CL02 EN04 MCB THE FOUR FRIENDS

by

The Four Friends

1. The Hook (The Literary Gateway)

Imagine if you were the slowest creature in the entire forest, and a ruthless hunter was fast on your heels. Your only weapon is not a set of sharp claws or fierce fangs, but the loyalty and quick thinking of your three dearest companions: a fast deer, a tiny mouse, and a high-flying crow. How could such an unlikely group—creatures of completely different speeds, sizes, and habitats—join forces to outsmart a human enemy?

Have you ever wondered why words are like living things that can change their shapes to tell us exactly when an event happened? Words like swam, ate, or flew tell us of yesterday’s daring rescues, while words like swimming, eating, or flying bring us directly into the exciting action of the present moment! Set on one summer day in a vibrant jungle, this play is a linguistic and literary puzzle of solidarity, friendship, and verbs (doing words).

2. The Human Element (Why This Matters)

This story and its integrated grammar rules are deeply connected to essential human and social realities:

  • The Power of Diverse Alliances: In real life, we often find ourselves in groups where everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. Just like the four friends—where one is fast, one is slow, one flies high, and one runs low—a community is strongest when it values diverse talents rather than demanding everyone be the same. It teaches students to recognize and appreciate their own unique gifts and those of their peers.
  • Empathy-Driven Action: The story moves beyond static friendship to active, risk-taking solidarity. When Daisy is trapped, and later when Toto is captured, the friends do not hesitate or merely express pity; they immediately coordinate a plan, with Daisy even risking her life as bait to save Toto. It shows students that empathy must be paired with action and courage.
  • Linguistic Power of Time (Tenses): Learning how to manipulate doing words (verbs) from present to past is how humans share history, tell stories, and preserve memories. Masterfully shifting between “now” and “yesterday” allows students to articulate their personal experiences clearly, building better communication and mutual understanding in society.

3. Structural Breakdown (The Narrative & Grammar Sequence)

The Narrative Sequence (Literature)

  • Introduction (The Exposition):
    • The Setting: Set on a warm summer day inside a lush jungle.
    • Character Profiles: We are introduced to four distinct animal friends: Daisy the deer, Mika the mouse, Koko the crow, and Toto the tortoise.
    • The Theme of Unity: The friends open with a joyful song and dance, celebrating their differences: “One is so fast / And one so slow. / One flies so high / One runs so low. / But they stay together, they play together.”
  • Rising Action (The First Crisis):
    • The Game: Mika suggests playing hide-and-seek. Toto is reluctant because of his slow speed: “No! I can’t hide so quickly!”. Daisy solves this by adapting the game so they hide and Toto seeks.
    • The Search: Toto finds Mika hiding in a hole because her tail is sticking out. He finds Koko in a tree because Koko’s feathers are visible.
    • The Disappearance: Toto cannot find Daisy. Mika notices that Koko looks worried as he flies down. Koko reveals that Daisy has been caught in a hunter’s net.
    • The Rescue Plan: Toto immediately devises a strategy: Koko must fly Mika to the site because Mika can cut the net. Mika holds onto Koko’s feathers, and they fly off. Mika works hard and successfully bites through the net to free Daisy.
  • The Climax (The Double-Crisis):
    • The Hunter’s Arrival: Just as Daisy is freed, Koko warns them that the hunter is coming. Mika, Daisy, and Koko hide, but Toto is too slow to escape.
    • Toto’s Capture: Finding the deer gone, the hunter decides: “If I can’t have a deer, I will take home a tortoise.” He puts Toto in a bag and carries him away as Toto cries out for help.
    • The Counter-Strategy: Daisy, Mika, and Koko emerge. Koko designs a brilliant plan: Daisy will run ahead of the hunter to act as bait. When the hunter sees her, he will drop the sack to chase her. Meanwhile, Mika will cut the bag to free Toto, while Koko acts as the aerial lookout.
  • Falling Action:
    • The Trap is Sprung: The hunter spots Daisy and greedily drops the bag to pursue her.
    • The Breakout: Koko alerts Mika that the bag has been dropped. Mika cuts through the hunter’s bag. Toto gets out, scared but unharmed.
    • The Final Cover: Koko warns that the hunter is coming back. Mika hides in a hole, and Toto hides behind a bush.
  • Resolution:
    • The Defeated Hunter: The hunter returns to find both his prey gone: “I caught a deer and it got free. I caught a tortoise and that got away too! I had better go home.”
    • Safe and Free: The hunter leaves, and the four friends watch him go before happily resuming play with their other jungle friends.

The Grammar Sequence (Step-by-Step Rules)

