Friendship
Part 1 — The Unlikely Best Friends
By Subba Rao
Pages: 40–51 (as in the textbook)
Pre-Reading / Warm-up
Q1. Have you ever had an unlikely friend?
Yes, sometimes I have become friends with people or animals I never expected. These friendships turned out to be special.
Q2. Why are friends important?
Friends give us joy, support us in difficult times, and make life meaningful.
Comprehension Check
Q1. Who were Gajaraj and Buntee?
Gajaraj was a royal elephant, and Buntee was a stray dog.
Q2. How did Buntee come to live with Gajaraj?
She entered the stable for food and gradually became Gajaraj’s companion.
Q3. Why did Gajaraj become ill?
Because Buntee was taken away by a farmer, and he became lonely and sad.
Q4. What cured Gajaraj?
Buntee’s return brought him joy, and he quickly recovered.
Think & Answer
Q1. Why did the elephant and the dog become unlikely best friends?
Because they offered each other love, loyalty, and companionship despite being different species.
Q2. What is the lesson of the story?
True friendship goes beyond size, shape, or background. It is based on trust and love.
Vocabulary & Grammar
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Opposites: Big × Small, Happy × Sad, Ill × Healthy
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Sentences:
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Majestic: The king rode a majestic horse.
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Appetite: After running, he had a good appetite.
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Loyalty: The dog showed loyalty by guarding the house.
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Extra Questions
Short Answer
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Why did the farmer buy Buntee? → He admired her loyalty and wanted her for himself.
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How did the mahout know Gajaraj was unhappy? → He noticed the elephant stopped eating and looked sad.
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What does this story show about animals? → That they can form deep and loving friendships like humans.
Long Answer (150–200 words)
The story proves that friendship is not limited to humans. Gajaraj, a huge elephant, and Buntee, a small dog, became best friends. They shared food, joy, and companionship. When Buntee was taken away, Gajaraj grew so sad that he fell ill. Only Buntee’s return could cure him. This shows that true friendship is about emotional bonds, not size or species.
Summary
The Unlikely Best Friends by Subba Rao is a touching tale of friendship between Gajaraj, a royal elephant, and Buntee, a stray dog.
Gajaraj lived in a temple stable and was looked after by the mahout. He had everything, but he was lonely. One day, Buntee, a stray dog, entered the stable searching for food. She ate the crumbs left after Gajaraj’s feeding. Slowly, she began staying in the stable.
Over time, Buntee and Gajaraj became inseparable. Buntee shared his food, played with him, and gave him warmth. Gajaraj, in return, gave her love and protection. Their unlikely friendship blossomed, proving that bonds of love can exist beyond species.
One day, a farmer noticed Buntee’s loyalty and affection. He bought her and took her away. Gajaraj became very sad. He refused to eat, lost his appetite, and looked weak. The mahout and priest grew worried and called a vet. The vet found no physical illness. He realised Gajaraj’s suffering was emotional.
When Buntee was returned, Gajaraj’s joy returned too. He ate well again, and his health improved. Their reunion showed how deep their bond was.
The story teaches that true friendship is about love and loyalty, not appearances. It shows that even animals can form strong friendships that heal hearts.
Biography — Subba Rao
Subba Rao is an Indian writer well-known for his children’s stories and retellings of traditional tales. He often drew inspiration from folklore, mythology, and moral fables. His writing is simple, clear, and always carries a valuable lesson.
Many of Subba Rao’s works are used in school textbooks because they are easy for children to understand and enjoyable to read. He believed stories were not only for entertainment but also for teaching values like kindness, honesty, friendship, and loyalty.
The Unlikely Best Friends is one such story. By narrating the friendship between a mighty elephant and a small dog, Subba Rao teaches children that friendship is about love and not about size or power. His style is warm and engaging, making young readers connect with his characters.
Though Subba Rao may not be widely known outside classrooms, his stories have shaped the moral lessons of countless students. He belongs to the tradition of Indian writers who use stories as tools to guide young minds toward goodness.
