked him up with his trunk and gave him a joyous swing. These show that Gajaraj was very happy to have Buntee as his friend.

Question III: How did the mahout come to know that Gajaraj was sad? The mahout came to know that Gajaraj was sad because the elephant stopped eating his food. For two days, Gajaraj did not touch his food at all. The mahout also wondered if Gajaraj was missing his friend, the dog.

Question IV: Why do you think Buntee licked the farmer's hand? Buntee licked the farmer's hand to show his gratitude and love. Even though the farmer was taking him away from his friend, the farmer had been kind to him and had finally let him go. So Buntee was thanking the farmer by licking his hand.

Question V: What was 'unlikely' about the friendship of Gajaraj and Buntee? What was unlikely was that an elephant and a dog — two very different animals — became best friends. An elephant is a huge animal, and a dog is a small animal. They are from different species, and normally they would not even interact with each other. But in this story, they became the best of friends. That is what makes their friendship "unlikely."

Now, students, we have finished the first story. Let me quickly recap what we learned. We learned about an elephant named Gajaraj who lived in the royal stables but had no friends. Then a dog named Buntee came to the stable, and they became great friends. They played together, bathed together, and ate together. But when the farmer took Buntee away, both Gajaraj and Buntee became so sad that they stopped eating. Finally, the farmer understood their friendship and let Buntee go back to Gajaraj. At the end, both pairs — Gajaraj and Buntee, and the mahout and the farmer — became friends. This story teaches us that true friendship can happen between anyone, even between unlikely friends.

Now, let us move on to the next section called "Let us learn." This is about language and grammar.

First, we have a section about opposites. The story says that Gajaraj was sad without a friend and when he met Buntee, he was filled with joy. Sad and filled with joy are opposites. The book also tells us that opposites can be formed by adding some letters before a word. For example, un- makes unhappy, in- makes incorrect, dis- makes disconnect, mis- makes misuse.

Now, there is a puzzle for you. You need to fill up the opposites in the puzzle. Let me give you the answers.

Across: 3. unkind — the opposite of kind is unkind 7. yelped — the opposite of yelped would be... hmm, let me think. Actually, in the puzzle, it says "yelped" is across. But wait, yelped is already in the story. The opposite of yelped might be "whispered" or something, but let me look at the puzzle more carefully. Actually, looking at the puzzle, it says "yelped" is number 7 across. But wait, the instruction says "All the words are from the story you have just read." So let me think about the opposites from the story. The words in the story include: sad, joy, kind, started, appeared, missing, touched, hate, woke, slept, etc. Let me think about the opposites.

Actually, let me list the words from the puzzle and find their opposites from the story:

Across: 3. unkind — opposite is kind (but wait, unkind is the opposite of kind, so this is already the opposite form) 7. yelped — the opposite could be "whispered" but that's not in the story. Let me think again. Actually, looking at the puzzle, it might be asking for the opposite form. So "yelped" might be the answer for "comforted" or something. But let me see the puzzle more carefully. Actually, I think the puzzle is asking you to fill in the opposite words. So for number 7, if the clue is "yelped," then the answer might be something like "cooed" or "purred" but that's not from the story. Let me skip this for now and come back.

Actually, let me just give you the answers from the puzzle:

Across: 3. unkind (opposite of kind) 7. yelped (this is already in the story, so maybe the opposite is something else) 8. awake (opposite is asleep) 9. relieved (opposite is worried) 10. missing (opposite is found)

Down: 1. started (opposite is ended) 2. appeared (opposite is disappeared) 4. sad (opposite is happy or joyful) 5. untouched (opposite is eaten) 6. hate (opposite is love)

Now, question 2: Now, complete the paragraph with some of the words you have used in the puzzle.

"My pencil was ___________. I was very _____________ as it was a gift from my friend. I woke up my elder brother who was ___________ on the bed. I told him that my pencil seemed to have ______________. He _____________ and told me to look under my pillow. I was _______________ when I _____________ the pencil there."

Let me fill in the blanks:

"My pencil was missing. I was very sad 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 relieved when I found the pencil there."

Now, 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.

The first form is Simple Past Tense. This is used to show that the action had happened earlier. For example, "I played" or "She ate." We form this by adding -d or -ed to the verb, or we use the second form of the verb.

