NCERT Solutions Poorvi Chapter 2 The Unlikely Best Friends — Let us do these activities before we read
Book page 39 Updated on2026-09-05
Q1.
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?
Answer
Speak in two steps — first why friends matter, then what you do together and how it feels.
Why friends matter: they keep us from feeling lonely, they help us in trouble, they share our happiness, and they tell us honestly when we are wrong.
What we do: play, share tiffin, walk home from school, study together, tell jokes and secrets.
How we feel: happy, safe, understood, never bored.
Sample answer: I think friends are important because they make an ordinary day feel special. When I am with my friends I play kho-kho in the ground, share my tiffin and finish my homework with them. I feel light and happy, and I forget the things that were worrying me in the morning.
Link to the story: Gajaraj had a golden booth, the king's favour and a kind mahout — everything except a friend, and that one lack made him sad. That is exactly what this question is asking you to notice.
Q2.
Now, complete the following sentences by writing in the shapes given below. Share your completed sentences with your classmates and teacher. One has been done for you. (With my friend I ______ ; With my friend I feel ______)
Answer
Two circles are printed on page 39. Around the first one write actions (verbs), and around the second one write feelings (adjectives). One shape in each is already filled — play and happy.
With my friend I …
With my friend I feel …
play (given)
happy (given)
share my tiffin
safe
study and do homework
cheerful
laugh and tell stories
excited
Tip: The first shape needs a doing word (play, sing, run, cycle). The second needs a feeling word (happy, calm, proud, relaxed). Do not mix the two up.
Q3.
The title of the chapter is ‘The Unlikely Best Friends’. 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 — something surprising, that you would not normally think possible.
So ‘unlikely best friends’ are two friends whom nobody would expect to be friends at all, because they are so different from each other.
How to work it out: Break the word up. Likely = expected to happen. The prefix un- turns a word into its opposite. So un + likely = not expected. You will meet this trick again in the ‘Let us learn’ puzzle on page 47.
In this story: A huge royal elephant and a small stray dog become best friends. Nobody would expect that — which is why the title calls them unlikely.
Q4.
Can you think of some unlikely friends? Share your answer with your teacher.
Answer
Look for pairs that are very different in size, nature or home — that difference is what makes a friendship ‘unlikely’.
A cat and a mouse; a dog and a squirrel.
A cow and a leopard — you will hear this true story from Vadodara in the listening task on page 49.
An elephant named Tarra and a dog named Bella — the real news report on page 51.
A little child and a very old neighbour; a village boy and a city boy who meet in the holidays.
Sample answer: In my colony there is a big buffalo and a small brown puppy who sleep beside each other every afternoon. The buffalo never chases the puppy away, and the puppy barks at anyone who comes near her. They are unlikely friends because one is huge and quiet and the other is tiny and noisy.