Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about Friend In Need from Class 6 English_FL. Let us begin with our pre-reading task. Listen carefully and imagine a real-life situation. When friends face trouble, they do not simply walk away. They stay and offer help. Think about your own life. Has anyone of you helped a friend during a difficult time? Take a moment to share your experience with a classmate sitting next to you. Next, we will practice storytelling. I will give you hints for two very short animal stories. Use these hints to narrate the full stories to your partner. The first hint is: a lion was asleep, a mouse disturbed him, the lion did not kill the mouse, later the lion got caught in a net, he roared, the mouse came, cut the net, and saved him. The second hint is: a bird was shot by a hunter's arrow, an ant bit the hunter to save the bird, later the ant fell in a river, the bird dropped a leaf, and saved the ant. Pause the audio now, use these hints to tell the complete stories aloud to your friend, and then continue. [CHECKPOINT]
Now, let us read and understand our main story together. It begins long before the great war of the Mahabharata. Sage Durvasa taught Kunti a Mantra. Remember, a Mantra is a sacred verse used to invoke, or call upon, the Gods. When used correctly, the Gods would appear and bless her with sons as glorious as themselves. Kunti was young and waiting for her Swayamvara. Out of pure curiosity, she tested the verse and invoked Surya, the Sun God. He blessed her with a child destined to become a legendary hero. But Kunti was unmarried and terrified. She wondered how she could explain the child to society. With a heavy heart, she placed the baby in a basket and set it afloat on the river Ganga. He was rescued and raised by Adiratha, eventually growing into the mighty warrior Karna. [CHECKPOINT]
As years passed, war drew near. Lord Krishna warned Kunti that her sons, the Pandavas, would fight their cousins, the Kauravas, resulting in terrible bloodshed. Kunti became deeply disturbed. Why? Because Karna, her secret firstborn, fought for Duryodhana and the Kauravas. He might kill his own brothers, or be killed by them. She had never acknowledged him or shown him a mother's affection. Tears of despair filled her eyes. She realized the only way to save her sons was to reveal the truth to Karna. She hoped this would persuade him to abandon Duryodhana and join the Pandavas. If Karna switched sides, Duryodhana would lose his greatest strength, and the Pandavas would win easily. Kunti hurried to the riverbank at dawn, knowing Karna prayed there. She found him standing in the water, facing east with his eyes closed. [CHECKPOINT]
Kunti waited patiently. When Karna opened his eyes, he was surprised but bowed respectfully. Kunti broke down, weeping, and called him her son. She explained his royal lineage, his divine father Surya, and revealed that he was actually the eldest Pandava, brother to Arjuna, Yudhishthira, Bhima, Nakula, and Sahadeva. She pleaded with him to lead the Pandavas instead of Duryodhana. She begged him to leave the Kauravas, join his true brothers, and finally bring peace to her heavy heart. Now, take a moment to reflect on this conversation with your partner. Kunti is asking Karna to change his allegiance. Think about what this means for his loyalty and his identity. Discuss how you would feel in his place. [CHECKPOINT]
Karna gently embraced his mother and wiped away her tears. He spoke with profound sadness. He acknowledged his royal birth and divine father, but reminded her that Adiratha and Radha raised him. They gave him a father's care, shared his childhood joys and sorrows, and proudly watched him grow into a man. He asked her why she stayed silent when Krupa publicly challenged his lineage at the tournament. If she had spoken then, his life would have been completely different. Kunti cried out in protest, but Karna continued firmly. He said Duryodhana stood by him when others mocked him. Duryodhana rebuked Bhima for his harsh words, gave him wealth, a kingdom, armies, and most importantly, true friendship. Karna asked a powerful question: Would it be honourable to desert a friend who stood by him? Would it be just to betray the Kauravas? His smile was sad, but his choice was firm. He valued honour, duty, and friendship above everything else. He refused to be a traitor. Kunti had no answer. Heartbroken, she bent her head in sorrow. [CHECKPOINT]
Before we move to the activities, let us quickly review the glossary words to strengthen your vocabulary. A sage is a holy man. A mantra is a holy saying. To invoke means to make a request, especially to God. Glory means greatness. To wonder means to feel curious. Disturbed means confused or upset. To fondle means to show a mother's love. To persuade means to convince someone to act. A heavy heart means deep sadness. To raise means to bring up a child. To lavish means to give generously. To rebuke means to scold. Now, let us complete the first exercise together. You must decide if the statements are true or not true, and quote the text to justify your answer. Turn to your partner and discuss each one. [CHECKPOINT]
Let us check your answers. For statement A, Kunti was happy after begetting her first child. This is Not True. The text says she placed the baby in a basket with a heavy heart and wondered how to explain him. For statement B, it was the Pandavas who did not treat Karna kindly. This is Not True. The text shows it was Bhima who used harsh words, and Duryodhana who defended him. For statement C, Kunti was right in asking Karna to join the Pandavas. This is open for discussion, but the text shows Karna felt it would be unjust and dishonourable to desert his friend. Quote his words: Would it be just? For statement D, Karna was sad but determined to fight on his friend's side. This is True. The text says his smile was tinged with sadness, but he held honour, duty, and friendship above everything else. [CHECKPOINT]
