Let us discuss
1. Talk about the things that Gajaraj and Buntee did together. Now, write in the shapes given below. One has been done for you.
Buntee and Gajaraj
Ans. (i) Played (ii) ate (iii) walked (iv) slept
2. Why did the farmer hug Buntee?
Ans. The farmer hugged the dog and told the mahout that he was looking for his dog ever since he disappeared
from his house. He was glad he found him now.
3. Do you think Buntee will leave Gajaraj and go home with the farmer?
Ans. No, Buntee is unlikely to leave Gajaraj and go home with the farmer voluntarily.
Let us discuss
1. Why did Gajaraj not eat his food?
Ans. Gajaraj was missing his friend, the dog. So that he did not eat his food.
2. Who were friends at the end of the story?
Ans.
- Gajaraj (the elephant) and Buntee (the dog)
- The mahout (elephant trainer) and The farmer
Let us think and reflect
I Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow.
1. 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.
(i) Complete with one word:
mahout : kind : : Gajaraj : lonely
(ii) The mahout was a good caretaker because he gave food to Gajaraj and a bath in the pond.
(iii) What do you think is the difference between a friend and a caretaker?
Ans. The main difference is that a friend provides emotional support based on mutual affection, while a caretaker provides practical assistance and ensures the physical well-being of another person. Friendship is a voluntary, personal relationship, whereas care taking is a role-based relationship focused on fulfilling duties and needs.
2. “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.
(i) The farmer uses the word __________________ to refer to the elephant.
Ans. friend.
(ii) How did the farmer know that Buntee was hungry?
Ans. the dog (Buntee) had also not touched his food ever since he was brought home.
(iii) Why did the farmer remove the rope with which he had tied Buntee?
Ans. The farmer removed the rope with which he had tied Buntee because he realized that Buntee was unhappy and sad, as he missed his friend Gajaraj the elephant.
(iv) Complete with one word:
Gajaraj : Buntee : : __________ : farmer
Ans. Gajaraj : Buntee : : mahout : farmer
II Give two examples to show that Gajaraj was very happy to have a friend.
Ans. Gajaraj trumpeted with joy upon seeing Buntee and when he playfully splashed water on the dog during their bath.
III How did the mahout come to know that Gajaraj was sad?
Ans. Gajaraj did not touch his food for some days. Mahout ran his hand on Gajaraj’s tummy and felt there was nothing wrong. The mahout knew Gajaraj was sad and missing his friend.
IV Why do you think Buntee licked the farmer’s hand?
Ans. Buntee licked the farmer’s hand to express his thanks for allowing him to go back to Gajaraj.
V What was ‘unlikely’ about the friendship of Gajaraj and Buntee?
Ans. Gajaraj was an elephant and Buntee was a dog. They were completely different species that do not normally interact closely.
Let us learn
1. Gajaraj was sad without a friend and when he met Buntee, he was filled with joy. ‘Sad’ and ‘filled with joy’ are opposites. Opposites can also be formed by adding some letters before a word. For example, un- unhappy,
in- incorrect, dis- disconnect, mis- misuse. Now, take help from the words given as hints and fill up their opposites in the puzzle. (Note: All the words are from the story you have just read.)
We are opposites!
Ans. Student will do this activity with the help of teachers.
2. Now, complete the paragraph with some of the words you have used in the puzzle.
Ans. My pencil was missing . I was very upset as it was a gift from my friend. I woke up my elder brother who was sleeping on the bed. I told him that my pencil seemed to have disappeared. He smiled and told me to look under my pillow. I was relieved when I found the pencil there.
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 he action word (verb) is used. Let us learn about the three forms of past tense. Given below are some verbs from the story. Put the verbs in their correct column in the table given below.
• was looking • looked • gave •had ordered • was missing •hated •had followed •noticed • was munching •went •had remained •served • told •asked •felt •touched •had tied •joined •arrived •threw
| Simple Past Tense | Past Progressive Tense | Past Perfect Tense |
| Used to show that the action had happened earlier.• second form of the verb + add -d or -ed to the verb |
Used to show that the action did not finish and was going on.• I/He/She/It + was + verb + ing • We/You/They + were + verb + ing |
Used to show that the action was completed.• had + third form of the verb |
| looked | was missing | had ordered |
| gave | was munching | had remained |
| hated | was looking | had tiednoticed |
Select the correct form of the verb to complete the passage. Check your answers with the teacher.
Ans. The farmer came back and noticed (noticed/was noticing/had noticed) that Buntee was sad. He had tied (tied/was tying/had tied) Buntee with a rope the day before. He asked (asked/was asking/ had asked) Buntee why he was sad. The farmer felt (felt/was feeling/had felt) that Buntee was missing (missed/was missing/had missed) Gajaraj and set him free.
4. ‘…neither the farmer nor the mahout noticed that the two friends were in tears.’ .
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. Discuss the given sentences with your teacher to practise.
• Neither Shikha nor Anuj like to tell stories.
• Either Bhavesh or Abha made this painting.
Ans.
- The first sentence “Neither Shikha nor Anuj like to tell stories” means that both Shikha and Anuj dislike telling stories.
- The second sentence “Either Bhavesh or Abha made this painting” means that one of the two people, Bhavesh or Abha, is the artist, but not both.
Let us listen
1. You will listen to a story about ‘Unlikely Friends’. Use exact words from the story to fill up the missing details in the paragraph. (refer to page 71 for transcript)
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.
2. Now, listen to the story again and number the sentences in correct order. The first one has been done for you.
The leopard stopped coming regularly.
The cow took care of the leopard cub as a mother.
The leopard came to meet the cow at night.
The leopard left the village after growing up.
Ans.
- 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
Gajaraj and Buntee had a wonderful time with each other even if they were ‘unlikely’ friends. Talk to your friend and find out your common likes and dislikes. Share your answers with the class.
I am Mohit
I like: Singing, Dancing
My friend is Kamal
My friend likes:
• Dancing
• To play cricket
Both of us like:
•Dancing
• ____________
Ans. Students will do this activity with the help of teachers.
Now, tell your classmates about your friend. You may take help of the cues given below.
• My friend and I like to play. Both of us want Dancing.
• I like to Singing but my friend likes to To play cricket.
• We are different as she/he is ___________ and I am ___________.
Ans. Students will do this activity with the help of teachers.
Let us write
Write six sentences about your friend with the help of the facts collected in the above task. Mention how you are not only similar but also different. You may take help of the words given below.
| same | different | and | but |
| both | still | like | unlike |
| neither | nor | either | or |
(a) My friend is always kind to me even when I make a mistake. (b) My friend shares things with me. She is very caring. (c) My friend is helpful because he always supports me. (d) My friend never lies. She is an honest person. (e) My friend and I believe in loyalty for each other
Let us explore
1. The story, ‘The Elephant and the Dog’ is found in the Jataka tales. These stories 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. Find and read another Jataka story.
2. Elephants have historically held significant roles in Indian culture, spanning history, warfare, religion, festivals and more. However, contemporary ecological challenges have strained the relationship between humans and elephants. Have a discussion in the class.
3. Given below is a news report from an Elephant Sanctuary in the United States about a real-life friendship between an elephant and a dog. The elephant’s name is Tarra and the dog’s name is Bella. Bella came inside a forest for elephants and became Tarra’s friend. Tarra spent most of her time with Bella. One day, Bella had an injury so she could not walk. She was kept inside a building for three weeks. Tarra stood outside for three weeks. Finally, they met and were very happy.