The Unlikely Best Friends — Class 6 English (Poorvi)
"It's not only Gajaraj who has found a friend. I've also found one." — The mahout, hugging the farmer
1. About the Chapter
This opens Unit 2: Friendship in the Poorvi textbook. Gajaraj, a royal elephant who lives in comfort but has no friends, befriends a stray dog who wanders into his stable. When the dog's owner takes him home, both animals refuse to eat — until they are reunited. The story shows that friendship can form between the most unlikely pairs.
Why This Chapter
- Teaches that friendship transcends differences
- Shows the emotional depth animals have
- Heartwarming story with a happy ending
- Opens the unit on friendship with a powerful example
2. Characters
Gajaraj
- A royal elephant living in the king's stables
- Well cared for — the king ordered he should be "well looked after"
- Despite royal comforts, he is SAD — because he has no friends
- The mahout takes care of him, but is "a good caretaker, not a friend"
The Stray Dog (Buntee)
- Wanders into the stable one late evening
- Tired and hungry
- Gajaraj shares his food with him
- Becomes Gajaraj's friend — plays, gets rides on the elephant's back
- Belongs to a farmer who had been searching for him
The Mahout
- Gajaraj's caretaker
- Kind man — feeds Gajaraj, gives him baths
- Doesn't mind the dog staying in the stable
- Worried when Gajaraj stops eating
- Realises the bond between the two animals
The Farmer
- Buntee's owner
- Had been searching for his dog
- Takes Buntee home when he finds him
- Realises Buntee is miserable without Gajaraj
- Releases Buntee to return to his friend — and becomes friends with the mahout too
3. The Story (from NCERT Poorvi Textbook)
Gajaraj, the elephant, lived in the best booth of the royal stables. The king was fond of Gajaraj, and he had ordered that the elephant should be well looked after. 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 wish I had a friend I can play with," thought Gajaraj.
One late evening, a dog strayed into the stable. Gajaraj could see that the visitor was tired and hungry. He pushed some of the food he was munching towards the dog. The visitor wagged his tail, looked up at the elephant to convey his thanks, and then turned his full attention to the food in front of him. As soon as he finished eating, he fell asleep.
The next morning, the mahout found the stray dog in the stable. He did not mind the dog. He also noticed that Gajaraj seemed to like the company. So, he threw some crumbs to the dog, which the animal accepted wagging his tail.
When the elephant went out for a bath, the dog accompanied his friend. Plunging into the water, the elephant gave himself a shower using his long trunk, as the dog watched. The elephant took a trunkful of water and playfully splashed the water on his friend. The dog yelped for he hated taking showers. The mahout laughed.
On their way home, the elephant picked up the dog with his trunk and placed him on his back. The dog was delighted to get a ride.
A farmer passing by saw the dog. "Buntee," he yelled. The dog ran to him. 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. The mahout had no objection to the farmer taking the dog home. The farmer tossed a rope round the neck of the dog, saying, "Come Buntee, let's go home."
Only when the farmer pulled the rope did the dog realise that he was being taken away from his friend. He yelped, the elephant winced, but neither the farmer nor the mahout noticed that the two friends were in tears.
The next day at lunch time the mahout served Gajaraj his favourite food. When the mahout came back after finishing his other chores, he was surprised to see that the food had remained untouched.
"Why Gajaraj, aren't you hungry?" he asked concerned. The elephant did not react. "He may have slight indigestion. Let me not force him to eat," thought the mahout.
That night too, Gajaraj did not touch his food — nor the next day. Now, the mahout was worried. He ran his hand on Gajaraj's tummy and felt there was nothing wrong. "Why was he not eating then? Is he missing his friend, that dog?" the mahout wondered.
Meanwhile at the farmer's house, the dog had also not touched his food ever since he was brought home.
"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. If you miss your friend so much, go to him."
The farmer removed the rope with which he had tied the dog. The dog, though weak, sprang to his feet. He licked the farmer's hand once and then ran. He stopped only when he arrived at the stable.
The elephant picked up the dog with his trunk and gave him a joyous swing. The mahout was relieved. He quickly brought the food. "Both of you eat first," he said.
By then the farmer who had followed the dog, joined him. The two of them watched with satisfaction the two friends eating food.
"It's not only Gajaraj who has found a friend," said the mahout hugging the farmer, "I've also found one."
4. Key Moments
| Moment | Emotion |
|---|---|
| Dog enters the stable, tired and hungry | Kindness — Gajaraj shares his food |
| Dog falls asleep after eating | Trust — he feels safe with the elephant |
| Elephant playfully splashes water | Joy — friendship brings fun |
| Dog gets a ride on the elephant's back | Delight — friends share experiences |
| Dog is taken away by the farmer | Heartbreak — both are in tears |
| Both refuse to eat | Grief — the pain of separation |
| Dog is released to return | Hope — the farmer understands true friendship |
| Reunion at the stable | Relief and joy — friends reunited |
| Mahout and farmer become friends too | The ripple effect of friendship |
5. What We Learn
| Value | How the Story Shows It |
|---|---|
| Friendship Has No Boundaries | An elephant and a dog — completely different in size, species, status — become best friends |
| Sharing | Gajaraj shared his food with a hungry stranger — that's how friendship began |
| Loyalty | Neither would eat without the other — their bond was that strong |
| Understanding | The farmer and mahout eventually UNDERSTOOD the bond and did the right thing |
| The Ripple Effect | The two animals' friendship led to the two humans becoming friends too |
6. Important Vocabulary
- MAHOUT: an elephant trainer and caretaker
- STRAYED: wandered away from home or the usual path
- MUNCHING: eating steadily and often noisily
- PLUNGING: jumping or diving quickly
- YELPED: made a short, sharp cry (like a dog in surprise)
- WINCED: made a slight involuntary movement from pain or distress
- CHORES: routine tasks, daily work
- INDIGESTION: stomach discomfort after eating
- SPRANG: jumped quickly
- JOYOUS: full of happiness and joy
7. Important Lines from the NCERT Text
"In spite of royal comforts, Gajaraj was sad because he had no friends."
"I wish I had a friend I can play with."
"The elephant took a trunkful of water and playfully splashed the water on his friend."
"Neither the farmer nor the mahout noticed that the two friends were in tears."
"If you miss your friend so much, go to him."
"It's not only Gajaraj who has found a friend. I've also found one."
8. Activities
Activity 1: Comprehension
- Why was Gajaraj sad despite living in royal comfort?
- How did Gajaraj and the dog first become friends?
- Why did both animals stop eating?
- What did the farmer finally decide to do?
Activity 2: Discussion
Can animals feel emotions like friendship, sadness, and joy? What examples from this story support your answer?
Activity 3: Writing
Write about your best friend. How did you meet? What makes your friendship special?
9. Conclusion
"The Unlikely Best Friends" shows us that friendship doesn't follow rules. An elephant and a dog — one massive and royal, the other small and homeless — became inseparable. When separated, both chose hunger over life without each other.
The humans in the story also learned something: the mahout and the farmer started as strangers, but their animals' bond brought them together. Friendship, the story suggests, has a way of spreading — from the stable to the world beyond.