The second form is Past Progressive Tense. This is used to show that the action did not finish and was going on. For example, "I was playing" or "She was eating." We form this by using "was" or "were" followed by the verb + ing.

The third form is Past Perfect Tense. This is used to show that the action was completed. For example, "I had eaten" or "She had played." We form this by using "had" followed by the third form of the verb.

Now, given below are some verbs from the story. Put the verbs in their correct column in the table given above.

The verbs are: was looking, was missing, was munching, told, had tied, looked, hated, went, asked, joined, gave, had followed, had remained, felt, arrived, had ordered, noticed, served, touched, threw

Let me categorize them:

Simple Past Tense (second form): told, looked, hated, went, asked, joined, gave, felt, arrived, noticed, served, touched, threw

Past Progressive Tense (was/were + verb + ing): was looking, was missing, was munching

Past Perfect Tense (had + third form): had tied, had followed, had remained, had ordered

Now, there is a passage that you need to complete with the correct form of the verb. Let me do that:

"The farmer came back and ________ (noticed/was noticing/had noticed) that Buntee was sad. He ________ (tied/ was tying/had tied) Buntee with a rope the day before. He ________ (asked/was asking/had asked) Buntee why he was sad. The farmer ________ (felt/was feeling/had felt) that Buntee ________ (missed/was missing/had missed) Gajaraj and set him free."

The correct answers are: "came back and noticed" — simple past "had tied" — past perfect (because it happened before) "asked" — simple past "felt" — simple past "missed" — simple past

So the passage becomes: "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 missed Gajaraj and set him free."

Now, question 4: 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.

Now, discuss the given sentences with your teacher to practise.

• Neither Shikha nor Anuj likes to tell stories. — This means both Shikha and Anuj do not like to tell stories. • Either Bhavesh or Abha made this painting. — This means either Bhavesh made the painting or Abha made the painting.

Now, let us move on to the "Let us listen" section. This section has a story about "Unlikely Friends." Let me read the transcript for you:

"Let me tell you a story of a cow and a leopard from Vadodara in Gujarat who became friends. As you know, a leopard is a wild animal and a cow is a domestic animal. Some people say that the cow took care of the leopard cub like a mother. When the cub became older, it went away from the village. It returned to meet the cow at night. The villagers were worried but they never stopped the leopard. They saw that the leopard just sat beside the cow quietly. The cow and leopard spent time by relaxing and playing with each other. The leopard did not like the villagers and stopped coming regularly. The villagers were surprised that the leopard never attacked the cow but became its friend."

Now, there is a fill-in-the-blank question:

"The leopard is a ________ animal but it became a friend of a cow. When the leopard grew up, it left the village. It came in the ________ to meet the cow. The leopard would sit ________ the cow. They also played together. ________ were surprised at their friendship."

The answers are: "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."

Now, there is another activity where you need to number the sentences in correct order. The first one has been done for you. The first one is: "The cow took care of the leopard cub as a mother."

The correct order is: 1. The cow took care of the leopard cub as a mother. 2. The leopard came to meet the cow at night. 3. The leopard left the village after growing up. 4. The leopard stopped coming regularly.

Now, let us move on to the "Let us speak" section. This is about talking to your friend and finding out your common likes and dislikes. You need to fill in the table with what you like, what your friend likes, and what both of you like.

Then, you need to tell your classmates about your friend using the cues given. For example: • My friend and I like to play. Both of us want to play cricket. • I like to read but my friend likes to draw. • We are different as she is tall and I am short.

Now, the "Let us write" section asks you to write six sentences about your friend, mentioning how you are similar and different. You can use the words given: same, different, and, but, both, still, like, unlike, neither, nor, either, or.

Now, the "Let us explore" section tells us that the story "The Elephant and the Dog" is found in the Jataka tales. These 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. The book asks you to find and read another Jataka story.

There is also a discussion about elephants in Indian culture and the ecological challenges they face today.

And there is a news report about a real-life friendship between an elephant named Tarra and a dog named Bella in an Elephant Sanctuary in the United States.

Now, students, we have finished the first main story. Let me take a short break here and recap what we have learned so far. We learned about unlikely friendships, the difference between a caretaker and a friend, opposites, verb tenses, and the story of the leopard and the cow. Now, let us continue with the next part of the chapter.

The next section is a poem titled "A Friend's Prayer." But before we read the poem, there are some activities to do.

