The Chair - Textual Notes

Let us do these activities before we read

1. Write two words that come to your mind when you think of friendship.

Care and Trust.

2. Find some more words that are related to friendship from the grid.

Laughter, Helpful, Hope, Loyal, Loving, Support, Joy, Caring.

3. Fill in the blanks to complete the words, which mean the same as 'friend' or 'friends' with the help of the meanings.

(i) a person with whom you do activities together: partner

(ii) an informal word for friends: buddies

(iii) a person who you spend a lot of time with: companion

(iv) children who are in the same class as you at school: classmates

4. There are so many words for a friend. What do you call 'a friend' in your own language?

Dost or Mitr.

Let us discuss

1. Mario was very proud of having so many friends. State whether True or False.

True.

2. What did the grandfather take from the attic?

An invisible magic chair.

3. Will Mario face any challenges?

Yes, he will face the challenge of sitting on an invisible chair without falling in front of his classmates.

4. Will Mario be able to use the magic?

Yes, he will be able to use the magic chair to discover who his real friends are.

II

Mario successfully sat on the invisible chair on his first attempt. State whether True or False.

False.

Fill in the blank with a suitable word.

Mario's grandfather challenged him to a bet of fruit chaat.

Match the following characters with their action.

(i) held Mario up, so he wouldn't fall: Guneet, Asma and Deepa

(ii) made fun of Mario's attempts: other classmates

Let us think and reflect

Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow.

"Take it. It's a very special chair. As it's invisible, it's rather tricky to sit on it. But if you take it to school and manage to sit on it, then the magic will work and you'll be able to tell who your rea

l friends are."

(i) Fill in the blanks with two words that describe the chair.

invisible and tricky

(ii) Why was it tricky to sit on the chair?

Because the chair was completely invisible and hard to see.

(iii) Why does Mario's grandfather call the chair 'special'?

Because it works like magic to reveal who Mario's real friends are.

Read the following lines and answer the questions that follow.

"Wait, wait, just a slight technical problem," he said, trying again. But again, he missed the seat, causing more surprised looks and laughter. Mario wouldn't give up.

(i) Fill in the blank with a suitable reason.

Mario says there was a technical problem because he missed the invisible seat and fell to the ground.

(ii) Mario's friends were very caring and helpful. State whether True or False.

True.

(iii) Choose the correct option to complete the sentence.

Mario wouldn't give up. This shows he is A. strong-willed.

II

1. What was the bet about?

The bet was about whether Mario really had as many genuine friends as he claimed, with a bowl of fruit chaat as the reward.

2. What happened when Mario sat on the chair for the first time?

He missed the seat completely and fell straight onto his backside while his classmates laughed.

3. How was Mario able to find his real friends?

Guneet, Asma, and Deepa held him up in mid-air so he would not fall, while others made fun of him.

4. Do you think the magic chair test was good? Why do you say so?

Yes, because it revealed who truly cared about Mario's safety rather than those who enjoyed his bad luck.

5. What does 'friends for life' mean to you?

It means companions who stay loyal, supportive, and caring through all ups and downs forever.

6. The grandfather's idea helped Mario find his 'real friends'. Mention any other way that would help you find out who are your 'real friends'.

Noticing who stands by you and offers help when you are going through a difficult time or facing trouble.

Let us learn

I

1. Complete the table by dividing the words into two parts.

friendly: friend + ly

suddenly: sudden + ly

talking: talk + ing

carrying: carry + ing

called: call + ed

showed: show + ed

II-1. Match the following root words with suitable suffixes.

magic + al = magical

care + ful = careful

celebrate + tion = celebration

laugh + ed = laughed

wonder + ful = wonderful

help + ful = helpful

friend + ship = friendship

courage + ous = courageous

III Describe what kind of a person Mario is in the image.

brave, determined, strong-willed, friendly

IV Match each word (adjectives) in Column A with a suitable word (noun) in Column B.

brave soldier

clever plan

tasty peanuts

heavy rain

slight cold

true friends

V Complete the paragraph with suitable adjective-noun pairings.

Once upon a time in a little village, a happy boy named Abhishek found an old book in the attic. He read amazing stories about fairy lands, colourful creatures and old castles. Abhishek's eyes got big as he imagined these magical adventures. He told his friends about the stories, and they started to have their own fantastic adventures when they played together.

Let us listen

Manu found it difficult when she took admission in the school.

Manu met Monika and was helped by her in many ways.

So, it was not so hard for the new girl to adjust in the school.

Both friends experienced difficult and happy moments together.

Manu is thankful to Monika for making her life easy and finding a friend.

Let us speak

Work in pairs. Choose any four positive qualities that you would like your friend to have. Give a reason for your choice.

I feel my friend should be loving because affection makes a bond strong and happy.

I think the quality I want in my friend is being loyal. The reason for this is that loyalty builds lifelong trust.

I believe my friend should be understanding. This is in order to support each other without unnecessary arguments.

If my friend is polite, then we can always communicate respectfully.

Let us write

Read the messages that Mario has written to his friends.

Dear Guneet, I am glad that you are my friend. You showed me that you care for me. You are indeed a blessing in my life. Best wishes, Mario.

Dear Asma, Thank you for holding me up when I fell. You proved that a true friend always stands by you in hard times. Best wishes, Mario.

Write your own message to your best friend.

Dear Rahul, Thank you for being such a caring and loyal friend. You always help me when I am in trouble and bring out the best in me. I am truly grateful to have you in my life. Best wishes, Ankit.

Let us explore

Find out more stories about 'Friendship'.

Sharing stories about true friendship helps us learn life values and wisdom.

Describe your friends by filling in the blanks with suitable words (acrostic poem).

F: Faithful in every situation

R: Reliable when I need help

I: Inspiring me to do my best

E: Encouraging during tough times

N: Nice and kind to everyone

D: Dependable at all times

S: Supportive always

Complete the task by talking to different people of different age groups.

Question: What does friendship mean to you?

Response for Age Group 50+:

Cherished companionship, shared memories, peace, and mutual respect.

Response for Age Group 31 to 49:

Reliable help in times of need, understanding family life, and long-term loyalty.

Response for Age Group 20 to 30:

Emotional support, career encouragement, trust, and shared values.

Response for Age Group 12 to 19:

Having fun, sharing secrets, playing games, and doing schoolwork together.