The Unlikely Best Friends – Class 6 English Poorvi Question Answer (NCERT 2026–27)

Complete NCERT Solutions for Class 6 English Poorvi Unit 2 (Friendship) – “The Unlikely Best Friends” by Subba Rao: chapter overview, summary, word meanings and every textbook exercise (Let us discuss, Let us think and reflect, Let us learn, Let us listen, Let us speak, Let us write, Let us explore) answered in full. The questions are reproduced exactly as in the NCERT book, and every table, fill-in and matching task is written out as readable text.

Class: 6 Subject: English Book: Poorvi Unit: 2 – Friendship Type: Story (Subba Rao) Session: 2026–27
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About the chapter

“The Unlikely Best Friends” is a warm-hearted story from Unit 2, ‘Friendship’. It tells of Gajaraj, a royal elephant who lives in great comfort but feels lonely because he has no friend. One evening a tired, hungry stray dog named Buntee wanders into the stable, and the kind elephant shares his food. The two quickly become inseparable companions – bathing, playing and travelling together. The title is ‘unlikely’ because an elephant and a dog are so different in size and nature, yet they form the truest of friendships. The story shows that real friendship can grow between the most different creatures, and that no comfort can replace the joy of a true friend.

About the author

Subba Rao retold this story for children. The tale is adapted from kathakids.com, a popular online collection of moral and value-based stories for young readers, and it is rooted in the ancient Jataka tale ‘The Elephant and the Dog’. The Jataka stories are a treasured body of Buddhist tales about kindness, wisdom and good values that have been passed down for over two thousand years. In this gentle retelling, the writer uses simple language and a heart-warming animal friendship to teach young readers that companionship, sharing and loyalty matter more than riches or comfort.

Summary

Gajaraj, the king’s favourite elephant, lived in the best booth of the royal stables and was very well looked after. Yet he was sad, for he had no friend – only the kind mahout (elephant trainer) who fed him and bathed him daily. A good caretaker, the mahout could never be a real friend. One late evening, a tired and hungry stray dog wandered into the stable. Gajaraj kindly pushed some of his food towards the dog, who ate it gratefully and fell asleep.

The next morning the mahout did not mind the dog; seeing that Gajaraj enjoyed his company, he fed the dog too. The elephant and the dog became fast friends. They went to the pond together, where Gajaraj playfully splashed water on the yelping dog, and on the way home he lovingly carried the dog on his back with his trunk. A passing farmer recognised the dog as his own, called him “Buntee,” and took him home with a rope around his neck.

Separated from his friend, Buntee refused to eat at the farmer’s house, and Gajaraj too stopped eating his favourite food, worrying the mahout. The kind farmer, realising how much Buntee missed his friend, removed the rope and let him go. Buntee raced back to the stable, where the joyful elephant swung him in the air with his trunk, and both friends ate happily again. The farmer, who had followed, watched with the mahout. In the end the mahout hugged the farmer, saying that not only had Gajaraj found a friend – he had found one too.

Theme & message

The central theme is the power and beauty of true friendship, especially between two very different beings. The story shows that wealth and comfort cannot fill the emptiness of loneliness – only a true friend can. It also highlights kindness, sharing and empathy: Gajaraj shares his food with a stranger, the farmer sacrifices his own wish so that his dog can be happy, and the mahout shows understanding. The message is that real friendship knows no boundaries of size, kind or status, and that genuine love means caring about another’s happiness as much as our own.

Word meanings

WordEnglish meaningHindi meaning
bootha rectangular enclosed spaceबाड़ा / छोटा छत वाला स्थान
stablesliving spaces for animalsअस्तबल / पशुशाला
interacted withcommunicated withबातचीत / मेल-जोल करना
strayedcame by mistake; wandered inभटकते हुए आ गया
munchingchewingचबा-चबाकर खाना
waggedmoved from side to side(पूंछ) हिलाना
conveyto communicateव्यक्त करना
crumbssmall pieces of foodखाने के छोटे टुकड़े
accompaniedwent with someoneसाथ गया / साथ दिया
plungingjumping intoछलाँग लगाना
trunkthe long nose of an elephantसूँड
splashedthrew waterपानी उछालना
yelpedcried out (as a dog)कुंयाया
delightedvery happyबहुत खुश
disappearedwas not seen; went missingगायब हो गया
wincedshrank back in pain or distressदर्द या दुख से सिहर उठना
choresdaily dutiesरोज़मर्रा के काम
indigestionan upset stomachअपच / भोजन न पचना
sprangjumped up suddenlyउछल पड़ा
relievedthankful; freed from worryराहत महसूस / निश्चिंत
satisfactiona feeling of happiness or contentmentसंतोष / तृप्ति

