Unit 2 – The Unlikely Best Friends

Let Us Discuss

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

Answer:

• Played together
• Ate together
• Walked together
• Bathed together
• Spent time together
• Enjoyed each other’s company

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2. Why did the farmer hug Buntee?

Answer:

The farmer hugged Buntee because he loved him very much and was happy to see him after he returned.

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

Answer:

Yes. Buntee loved both the farmer and Gajaraj. After meeting Gajaraj, he would return home with the farmer because the farmer cared for him.

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4. Why did Gajaraj not eat his food?

Answer:

Gajaraj did not eat his food because he was sad and missed his friend Buntee.

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

Answer:

Gajaraj and Buntee were friends at the end of the story.

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Let Us Think and Reflect

I. Read the following lines and answer.

1 (i)

mahout : kind :: Gajaraj : sad

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(ii)

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

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(iii)

What is the difference between a friend and a caretaker?

Answer:

A caretaker looks after someone’s needs, while a friend shares love, care, happiness and feelings.

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2 (i)

The farmer uses the word friend to refer to the elephant.

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2 (ii)

How did the farmer know Buntee was hungry?

Answer:

Buntee was not eating his food and looked sad.

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2 (iii)

Why did the farmer remove the rope?

Answer:

Because he understood that Buntee missed Gajaraj and wanted him to meet his friend.

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2 (iv)

Gajaraj : Buntee :: Buntee : farmer

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

Answer:

1. Gajaraj played happily with Buntee.
2. He became cheerful and started eating properly after meeting Buntee.

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III. How did the mahout come to know that Gajaraj was sad?

Answer:

The mahout noticed that Gajaraj had stopped eating his food and looked unhappy.

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IV. Why do you think Buntee licked the farmer’s hand?

Answer:

Buntee licked the farmer’s hand to show his love, gratitude and affection.

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V. What was ‘unlikely’ about the friendship of Gajaraj and Buntee?

Answer:

The friendship was unlikely because Gajaraj was a huge elephant and Buntee was a small dog, yet they became close friends.

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Let Us Learn

2. Complete the paragraph.

Answer:

My pencil was missing.

I was very worried 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 surprised when I found the pencil there.

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3. Select the correct form of the verb.

Answer:

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.

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Let Us Listen

Fill in the blanks.

Answer:

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 evening to meet the cow.

The leopard would sit beside the cow.

They also played together.

Villagers were surprised at their friendship.

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Important Moral

True friendship is based on love, care, trust and understanding. Friendship has no barriers of size, appearance or species.