Read: The Story

Class 6 English · Chapter 4: The Unlikely Best Friends · NCERT Poorvi section pp. 39–45

Learn

Before you read: why are friends important to you? What do you do together, and how do you feel? The title says "unlikely" best friends. Unlikely means not expected. Can you think of two very different animals or people who became good friends?

Part I (in short): Gajaraj, the king's elephant, lives in the best booth of the royal stables, but he is sad: he has no friends. His kind mahout feeds and bathes him, but is a caretaker, not a friend. One evening a tired, hungry dog strays in. Gajaraj pushes some of his food towards him. The dog wags his tail in thanks, eats, and falls asleep.

The mahout doesn't mind the dog and even throws him crumbs. The two become inseparable: the dog goes with Gajaraj to the pond, where the elephant playfully splashes him (the dog hates showers!), and Gajaraj gives him rides on his back. Then a farmer passing by shouts "Buntee!" It is his lost dog. He ties a rope round Buntee's neck and takes him home.

Part II (in short): the two friends are in tears, but no one notices. Gajaraj stops eating; the mahout thinks it's indigestion, but then guesses he is missing his friend. At the farmer's house, Buntee won't eat either. The kind farmer says, "If you miss your friend so much, go to him," and unties him. Buntee runs to the stable, Gajaraj swings him joyfully, and both friends eat at last. The mahout hugs the farmer: "It's not only Gajaraj who has found a friend. I've also found one." (A story by Subba Rao, based on a Jataka tale.)

Explore: put the story in order.

1. Put the five events in order.

Remember

• Lonely Gajaraj befriends a stray dog, Buntee; when Buntee is taken away, both stop eating.
• The kind farmer frees Buntee, the friends are reunited, and the mahout and farmer become friends too.

Quick check

Why did Gajaraj stop eating?

1. He missed his friend Buntee
2. He had indigestion
3. The food was bad
4. He was angry

Think about it

Why do you think Buntee licked the farmer's hand before running off?

Practice

Practise with fresh questions at three levels (easy, medium, hard), some answered hands-on, with hints and worked answers. Get 4 of your last 5 right to finish the topic.