Class 6 English · Unit 2

The Unlikely Best Friends

NCERT Poorvi · Unit 2: Friendship. Answers to all the textbook questions and activities, in simple words.

Let us do these activities before we read

IComplete the sentences in the shapes.

With my friend I play. / With my friend I share my tiffin. / With my friend I study.
With my friend I feel happy. / With my friend I feel safe. / With my friend I feel confident.

Friends are important because they share our joys and sorrows and help us in difficult times.

IIThe title of the chapter is ‘The Unlikely Best Friends’.

1. What can be the meaning of ‘unlikely’?

‘Unlikely’ means not expected or not probable.

2. Can you think of some unlikely friends?

A cat and a mouse, a lion and a mouse, a dog and a cat, or an elephant and a dog.

Let us discuss

1Part I

1. Talk about the things that Gajaraj and Buntee did together.

Buntee and Gajaraj played, ate food together, went to the pond for a bath, rode home together (Buntee sat on Gajaraj’s back) and stayed in the stable together.

2. Why did the farmer hug Buntee?

Buntee was the farmer’s dog. He had been looking for him since he disappeared. He was glad to find him, so he hugged him.

3. Do you think Buntee will leave Gajaraj and go home with the farmer?

Buntee will have to go because the farmer has tied him with a rope. But he will not be happy, as he will miss his friend Gajaraj.

2Part II

1. Why did Gajaraj not eat his food?

Gajaraj did not eat his food because he was missing his friend Buntee.

2. Who were friends at the end of the story?

Gajaraj and Buntee were friends. The mahout and the farmer also became friends.

Let us think and reflect

I.1In spite of royal comforts, Gajaraj was sad… but not a friend.

(i) mahout : kind : : Gajaraj : ______

Answer: sad

(ii) Complete the sentence.

The mahout was a good caretaker because he gave food to Gajaraj and a bath in the pond.

(iii) What is the difference between a friend and a caretaker?

A caretaker looks after our needs like food and bath. A friend shares our feelings, plays with us and makes us happy.

I.2“Are you missing your friend?” asked the farmer… The farmer removed the rope…

(i) The farmer uses the word ______ to refer to the elephant.

Answer: friend

(ii) How did the farmer know that Buntee was hungry?

Buntee had not touched his food since he was brought home.

(iii) Why did the farmer remove the rope?

He understood that Buntee was missing Gajaraj. He could not see Buntee go hungry, so he set him free to go to his friend.

(iv) Gajaraj : Buntee : : ______ : farmer

Answer: mahout

IIGive two examples to show that Gajaraj was very happy to have a friend.

He playfully splashed water on Buntee at the pond.
He picked Buntee up with his trunk and gave him a ride on his back. (Also, he gave Buntee a joyous swing when he came back.)

IIIHow did the mahout come to know that Gajaraj was sad?

Gajaraj did not touch his favourite food for two days. The mahout felt his tummy and found nothing wrong. So, he understood that Gajaraj was missing his friend.

IVWhy do you think Buntee licked the farmer’s hand?

Buntee licked the farmer’s hand to thank him for setting him free and to show his love.

VWhat was ‘unlikely’ about the friendship of Gajaraj and Buntee?

An elephant and a dog are very different in size and nature. Nobody expects them to become best friends.

Let us learn

1Fill in the opposites in the puzzle ‘We are opposites!’

Across

3. unkind – KIND

7. yelped – LAUGHED

8. awake – ASLEEP

9. relieved – WORRIED

10. missing – FOUND

Down

1. started – FINISHED

2. appeared – DISAPPEARED

4. sad – DELIGHTED

5. untouched – TOUCHED

6. hate – LOVE

2Complete the paragraph with some of the words.

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.

3Put the verbs in the correct column.

Simple Past Tense	Past Progressive Tense	Past Perfect Tense
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

3bSelect 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.

4Neither… nor / Either… or

‘Neither… nor’ joins two negative ideas. ‘Either… or’ gives a choice between two things.

Neither Shikha nor Anuj likes to tell stories. (Both do not like it.)
Either Bhavesh or Abha made this painting. (One of the two made it.)
Neither the farmer nor the mahout noticed the tears of the two friends.
We can play either cricket or kho-kho in the evening.

Let us listen

1Fill in the missing details.

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. Villagers were surprised at their friendship.

2Number the sentences in the correct order.

The cow took care of the leopard cub as a mother.
The leopard left the village after growing up.
The leopard came to meet the cow at night.
The leopard stopped coming regularly.

Let us speak

★Find your common likes and dislikes and tell the class about your friend.

I am Riya. My friend is Neha. I like drawing and cycling. My friend likes dancing and cycling. Both of us like cycling and mango ice-cream. I like to read stories but my friend likes to watch cartoons. We are different as she is talkative and I am quiet.

This is a sample. Use your own details.

Let us write

✎Write six sentences about your friend.

My best friend is Neha. Both of us study in Grade 6. We like the same games, so we cycle together every evening. Neither she nor I like spicy food. But we are different too. She loves dancing, unlike me; I love drawing. Still, we enjoy each other’s company and are always happy together.

Let us explore

1Find and read another Jataka story.

Some Jataka tales are ‘The Monkey and the Crocodile’, ‘The Talkative Tortoise’ and ‘The Golden Swan’.

2Discuss elephants in Indian culture and the human–elephant conflict.

Elephants are part of our festivals, temples and history. Today, forests are being cut down and elephants lose their homes. They enter villages and fields in search of food. So, we must protect forests and elephant corridors.

3Read the news report about Tarra and Bella.

Reading activity. Like Gajaraj and Buntee, Tarra the elephant and Bella the dog were unlikely best friends.

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