Think and Reflect

Class 6 English · Chapter 4: The Unlikely Best Friends · NCERT Poorvi section pp. 45–46

Learn

A friend and a caretaker: the mahout fed Gajaraj and bathed him in the pond, so he was a good caretaker. But a friend shares fun, company and feelings. That is what Gajaraj was missing. As an analogy: mahout : kind :: Gajaraj : sad (at the start).

Signs that Gajaraj was happy to have a friend: he shared his food, splashed water on Buntee playfully, gave him rides on his back, and gave him a joyous swing when he returned. How the mahout knew Gajaraj was sad: the food stayed untouched, and nothing was wrong with his tummy.

The farmer's kindness: remembering Buntee's happy face on the elephant's back, the farmer understood the dog's feelings. He put Buntee's happiness before his own wish to keep him. As an analogy: Gajaraj : Buntee :: mahout : farmer (pairs of friends at the end).

Explore: this story comes from the Jataka tales, ancient Buddhist stories of values and wisdom, passed down for over two thousand years. There are real-life unlikely friendships too, like a cow and a leopard in Gujarat, or an elephant and a dog in a sanctuary who stayed loyal when the dog was hurt.

Explore: caretaker or friend?

1. Sort each card.

Remember

• A caretaker looks after your needs; a friend shares fun, company and feelings.
• The farmer showed kindness by putting Buntee's happiness first.

Quick check

What was "unlikely" about the friendship of Gajaraj and Buntee?

1. A huge elephant and a small dog are very different
2. They never played
3. They were enemies
4. They were brothers

Think about it

Can someone be both your caretaker and your friend? Give an example.

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.