Let us do these activities before we read

I. Friends are an important part of our lives. Why do you think so? Share your ideas with your friend. What do you do when you are with your friends and how do you feel? Now, complete the following sentences by writing in the shapes given below. One has been done for you. (“With my friend I ___” / “With my friend I feel ___”)

SAMPLE ANSWER Friends are important because they share our happiness, help us in trouble, and make life joyful. We never feel lonely when we have a good friend. With my friend I – play, study, share my tiffin, laugh and tell secrets. With my friend I feel – happy, safe, cheerful and understood.

II. The title of the chapter is ‘The Unlikely Best Friends’.

1. What can be the meaning of ‘unlikely’? Discuss in groups, and then discuss with your teacher.

ANSWER‘Unlikely’ means something that is not expected to happen or is hard to believe. Here it means that an elephant and a dog – two very different animals – becoming best friends seems surprising and not likely to happen.

2. Can you think of some unlikely friends? Share your answer with your teacher.

SAMPLE ANSWERSome unlikely friends could be a cat and a mouse, a lion and a mouse, a dog and a deer, or a bird and a tortoise – animals that are usually very different from each other or are not expected to be friends.

Let us discuss

Part I

1. Talk about the things that Gajaraj and Buntee did together. Now, write in the shapes given below. One has been done for you. (Example: played)

ANSWER Things Buntee and Gajaraj did together: • played together (given) • ate food together (Gajaraj shared his food with Buntee) • went to the pond and bathed together • Gajaraj playfully splashed water on Buntee • Gajaraj carried Buntee on his back with his trunk on the way home

2. Why did the farmer hug Buntee?

ANSWERThe farmer hugged Buntee because Buntee was his own dog who had disappeared from his house. He had been searching for him ever since, so he was very happy and relieved to find his lost dog again.

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

SAMPLE ANSWERNo, I do not think Buntee will be happy going home with the farmer. Although the farmer is his owner, Buntee has found a true friend in Gajaraj. He loves the elephant’s company, so he will keep missing Gajaraj and will surely want to return to him.

Part II

1. Why did Gajaraj not eat his food?

ANSWERGajaraj did not eat his food because he was missing his friend Buntee, who had been taken away by the farmer. He was so sad without his friend that he had no desire to eat, even his favourite food.

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

ANSWERAt the end of the story, Gajaraj the elephant and Buntee the dog were friends again. In addition, the mahout and the farmer also became friends – the mahout hugged the farmer and said that he too had found a friend.

Let us think and reflect

I.1. Read the lines: “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.”

ANSWER (i) Complete with one word: mahout : kind :: Gajaraj : sad / 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? A caretaker simply looks after our basic needs – food, cleaning and comfort – as a duty. A friend, however, gives us love, company and emotional support; a friend shares our feelings, plays with us and makes us feel happy and never lonely.

I.2. Read the lines: “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.

ANSWER (i) The farmer uses the word friend to refer to the elephant. (ii) How did the farmer know that Buntee was hungry? The farmer knew Buntee was hungry because the dog had not touched any food ever since he was brought home. Seeing him refuse to eat, the farmer understood that Buntee was sad and going hungry because he missed his friend. (iii) Why did the farmer remove the rope with which he had tied Buntee? The farmer removed the rope because he could not bear to see Buntee unhappy and hungry. He realised the dog was missing his friend Gajaraj very much, so he kindly set him free to go back to the elephant. (iv) Complete with one word: Gajaraj : Buntee :: mahout : farmer

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

ANSWERFirst, when they went for a bath, Gajaraj playfully splashed water on Buntee with his trunk, showing his joy. Second, on the way home he lovingly picked Buntee up with his trunk and gave him a ride on his back – and later, when Buntee returned, Gajaraj gave him a joyous swing in the air.

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

ANSWERThe mahout came to know that Gajaraj was sad when the elephant stopped eating his food. Day after day the food remained untouched. The mahout checked his tummy and found nothing wrong, so he wondered whether Gajaraj was missing his friend, the dog.