First, read the following sentences: 1. I wish my friend brings idli in her tiffin tomorrow. 2. I hope my friend and I win the race tomorrow. 3. May my friend get well soon.

Which of the three sentences 1–3 is closest to a prayer? Explain to your teacher and classmates.

A prayer is something we say when we want to express a hope or a wish, especially to a higher power. Sentence 3 "May my friend get well soon" is closest to a prayer because it uses the word "may" which is often used in prayers. It is a wish for someone's well-being.

Now, the second activity: What would you pray for your friend? First speak about it and then write it down. Think about what you would wish for your best friend. Maybe you would pray for their health, happiness, success, or for your friendship to last forever.

Now, let us read the poem "A Friend's Prayer" by Jill Wolf.

> May my friendships always be > The most important thing to me. > > With special friends I feel I'm blessed, > So let me give my very best. > > I want to do much more than share > The hopes and plans of friends who care; > I'll try all that a friend can do > To make their wishes come true. > > Let me use my heart to see, > To realise what friends can be, > And make no judgements from afar, > But love my friends the way they are.

Now, let us discuss this poem.

First, read the poem silently. As you read, underline the parts of the poem that you agree with. This is a personal activity, so each student may underline different parts. But generally, we might agree with lines like "With special friends I feel I'm blessed" or "love my friends the way they are."

Now, share the details of your underlined parts in groups and explain why you liked those lines.

Which line was underlined by most people in your group? Share it with your teacher.

Now, let us do the "Let us think and reflect" section for this poem.

First, complete the summary of the poem by circling the correct highlighted words.

The poet says a prayer for/speech on friendship and friends. She wants that friendship should always be an important part of her complete life/school days. She says that her friendship makes her feel brave/special. She wishes to do the best she can, for her friends. She wants to clap for/listen to the wishes of her friends. As a good friend, she prays/imagines that she is able to make her friends' wishes come true. She wants her heart/mind to understand what a true friend is. She prays that she loves her friends as they are/when they are happy. She tells us that true/correct friends accept their friends for all their qualities.

Let me give you the answers:

The poet says a prayer for friendship and friends. She wants that friendship should always be an important part of her school days. 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.

Now, question II: Answer in one word only.

1. How does the poet feel about special friends? The poet feels blessed or special. The word is "blessed."

2. What does the poet use to realise what friends can be? The poet uses her heart. So the answer is "heart."

Now, question III: Read the following lines from the poem and answer the questions given below.

First lines: "I want to do much more than share The hopes and plans of friends who care; I'll try all that a friend can do To make their wishes come true."

(i) Complete the sentence with the most suitable option. These lines tell us that the speaker is ___________. The options are: A. clever B. caring C. curious D. calm. The correct answer is B. caring, because the speaker wants to do things for her friends.

(ii) How will the speaker make her friends' wishes come true? (by trying hard/by working a lot) The answer is "by trying hard."

(iii) Fill in the blank with a suitable word. My friends will feel ________ if their wishes come true. The word could be "happy" or "joyful."

Now, the second set of lines: "Let me use my heart to see, To realise what friends can be, And make no judgements from afar, But love my friends the way they are."

(i) The speaker says that feelings are important to understand friendship. Which line tells us this? The line is "Let me use my heart to see."

(ii) Complete the sentence with the most suitable option. These lines tell us that the speaker is ___________. The options are: A. helpful B. thoughtful C. cheerful D. hopeful. The correct answer is B. thoughtful, because she is thinking about how to understand friendship.

(iii) Fill in the blank with one word. The speaker does not wish to make any ___________. She cares for them just as they are. The word is "judgements."

Now, question IV: Give one reason why we can say that this poem is a prayer. We can say this because the poem starts with "May" and talks about wishing for good things for friends, which is like a prayer. Also, the poet is expressing her hopes and wishes for her friends, which is what we do in prayers.

Question V: Why does the speaker 'want to do more' for her friend? The speaker wants to do more than just share things with her friends. She wants to actually work towards making their wishes come true. She wants to be a true and caring friend.

Question VI: Do you think that the speaker knows about the wishes of her friend? How can we say so? Yes, the speaker knows about her friends' wishes because she says "the hopes and plans of friends who care" and "to make their wishes come true." This shows she is aware of what her friends want.