Next, let us work through the short questions. Speak to your partner and write down your answers. For question two a, Durvasa taught Kunti a Mantra to invoke the Gods. For b, she invoked Surya, the Sun God. For c, she was blessed with a child who would become a great hero. For d, she placed the child in a basket and set it afloat on the Ganga. For e, she was disturbed because her sons would fight their cousins, and her secret son Karna was on the enemy side. For f, she met him at the banks of the Ganga during his morning prayers. For g, Karna refused to leave Duryodhana because Duryodhana gave him friendship, wealth, and a kingdom when others rejected him. For h, Kunti pleaded with him to leave the Kauravas, join his brothers, and bring her peace. For i, no, Karna did not become a traitor. He chose loyalty and honour over blood ties. [CHECKPOINT]
Now, for the three-sentence answers in question three. Discuss with your friend and write them down. For a, Krishna told Kunti that war was near, her sons would fight their cousins, and there would be much bloodshed. For b, why did Karna dislike the Pandavas? The text does not say he disliked them. Instead, he felt a deep sense of loyalty to Duryodhana, who stood by him when the Pandavas, especially Bhima, insulted his low birth. He also felt abandoned by his mother, which made him resentful of the situation, not necessarily the brothers themselves. For c, Duryodhana helped Karna by rebuking Bhima, giving him wealth, a kingdom, power, and armies, but most importantly, he gave him lifelong friendship and respect. [CHECKPOINT]
Let us analyze the three important dialogues in question four. Read them with your partner. The first quote is, Would I not be a traitor and a cheat, if I deserted him now? The I is Karna. He is speaking to his mother, Kunti. The answer is that Kunti had no spoken answer; she was heartbroken and bent her head in sorrow. The second quote is, It is the Pandavas you should lead, not Duryodhana’s armies. Leave them. Kunti said this to Karna. She said it because she wanted him to join his true brothers, weaken Duryodhana, and help the Pandavas win easily. The third quote is, Your sons will fight against their cousins. There will be much bloodshed. The phrase Your sons refers to the Pandavas. Krishna said this to Kunti. The Pandavas will fight against the Kauravas, who are their cousins. [CHECKPOINT]
Let us practice our vocabulary with collective nouns. These are special words that describe a large group of things or people. Look at the box in your textbook. Discuss with your friend and match them. A posse of constables. A galaxy of stars. A swarm of bees. A group of people. A giggle of girls. A parliament of owls. A flight of steps. A fleet of ships. A bundle of sticks. A bunch of keys. A colony of ants. A pride of lions. For the next activity, you must strike off the unsuitable words from the list. Read the sentence about what Karna held above everything else. Look back at paragraph eleven. He held honour, duty, and friendship above everything else. Strike off thoughtfulness, hard work, kindness, efficiency, honesty, and pride. Discuss why these three values were so important to him. [CHECKPOINT]
Now, focus on grammar. We are working with prepositions. Prepositions show relationships like place, direction, or connection. Read the four sentences in question seven carefully. Fill in the blanks with your partner. The correct answers are: Kunti sat on the bank looking at Karna as he stood in the river meditating on Surya. Karna came up out of the river and touched Kunti’s feet. You look very much worried, O Great One, you have never spoken to me before. I will do whatever I can for you. Tell me how I can help you. Notice how on, at, in, on, out of, to, and for change the meaning and flow of the sentences. [CHECKPOINT]
Let us practice speaking and pronunciation. I want you to say the following sentences clearly but as quickly as you can. First: I feel a funny feel, a funny feel I feel, if you feel the feel I feel, you will feel the feel I feel. Second: His striving for perfection with constant preparation and determination was not only his obsession but his passion. Pay close attention to the pronunciation rule. In words ending with tion or ssion, the stress falls on the second to last syllable. For example, say de-ter-mi-NA-tion and ob-SE-ssion. Always stress the vowel sound, not the consonant. Practice these aloud until you feel comfortable with the rhythm. [CHECKPOINT]
Now, for your writing task, you will write a paragraph about yourself. A good paragraph has a topic sentence, supporting details, and a conclusion. Choose your ambition, your favourite activities, or your hobby. Here is a model you can follow. My ambition is to become a teacher. I love sharing knowledge and helping my friends understand difficult topics. I read educational books every evening and practice explaining lessons to my younger brother. I know teaching requires patience and dedication, and I am ready to work hard for it. After writing your own paragraph, attach your photo, display it on the wall, and read your classmates' work to appreciate their good qualities. [CHECKPOINT]
To end our lesson, let us look at the final paragraph completion exercise. Read the incomplete paragraph carefully. Work with your partner to fill in the missing words. The Mahabharata is an epic of ancient India. In one part of this epic a strange meeting takes place between a mother and her son. It is heart-breaking to think of them. But the mother is determined to ask a favour of her son. The son sadly tells her he cannot oblige her. Read this story to find out why the mother must tell him, for the very first time, who she really is; what favour she asks of him; does she, or does she not feel justified in asking the favour; and what the son tells her in return. Read the completed paragraph aloud to check if it flows smoothly. Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]