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

ANSWERBuntee licked the farmer’s hand to thank him and to show his love. The farmer had kindly set him free so that he could return to his friend, so Buntee licked his hand as a way of saying goodbye and showing his gratitude before running back to Gajaraj.

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

ANSWERThe friendship was ‘unlikely’ because Gajaraj and Buntee were two completely different animals – a huge elephant and a small dog. One could not normally expect such different creatures to become close friends, yet they grew so attached that neither could live happily without the other.

Let us learn

1. Opposites and prefixes – ‘We are opposites!’ crossword

Opposites can be formed by adding letters before a word (prefixes), e.g. un– unhappy, in– incorrect, dis– disconnect, mis– misuse. Take help from the hints and fill the opposites in the puzzle. (All words are from the story.)

ANSWER Across 3. unkind → kind 7. yelped → laughed 8. awake → asleep 9. relieved → worried 10. missing → found Down 1. started → finished 2. appeared → disappeared 4. sad → delighted / happy 5. untouched → touched 6. hate → like / love Note: the exact crossword answers depend on the letters already printed in the grid; the above are the natural opposites of each hint. Cross-check the letter slots with your teacher.

2. Now, complete the paragraph with some of the words you have used in the puzzle.

ANSWERMy pencil was missing. I was very worried as it was a gift from my friend. I woke up my elder brother who was asleep on the bed. I told him that my pencil seemed to have disappeared. He laughed and told me to look under my pillow. I was relieved when I found the pencil there.

3. Past tenses – sort the verbs from the story

Put the verbs from the story in their correct column: Simple Past Tense, Past Progressive Tense, or Past Perfect Tense.

Simple Past TensePast Progressive TensePast Perfect Tense
looked, gave, hated, noticed, went, served, told, asked, felt, touched, joined, arrived, threwwas looking, was missing, was munchinghad ordered, had followed, had remained, had tied

Select the correct form of the verb to complete the passage.

ANSWERThe 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.

4. ‘Neither … nor’ and ‘either … or’

‘Neither … nor’ connect two negative choices; ‘either … or’ is used to choose between two things you want. Discuss the given sentences with your teacher to practise: • Neither Shikha nor Anuj likes to tell stories. • Either Bhavesh or Abha made this painting.

NOTE & SAMPLE This is a discussion task. Read both sentences aloud with your teacher and note that ‘neither … nor’ joins two negative ideas (none of the two), while ‘either … or’ offers a choice between two. Practice sentences (sample): • Neither the farmer nor the mahout noticed that the two friends were in tears. • You may have either juice or milk with your breakfast.

Let us listen / speak / write / explore

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. (Transcript provided in the book.)

ANSWER (from the 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 / quietly beside the cow. They also played together. The 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.

ANSWER – correct order 1. The cow took care of the leopard cub as a mother. 2. The leopard left the village after growing up. 3. The leopard came to meet the cow at night. 4. The leopard stopped coming regularly. (marked ‘1’ as the first done example in the list) Note: this is a listening task; match the sentences to the audio/transcript with your teacher. The order above follows the events in the transcript (the cub is cared for, grows up, leaves, visits at night, then stops 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 like … / Both of us like … / My friend likes …)

SAMPLE ANSWER I am Aarav. I like: reading story books; playing cricket. My friend is Riya. My friend likes: dancing; drawing pictures. Both of us like: eating ice-cream; watching cartoons. Sample sentence for the class: “My friend and I like to play. Both of us want to win games together. I like to read but my friend likes to dance. We are different, as she is quiet and I am talkative.”

This is a speaking activity – share your own real likes and dislikes; the sample above only shows how to frame your answer.

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. (Use words like: same, different, and, but, both, still, like, unlike, neither, nor, either, or.)

SAMPLE ANSWERMy best friend is Riya and we have been friends since Class 1. Both of us like ice-cream and cartoons, and we always share our tiffin. I like reading books, but Riya likes dancing. We are different, as she is quiet and I am talkative. Still, neither of us likes to fight, and we either play together or study together every day. Though we are unlike in many ways, our friendship is very strong.

This is a personal writing task; write about your own friend. The paragraph above is only a model to follow.