Question VII: Do you also pray for your friend? What do you wish for? Discuss. This is for you to discuss with your teacher and classmates. You can talk about what you wish for your friends, like their health, happiness, success in studies, or for your friendship to last forever.

Now, let us move on to the "Let us learn" section for the poem.

First, the poet says, 'With special friends I feel I'm blessed'.

Select the words that are similar to the meaning of being blessed, from those given below.

The words are: excited, grateful, understood, thankful, relaxed.

The words similar to "blessed" are "grateful" and "thankful." When we feel blessed, we feel grateful or thankful for what we have.

Now, question II: Good friends have a lot of qualities. Let us list some.

The words given are: loyal, h e __ __ f __ l, k __ __ d, c __ __ i n g, h o __ __ __ t

Let me fill in the blanks:

loyal — this is already complete helpful — h e l p f u l kind — k i n d caring — c a r i n g honest — h o n e s t

Now, fill in the blanks with the words you just listed above.

1. My friend is always ___________ to me even when I make a mistake. The answer is "helpful" or "kind" or "loyal." But looking at the sentence, "even when I make a mistake" suggests forgiveness, so "loyal" fits well. But also "kind" works. Let me see the next ones to decide.

2. My friend shares things with me. She is very ___________. This would be "caring" or "honest."

3. My friend is ___________ because he always supports me. This would be "loyal" or "supportive" but "loyal" is in our list.

4. My friend never lies. She is an ___________ person. This is definitely "honest."

5. My friend and I believe in ___________ for each other. This could be "loyalty" but we don't have that exact word. Actually, looking at the list, we have "loyal" which is an adjective, but we need a noun here. But let me think. Actually, the sentence says "believe in ___________ for each other." This could be "honesty" but that's not in our list. Wait, let me re-read. Actually, the words we listed are: loyal, helpful, kind, caring, honest. None of these are nouns. But we can use them in different forms. Actually, looking at the exercise, it says "Now, fill in the blanks with the words you just listed above." So we need to use these words in their appropriate forms. For number 5, we might need to think of a related word. Actually, let me just give you the most likely answers:

1. loyal (or kind) 2. caring (or honest) 3. helpful (or kind) 4. honest 5. Actually, this one is tricky. Let me think... "My friend and I believe in ___________ for each other." This could be "loyalty" but we don't have that exact word. Maybe it's "trust" or "support." But since we have to use from our list, maybe it's "honesty" — we believe in honesty for each other. Or maybe it's "loyalty" — we believe in loyalty for each other. But since "loyal" is in our list, we can say "loyalty" is the noun form. Actually, let me check the original. The words are: loyal, helpful, kind, caring, honest. So the answers could be:

1. loyal (or helpful or kind) 2. caring (or helpful) 3. helpful (or loyal) 4. honest 5. Actually, this might be "loyalty" but since it's not in the list, maybe it's "trust" or the answer is different. Let me think again. Actually, looking at the exercise, it says "Now, fill in the blanks with the words you just listed above." So we must use those exact words. For number 5, maybe we need to use "honest" in a different way. Actually, wait. Let me re-read the exercise. It says "Now, fill in the blanks with the words you just listed above." So we need to use: loyal, helpful, kind, caring, honest. For number 5, "My friend and I believe in ___________ for each other." We could say "honesty" but that's not exactly "honest." But maybe in the context, we can use "honest" as "being honest" or "honesty." Actually, let me just give you the most logical answers:

1. loyal (or helpful) 2. caring 3. helpful (or loyal) 4. honest 5. Actually, this might be "trust" or we might skip this one. But wait, let me think about the exercise again. Actually, the exercise might be asking us to use these words in any form. So for number 5, we could say "loyalty" which comes from "loyal." But since the instruction says to use the words from the list, maybe we need to think differently. Actually, I think the most likely answers are:

1. loyal 2. caring 3. helpful 4. honest 5. Actually, let me leave this one for you to think about. You can discuss with your teacher.

Now, question III: Think of any three of your friends. Write three sentences on why you like each one of them. This is for you to do on your own. Think about your friends and write why you like them. For example, "I like my friend Rohit because he is always honest with me." or "I like my friend Anita because she is very caring and helps me when I am in trouble."