His contribution lies in keeping moral tales alive for modern readers. Children remember his stories for their simplicity and lasting message.
A Friend’s Prayer
By Jill Wolf
Pages: 52–55 (as printed)
Pre-Reading / Warm-up
Q1. What do you pray for your friends?
I pray for their happiness, good health, and courage.
Q2. Is a good friend a blessing? Why?
Yes, a good friend is a blessing because true friends share joys and sorrows.
Comprehension Check
Q1. What does the poet pray for?
She prays for her friend’s courage, small sorrows, joyful laughter, and lasting friendship.
Q2. What does “use my heart to see” mean?
It means to understand friends with compassion and love, not judgment.
Think & Answer
Why is laughter important?
Laughter brings joy and makes life lighter, strengthening friendships.
Vocabulary & Grammar
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Courage = bravery
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Sorrow = sadness
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Forever = always
Sentences:
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Courage helps us face hardships.
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Sorrow teaches us patience.
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True friendship lasts forever.
Extra Questions
Short Answer
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Why is the poem called a prayer? → Because it expresses heartfelt wishes for a friend.
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What does the poet promise? → To help her friend, to listen, and to love them as they are.
Summary
A Friend’s Prayer by Jill Wolf is a heartfelt poem about the love between friends.
The poet begins by asking for courage for her friend to face life’s battles bravely. She prays that her friend’s sorrows be small and bearable so they do not take away happiness. She also prays for abundant laughter, so her friend’s life is full of joy.
The poet then promises to be a true friend herself. She says she will do all she can to help and make her friend’s wishes come true. She asks for the ability to use her heart to see, meaning she wants to understand her friends with compassion. She promises to love her friend as they are, without judgment.
The poem ends with a prayer that friendship continues forever. It beautifully expresses the selfless nature of true friendship.
Biography — Jill Wolf
Jill Wolf is a poet whose works are loved for their warmth, simplicity, and sincerity. Although not much is known about her personal life, her poems are widely used in school readers and anthologies because they carry timeless values.
Her poem A Friend’s Prayer is especially popular. It expresses what true friendship means — wishing courage in sorrows, joy in laughter, and loyalty forever. Children and adults alike enjoy it because of its simple words and deep feelings.
Jill Wolf believed that poetry should be clear and touch the heart. She did not use difficult language or abstract ideas. Instead, she wrote about universal emotions like love, care, hope, and friendship. This makes her poems relatable to all readers.
Though she may not be a famous literary figure, her contribution is significant in moral education. Teachers use her poems to explain human values, and students remember them easily.
Through A Friend’s Prayer, Jill Wolf has given us a model of true friendship — one that is selfless, loyal, and eternal.
Part 3 — The Chair
Pages: 60–63 (as printed)
Pre-Reading / Warm-up
Do true friends stay when times are hard?
Yes, true friends stay with us in good times and bad, while false friends leave.
Comprehension Check
Q1. Who was Mario?
Mario was a boy proud of having many friends.
Q2. What gift did his grandfather give him?
An invisible chair to test who his true friends were.
Q3. What happened when Mario sat on the chair?
Some laughed at him because they could not see it, but a few true friends held him up.
Think & Answer
What does the invisible chair symbolise?
It symbolises life’s tests that reveal who truly stands by us.
Moral: True friends are few but precious.
Summary
The Chair is a short moral story about Mario, a boy with many friends. He often boasted about them but secretly doubted if they were real friends. His wise grandfather gave him a magical invisible chair to test them.
The chair could only be seen and supported by true friends. Mario took it to school and tried to sit. Many classmates could not see it and laughed at him, thinking he was pretending. Some even mocked him.
But three of his friends came forward. They believed in him, saw the chair, and helped him sit without falling. These three friends proved their loyalty, while the others proved false.
Through this test, Mario understood that true friends are not many but a precious few who support us in times of need. The story teaches that friendship should not be measured by numbers but by loyalty and love.