Let us explore

1. The story, ‘The Elephant and the Dog’ is found in the Jataka tales (ancient Buddhist stories of life values told for over two thousand years). Find and read another Jataka story.

GUIDED ANSWERVisit your school library or a trusted website and read another Jataka story, such as ‘The Monkey and the Crocodile’, ‘The Talkative Tortoise’, or ‘The Golden Goose’. Note the moral value it teaches (for example, wisdom, honesty or patience) and share it with your class.

2. Elephants have historically held significant roles in Indian culture – history, warfare, religion, festivals and more. However, contemporary ecological challenges have strained the relationship between humans and elephants. Have a discussion in the class.

DISCUSSION POINTSDiscuss how elephants are honoured in temples and festivals (such as in Kerala and Mysuru) and worshipped as Lord Ganesha. Then talk about modern problems – loss of forests, human–elephant conflict and the need for sanctuaries – and how we can protect elephants and their habitats.

3. Read the news report about a real-life friendship between an elephant (Tarra) and a dog (Bella) at an Elephant Sanctuary in the United States.

NOTERead the report carefully. It shows that the friendship of Gajaraj and Buntee is not just a story – real animals like Tarra and Bella also became devoted friends. Tarra waited outside the building for three weeks while Bella was injured, proving that true friendship and loyalty truly exist in the animal world too.

Extra questions

Short answer (30–40 words)

1. Where did Gajaraj live, and how was he treated?

ANSWERGajaraj lived in the best booth of the royal stables. The king was very fond of him and had ordered that the elephant be well looked after, so the kind mahout fed him and bathed him in the pond daily.

2. How did the friendship between Gajaraj and the dog begin?

ANSWEROne late evening a tired, hungry stray dog wandered into the stable. Gajaraj kindly pushed some of his food towards him. The grateful dog wagged his tail, ate the food and fell asleep, and the two slowly became friends.

3. What did Gajaraj do on the way home from the bath?

ANSWEROn the way home from the pond, Gajaraj lovingly picked up the dog with his trunk and placed him on his back. The dog was delighted to get a comfortable ride on his big new friend.

4. Why did Buntee refuse to eat at the farmer’s house?

ANSWERBuntee refused to eat at the farmer’s house because he was missing his friend Gajaraj very much. He was so sad after being taken away from the elephant that he had no wish to eat any food.

5. How did the story end happily?

ANSWERThe kind farmer set Buntee free, and the dog raced back to the stable. Gajaraj swung him joyfully with his trunk, and both ate happily again. The mahout and the farmer also became friends, so everyone was happy.

Long answer (100–120 words)

6. Describe how Gajaraj and Buntee became best friends and what their friendship teaches us.

ANSWERGajaraj, the royal elephant, lived in great comfort but was lonely because he had no friend. One evening a hungry stray dog wandered into his stable, and kind Gajaraj shared his food. From that day the two became inseparable – they ate, bathed and played together, and Gajaraj even carried the dog on his back. When the farmer took his dog Buntee home, both friends were so sad that they stopped eating. The farmer finally set Buntee free, and the joyful reunion proved how deep their bond was. Their friendship teaches us that true friendship can grow between very different beings, and that love, sharing and companionship matter far more than comfort or riches.

7. How do the mahout and the farmer show kindness in the story?

ANSWERBoth the mahout and the farmer show great kindness. The mahout serves Gajaraj food, bathes him daily, and does not mind the stray dog – instead, seeing that Gajaraj enjoys its company, he feeds the dog too. When Gajaraj stops eating, the mahout worries and tries to understand his sadness. The farmer, though happy to find his lost dog, notices that Buntee is miserable and hungry without his friend. Out of love, he sacrifices his own wish and removes the rope to set Buntee free. In the end, the two kind men become friends themselves, showing that kindness brings people closer and creates new friendships.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. Where did Gajaraj the elephant live?

(a) in a forest   (b) in the best booth of the royal stables   (c) in a temple   (d) at the farmer’s house

ANSWER(b) in the best booth of the royal stables.

2. Why was Gajaraj sad in spite of his royal comforts?

(a) he was hungry   (b) he was ill   (c) he had no friend   (d) he wanted to leave

ANSWER(c) he had no friend.

3. Who was the only person Gajaraj interacted with at first?

(a) the king   (b) the mahout   (c) the farmer   (d) a soldier

ANSWER(b) the mahout.