Now, there is a "Let us listen" section about outdoor activities. Let me read the transcript:

"Hello! Let me tell you what outdoor activities Ajay and Dhiraj enjoy doing. Some days they like playing at the swings in the park. Ajay enjoys slides the most. Dhiraj likes nature, so both take walks in the nearby park, listen to birds and look at the trees. On Saturdays, both go cycling around the neighbourhood. What both truly enjoy is eating ice-cream together. Sometimes they also purchase a comic book, sit on a park bench and read together. They are truly best friends."

The question is: What do the two friends purchase and use on the park bench? The answer is "a comic book."

Now, there is another listening activity about Manu and Monika. Let me read the transcript:

"When I first joined this new school, things were very difficult. There was Monika. She was a supportive friend who guided me, introduced me to others and even shared her notes. That made me comfortable in the school. Since then, Monika and I have been together through difficult times and happy times. She is the kind of friend who is always there for you. I'm really thankful to her, and how her help and support turned into a really good friendship."

Now, fill in the blanks:

1. Manu found it ____________ when she took admission in the school. The answer is "difficult" or "hard."

2. Manu met ____________ and was helped by her in many ways. The answer is "Monika."

3. So, it was not so ____________ for the new girl to adjust in the school. The answer is "difficult" or "hard."

4. Both friends experienced difficult and ____________ moments together. The answer could be "happy" or "good" or "joyful."

5. Manu is ____________ to Monika for making her life easy and finding a friend. The answer is "thankful" or "grateful."

Now, there is a "Let us speak" section where you need to work in pairs and discuss qualities of a friend. The qualities are: loving, honest, kind, caring, loyal, polite, respectful, team-worker, understanding.

You need to choose any four positive qualities that you would like your friend to have and give a reason for your choice. Use the hints given:

I feel my friend should be ... because ... I think the quality I want in my friend is being .... The reason for this is ... I believe my friend should be ... This is in order to ... If my friend is ... then ...

Now, the "Let us write" section asks you to describe how your friendship with your friend started. First, list the answers for — When? Where? How? Then, use your sentences to write a short paragraph of about 80 words. Give a title to your paragraph.

Now, the "Let us explore" section has some activities about quotations on friendship. There are two quotations: "A friend in need is a friend indeed" and "My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me." You need to discuss the meaning of these quotations and think of an experience in your life that suits these quotations.

Now, students, we have finished the poem section. Let me take a moment to recap. We learned about a beautiful poem that teaches us to pray for our friends, to care for them, and to love them for who they are. We also learned about the qualities of a good friend and how to describe our friendships.

Now, let us move on to the last story of the chapter, which is called "The Chair."

The first activity before reading is about words related to friendship. Write two words that come to your mind when you think of friendship. Then, find some more words that are related to friendship from the grid given below. There are eight words. One word has been marked as an example. The first letter of each word has been given in bold.

Looking at the grid, I can see words like: HELP, HOPEFUL, JOY, LAUGHTER, LOYAL, CARING, TRUST, etc. You need to find eight words related to friendship.

Now, question 2: Fill in the blanks to complete the words, which mean the same as 'friend' or 'friends' with the help of the meanings.

(i) a person with whom you do activities together — p__r__n__r — this is "partner" (ii) an informal word for friends — b____d____s — this is "buddies" (iii) a person who you spend a lot of time with — c _ m p _ n _ o _ — this is "companion" (iv) children who are in the same class as you at school — c l _ s _ m _ t _ s — this is "classmates"

Question 3: What do you call 'a friend' in your own language? This is for you to answer in your own language.

Now, let us read the story "The Chair."

There was a boy called Mario who loved to have lots of friends. He showed off a lot, always talking about how many friends he had at school, and how he was so friendly with everyone. Showed off means boasted.

One day his grandfather said to him, "Mario, I bet you a fruit chaat. You don't have as many friends as you think you have. I'm sure many of them are nothing more than companions or partners."

Mario accepted the bet readily. However, he wasn't sure how he could test whether his schoolmates were real friends or not. So, he asked his grandpa for help. He suggested, "I have exactly what you need. It's in the attic. Wait here a minute."

Accepted means agreed to, readily means without any problem, and attic is a storage space in a house just under the roof.

Grandpa left, soon returning as though carrying something in his hand, but Mario could see nothing there.

"Take it. It's a very special chair. As it's invisible, it's rather tricky to sit on it. But if you take it to school and manage to sit on it, then the magic will work and you'll be able to tell who your real friends are."

Invisible means impossible to see.

Now, let us discuss the questions:

1. Mario was very proud of having so many friends. State whether True or False. This is True.

2. What did the grandfather take from the attic? He took an invisible chair.

3. Will Mario face any challenges? Yes, because the chair is invisible, so it will be tricky to sit on it.

4. Will Mario be able to use the magic? We will find out as we continue reading.

Now, let us continue the story.

Mario, brave and determined, took the strange invisible chair and set off for school. At break time, he asked everyone to form a circle. He put himself in the middle, with his chair.

Determined means firm in decision.

"Nobody move. You're about to see something amazing."

Amazing means very surprising.

Mario tried sitting on the chair. Having difficulty seeing it, he missed and fell straight onto his backside. His classmates had a pretty good laugh.

"Wait, wait, just a slight technical problem," he said, trying again. But again, he missed the seat, causing more surprised looks and laughter. Mario wouldn't give up. He kept trying to sit on the magic chair and kept falling to the ground until, suddenly, he tried again and didn't fall. This time he sat, hanging in mid-air.

Then he finally experienced the magic that his grandfather had been talking about. Looking around, Mario saw Guneet, Asma, and Deepa — three of his buddies — holding him up, so he wouldn't fall. Meanwhile, many others he'd thought of as friends had done nothing but made fun of him, enjoying each and every fall.

Experienced means felt.

Leaving with his three friends, he explained to them how his grandfather had so cleverly thought of a way to show him that true friends are those who care for us. A friend wouldn't be someone who takes joy in our bad luck.

That evening the four children went to see Mario's grandpa as he had won the bet. They had a great time listening to stories and eating a lot of fruit chaat. From then on, they used the magic chair test on many occasions and whoever passed became friends for life.

Now, let us discuss the questions:

1. Mario successfully sat on the invisible chair on his first attempt. State whether True or False. This is False. He tried many times and fell many times before he finally sat on it.

2. Fill in the blank with a suitable word. Mario's grandfather challenged him to a bet of fruit chaat.

3. Match the following characters with their action.

Guneet, Asma and Deepa — (i) held Mario up, so he wouldn't fall The other classmates — (ii) made fun of Mario's attempts

Now, let us do the "Let us think and reflect" section.

First, read the following lines and answer the questions.

1. "Take it. It's a very special chair. As it's invisible, it's rather tricky to sit on it. But if you take it to school and manage to sit on it, then the magic will work and you'll be able to tell who your real friends are."

(i) Fill in the blanks with two words that describe the chair. The chair is invisible and special.

(ii) Why was it tricky to sit on the chair? It was tricky because the chair was invisible, so Mario could not see it and kept missing it.

(iii) Why does Mario's grandfather call the chair 'special'? He calls it special because it has magical powers — it can help Mario find out who his real friends are.

2. "Wait, wait, just a slight technical problem," he said, trying again. But again, he missed the seat, causing more surprised looks and laughter. Mario wouldn't give up.

(i) Fill in the blank with a suitable reason. Mario says there was a technical problem because he could not see the invisible chair.

(ii) Mario's friends were very caring and helpful. State whether True or False. This is True. Guneet, Asma, and Deepa held him up so he wouldn't fall.

(iii) Choose the correct option to complete the sentence. Mario wouldn't give up. This shows he is ________. A. strong-willed B. supportive C. loving D. hard-working

The correct answer is A. strong-willed, because he kept trying even though he kept falling.

Now, question II: Answer the following questions.

1. What was the bet about? The bet was about whether Mario really had as many friends as he thought. The grandfather bet Mario a fruit chaat that many of his schoolmates were not real friends, just companions or partners.

2. What happened when Mario sat on the chair for the first time? When Mario tried to sit on the chair for the first time, he missed because he could not see the invisible chair, and he fell on his backside. His classmates laughed.

3. How was Mario able to find his real friends? Mario was able to find his real friends because when he sat on the invisible chair and started falling, his true friends — Guneet, Asma, and Deepa — held him up so he wouldn't fall. The others just laughed at him.

4. Do you think the magic chair test was good? Why do you say so? This is for you to discuss. Some might say it was a good test because it showed who truly cared for Mario. Others might say it was a bit unfair or embarrassing for Mario. But the important thing is that it taught Mario a valuable lesson about true friendship.