4. What did Gajaraj do when the tired, hungry dog came into the stable?

(a) chased it away   (b) ignored it   (c) pushed some of his food towards it   (d) called the mahout

ANSWER(c) pushed some of his food towards it.

5. What did Gajaraj do to the dog at the pond?

(a) splashed water on him playfully   (b) pushed him into deep water   (c) ignored him   (d) gave him food

ANSWER(a) splashed water on him playfully.

6. What was the dog’s name?

(a) Tarra   (b) Bella   (c) Buntee   (d) Gajaraj

ANSWER(c) Buntee.

7. Why did the farmer hug the dog?

(a) it was a stray dog   (b) it was his lost dog he had been searching for   (c) the mahout asked him to   (d) it was hungry

ANSWER(b) it was his lost dog he had been searching for.

8. Why did Buntee not touch his food at the farmer’s house?

(a) he was ill   (b) the food was bad   (c) he was missing his friend Gajaraj   (d) he was not hungry

ANSWER(c) he was missing his friend Gajaraj.

9. What did the farmer finally do for Buntee?

(a) tied him tighter   (b) gave him more food   (c) removed the rope and set him free   (d) sold him

ANSWER(c) removed the rope and set him free.

10. What did the mahout say at the end of the story?

(a) that he had found a friend too   (b) that the dog should go away   (c) that the king was angry   (d) that Gajaraj was ill

ANSWER(a) that he had found a friend too (he hugged the farmer).
MCQ Answer Key: 1-(b), 2-(c), 3-(b), 4-(c), 5-(a), 6-(c), 7-(b), 8-(c), 9-(c), 10-(a)

Assertion–Reason – choose: (a) A and R true, R explains A; (b) A and R true, R does not explain A; (c) A true, R false; (d) A false, R true.

1. Assertion (A): Gajaraj was sad even though he lived in royal comfort.

Reason (R): He had no friend to play with and felt lonely.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

2. Assertion (A): Gajaraj shared his food with the stray dog.

Reason (R): Gajaraj could see that the visitor was tired and hungry.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

3. Assertion (A): The mahout became worried about Gajaraj.

Reason (R): Gajaraj had stopped eating his food for several days.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

4. Assertion (A): The farmer kept Buntee tied with a rope at his house forever.

Reason (R): The farmer removed the rope and set Buntee free to go to his friend.

ANSWER(d) A is false (the farmer set Buntee free), while R is true.

5. Assertion (A): The friendship of Gajaraj and Buntee was called ‘unlikely’.

Reason (R): An elephant and a dog are very different animals and are not expected to be best friends.

ANSWER(a) Both true and R correctly explains A.

Exam tips & common mistakes

Exam tips

• Always name the elephant (Gajaraj), the dog (Buntee) and the author (Subba Rao) in your answers.
• Remember the order of events: lonely elephant → stray dog → friendship → farmer takes Buntee → both stop eating → farmer frees Buntee → joyful reunion.
• Explain why the friendship is ‘unlikely’ (two very different animals) – this is a favourite exam question.
• For value-based answers, mention kindness, sharing, loyalty and the joy of true friendship.

Common mistakes

• Do not write that Gajaraj was sad because he was hungry or ill – he was sad because he had no friend.
• Do not confuse the characters: the mahout is the elephant trainer; the farmer is Buntee’s owner.
• Remember the dog stopped eating because he missed his friend, not because the food was bad.
• The story comes from the Jataka tales (‘The Elephant and the Dog’) – do not mix it up with the leopard-and-cow listening story.

FAQs

Who wrote ‘The Unlikely Best Friends’ and where is it from?

It was retold by Subba Rao and is adapted from kathakids.com. The tale is based on the ancient Jataka story ‘The Elephant and the Dog’.

Why is the friendship of Gajaraj and Buntee called ‘unlikely’?

Because Gajaraj is a huge elephant and Buntee is a small dog – two very different animals that we would not normally expect to become best friends.

Why did both Gajaraj and Buntee stop eating?

They stopped eating because they were separated and missed each other very much. Their sadness showed how deep and true their friendship had become.

What is the main message of the story?

The story teaches that true friendship can grow between very different beings, and that love, kindness and companionship matter more than wealth or comfort.

Questions are taken verbatim from the NCERT Poorvi textbook; the summary, author note and all answers are written originally by ClearStudy.

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