5. What does 'friends for life' mean to you? "Friends for life" means friends who stay with you forever, through good times and bad times, and who are always there for you.

6. The grandfather's idea helped Mario find his 'real friends'. Mention any other way that would help you find out who are your 'real friends'. This is for you to think about. Some ways could be: when you are sad, who consoles you? When you need help, who helps you? When you make a mistake, who forgives you? These are some ways to find real friends.

Now, let us move on to the "Let us learn" section for this story.

First, read the following words from the text: friendly, suddenly, talking, carrying, called, showed.

Complete the following table by dividing the words into two parts. One has been done for you.

The table has Column A and Column B. For "friendly," Column A is "friend" and Column B is "ly."

So we need to do the same for the other words:

1. friend — ly 2. sudden — ly 3. talk — ing 4. carry — ing 5. call — ed 6. show — ed

The words in Column A are called the root words. The sequences of letters that are in Column B which come after the root words are called suffixes.

Now, question II: Match the following root words with suitable suffixes. You can use a suffix more than once as shown. Use them to make sentences of your own.

The root words are: magic, care, celebrate, laugh, wonder, help, friend, courage.

The suffixes are: -ing, -al, -ful, -ly, -ed, -tion, -ous, -ship.

Let me make the matches:

1. magic + -al = magical — "The magician performed an amazing magical act." 2. care + -al = careful — "She is very careful with her things." 3. celebrate + -tion = celebration — "We had a big celebration for Diwali." 4. laugh + -ter = laughter — wait, actually the suffix is -ly, so laugh + -ly = laughly? That doesn't work. Actually, let me check the table again. It says "laugh" with suffix "-ly" — that would be "laughly" which is not a word. Actually, looking at the table, it might be "laugh + -ing" = laughing, or "laugh + -ter" is not correct. Let me think about the correct matches:

Actually, let me list all the correct matches:

1. magic + -al = magical (as given) 2. care + -ful = careful (not -al) 3. celebrate + -tion = celebration (not -al) 4. laugh + -ter is not correct. Actually, looking at the suffixes, we have -ing, -al, -ful, -ly, -ed, -tion, -ous, -ship. Let me match them properly:

- care + -ful = careful - celebrate + -tion = celebration (but wait, the suffix is -tion, so it would be "celebration") - laugh + -ing = laughing (but the suffix given is -ly, so maybe it's "laughly" which is not a word. Actually, maybe it's "laugh + -ter" but that's not in the list. Let me skip this one for now.) - wonder + -ed = wondered - help + -ful = helpful - friend + -ship = friendship - courage + -ous = courageous

Actually, looking at the table more carefully:

| S. No. | Root Word | Suffix | Word | Sentence | |--------|-----------|--------|------|----------| | 1. | magic | -ing | magical | The magician performed an amazing magical act. | | 2. | care | -al | careful? | | | 3. | celebrate | -ful | | | | 4. | laugh | -ly | | | | 5. | wonder | -ed | | | | 6. | help | -tion | | | | 7. | friend | -ous | | | | 8. | courage | -ship | | |

Wait, this table seems to have some errors. Let me think about the correct matches:

Actually, I think the table might be asking us to match different suffixes. Let me just give you the correct words:

1. magic + -al = magical (as given) 2. care + -ful = careful 3. celebrate + -tion = celebration (but the suffix is -tion, not -ful) 4. laugh + -ing = laughing (but the suffix is -ly, which doesn't work) 5. wonder + -ed = wondered 6. help + -ful = helpful (but the suffix is -tion) 7. friend + -ship = friendship (but the suffix is -ous) 8. courage + -ous = courageous (but the suffix is -ship)

Actually, I think there might be some mistakes in the table in the book. Let me just give you the correct combinations:

- care + -ful = careful - celebrate + -tion = celebration - laugh + -ing = laughing - wonder + -ed = wondered - help + -ful = helpful - friend + -ship = friendship - courage + -ous = courageous

Now, question III: Read the following lines from the story. "Mario, brave and determined, took the strange invisible chair ..."

You have already described the chair. Now, describe what kind of a person Mario is in the image given below.

Use words from the story. You may also use words of your own.

Mario

The words that describe the quality of a person or a thing are called adjectives.

From the story, we can describe Mario as: brave, determined, proud (because he showed off), and persistent (because he didn't give up).

Now, question IV: Match each word (adjectives) in Column A with a suitable word (noun) in Column B. You can make more than one combination.

Column A Adjectives: brave, clever, tasty, heavy, slight, true Column B Nouns: friends, rain, soldier, plan, peanuts, cold

The combinations can be: 1. brave + soldier = brave soldier 2. clever + plan = clever plan 3. tasty + peanuts = tasty peanuts 4. heavy + rain = heavy rain 5. slight + cold = slight cold 6. true + friends = true friends

Now, question V: Complete the paragraph with suitable adjective-noun pairings. Use the words in the box given below.

The words are: old book, magical adventures, happy boy, amazing stories, fantastic adventures, colourful creatures, old castles

The paragraph is:

"Once upon a time in a little village, a/an 1. _______________ named Abhishek found a/an 2. _______________ in the attic. He read 3. _______________ about fairy lands, 4. _______________ and 5. _______________. Abhishek's eyes got big as he imagined these 6. _______________. He told his friends about the stories, and they started to have their own 7. _______________ when they played together."

The answers are: 1. happy boy 2. old book 3. amazing stories 4. colourful creatures 5. old castles 6. magical adventures (or fantastic adventures) 7. fantastic adventures (or magical adventures)

Now, there is a "Let us speak" section where you need to work in pairs and discuss the qualities of a friend. We already did something similar earlier, so you can use the same ideas.

Now, the "Let us write" section has some messages that Mario wrote to his friends. You need to choose the correct word to complete Mario's message to Guneet.

The message is:

"Dear Guneet,

I am ____________ (thankful to/requesting) God to have you as a ____________ (lucky/real) friend for life. When everyone was ____________ (laughing at/talking to) me, Deepa, Asma and you showed me that you ____________ (will save/care for) me. You are indeed a ____________ (blessing/loving) in my life.

Best wishes, Mario"

The correct answers are: "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."

Now, you need to write your own message to your best friend, taking ideas from the story and the poem.

Now, the "Let us explore" section has some activities:

1. Find out more stories about 'Friendship'. It could be from your state, other states or other countries too. You can share them with your class.

2. Describe your friends by filling in the blanks with suitable words. This is known as an acrostic poem.

The letters are: F, R, I, E, N, D, S. You need to write a word for each letter that describes a friend. For example: F — Faithful R — Reliable I — Innocent E — Empathetic N — Noble D — Devoted S — Supportive

3. Complete the following task by talking to different people of different age groups. You need to ask them "What does friendship mean to you?" and note their responses for different age groups: 50+, 31 to 49, 20 to 30, and 12 to 19. Then discuss the similarities and differences across age groups, reflect on how viewpoints on friendship may change with age and life experiences, and present a summary.

Now, students, we have come to the end of the chapter. Let me now give you a complete summary of everything we learned in this chapter.

This chapter on Friendship had three main parts. The first part was the story of "The Unlikely Best Friends" about an elephant named Gajaraj and a dog named Buntee. They became friends even though they were very different from each other. The story taught us that true friendship can happen between anyone, even unlikely friends. We learned the difference between a caretaker and a friend, and we learned about opposites, verb tenses, and how to use "neither...nor" and "either...or."

The second part was the poem "A Friend's Prayer" which taught us to pray for our friends, to care for them, and to love them for who they are. We learned about the qualities of a good friend like being loyal, honest, kind, caring, and helpful.

The third part was the story "The Chair" about a boy named Mario who learned who his real friends were through a magic chair test. This story taught us that real friends are those who help us when we are in trouble, not those who laugh at our failures. We also learned about root words and suffixes, adjectives, and how to write a message to a friend.

Throughout the chapter, we also did many activities like speaking about our friends, writing about our friendships, listening to stories about unlikely friendships, and exploring more about friendship through discussions and projects.

The key messages from this chapter are: 1. True friendship is about caring, sharing, and being there for each other. 2. Friends can be found in unlikely places and among unlikely people. 3. Real friends are those who support us in difficult times and love us for who we are. 4. Friendship requires effort, understanding, and love. 5. We should pray for our friends and wish only the best for them.

I hope you enjoyed this lesson on friendship. Remember to be a good friend to others, and you will always have true friends in your life.

Thank you for listening, and see you in the next class!