  1. Concept of Verbs (Doing Words):
    • Rule: Verbs are words that tell us what someone or something does.
    • Action Types: Physical actions (e.g., playing, running, singing, dancing, biting, cutting, hiding).
  2. Verb Tenses (Time of Action):
    • Present/Now Tense: Used to talk about actions happening right now. Often marked by the auxiliary verb “is/are” followed by a verb ending in -ing (e.g., is swimming, is eating, is hiding, is sitting, is talking).
    • Past/Yesterday Tense: Used to talk about what happened yesterday or some time ago.
    • The Irregular Past Tense Rule: Unlike regular verbs that add -ed (like play/played or walk/walked), the chapter focuses entirely on irregular verbs which change their spelling completely in the past tense.
      • eat \(\rightarrow\) ate
      • draw \(\rightarrow\) drew
      • fly \(\rightarrow\) flew
      • blow \(\rightarrow\) blew
      • come \(\rightarrow\) came
      • sing \(\rightarrow\) sang
      • swim \(\rightarrow\) swam
      • give \(\rightarrow\) gave
      • take \(\rightarrow\) took
  3. Collective Nouns (Group Words):
    • Rule: Collective nouns are specific names used to describe a collection or group of animals, people, or things.
    • Structure: a [Collective Noun] of [Noun Plural] (e.g., a colony of ants).
    • Exceptions & Group-Specific Names: You cannot swap collective nouns arbitrarily (e.g., you cannot say “a herd of ants” or “an army of grapes”). They must match their specific subjects perfectly:
      • Deer \(\rightarrow\) herd
      • Ants \(\rightarrow\) colony
      • Grapes \(\rightarrow\) bunch
      • Bees \(\rightarrow\) swarm
      • Books \(\rightarrow\) pile
      • Soldiers \(\rightarrow\) army
      • Sticks \(\rightarrow\) bundle

4. Literary & Linguistic Vocabulary (The Word List)

  • Jungle – A thick, tropical forest where wild plants and animals live – “PLACE: A jungle”.
  • Tortoise – A slow-moving land animal protected by a hard, dome-shaped shell – “Toto, the tortoise; the hunter”.
  • Feathers – The soft, light structures that cover a bird’s skin and enable it to fly – “I saw your tail. Now, I see Koko’s feathers in the tree.”.
  • Caught – Trapped, captured, or held in a snare or net (past tense of catch) – “A hunter has caught her in a net.”.
  • Hunter – A person who tracks, traps, or hunts wild animals for food or sport – “Toto, the tortoise; the hunter”.
  • Hide-and-seek – A classic children’s game where players hide and one player tries to locate them – “Let’s play hide-and-seek!”.
  • Verbs – Linguistic terms for ‘doing words’ that indicate action or state of being – “Words that tell us what someone or something does are doing words. Such words are called verbs.”.
  • Yesterday words – A kid-friendly grammar term for past-tense verbs – “Each group will pick one piece of paper from the bag and say the yesterday word for that verb.”.
  • Herd – A collective noun specifically denoting a group of herbivorous land mammals – “A group of deer is called a herd.”.
  • Colony – A collective noun for a highly structured community of insects like ants – “a colony of ants”.
  • Swarm – A collective noun for a large, active cluster of flying insects like bees – “a swarm of bees”.
  • Army – A collective noun for an organized force of soldiers – “an army of soldiers”.
  • Bunch – A collective noun for a group of small fruits growing closely together, such as grapes – “a bunch of grapes”.
  • Pile – A collective noun for objects stacked vertically on top of one another, like books – “a pile of books”.
  • Bundle – A collective noun for long, thin items tied tightly together, like sticks – “a bundle of sticks”.
  • Scared – An adjective describing a state of fear or anxiety – “Hurray! I am out of the bag! I was so scared.”.
  • Worried – An adjective describing feeling uneasy or anxious about a problem – “Something is wrong. Koko looks worried.”.
  • Hold on – An idiomatic phrasal verb meaning to grasp tightly – “Hold on to my feathers, Mika.”.
  • Fast – Moving or capable of moving at high speed (adjective/adverb) – “One is so fast”.
  • Slow – Moving or operating at a low speed (adjective/adverb) – “And one so slow.”.
  • High – At or to a great distance above the ground (adverb) – “One flies so high”.
  • Low – At or to a level close to the ground (adverb) – “One runs so low.”.

5. Teacher’s Chapter Checklist

This rigorous checklist maps out all instructional targets, character arcs, and grammar milestones:

  • [ ] Literary Adaptation Awareness: Verify students understand the play is adapted from the ancient Indian Panchatantra tales by Nandini Nayar.
  • [ ] Character Arc Tracking:
    • [ ] Daisy (The Deer): Track her shift from a playful friend \(\rightarrow\) trapped victim \(\rightarrow\) brave decoy who saves Toto.
    • [ ] Mika (The Mouse): Focus on his high-utility physical skill (sharp teeth) and his work ethic (“Mika works hard and bites through the net”).
    • [ ] Koko (The Crow): Focus on his role as the visual lookout and strategic mastermind behind both rescues.
    • [ ] Toto (The Tortoise): Understand his self-awareness of physical limits, his excellent observational skills, and his vulnerability when caught.
  • [ ] Core Theme Analysis: Discuss how cooperation overcomes physical differences and how diverse abilities build a resilient team.
  • [ ] Pronunciation Milestone: Ensure students pronounce tortoise correctly as “tor-tis”.
  • [ ] Phonic Practice & Rhyme Matching: Teach the Word Wall rhyming families:
    • [ ] -ast family: fast / past / last.
    • [ ] -ail family: mail / pail / tail.
    • [ ] -ide family: hide / ride / glide.
  • [ ] Grammar – Verb Concept: Ensure students can isolate “doing words” (verbs) in active text.
  • [ ] Grammar – Tense Transitions: Assess oral/written competency in irregular past-tense transitions: eat/ate, draw/drew, fly/flew, blow/blew, come/came, sing/sang, swim/swam, give/gave, take/took.
  • [ ] Grammar – Collective Nouns: Drill matching of groups: herd of deer, colony of ants, bunch of grapes, swarm of bees, pile of books, army of soldiers, bundle of sticks.
  • [ ] Composition & Sequencing: Assess sequencing of daily tasks (sentences before going to school).
  • [ ] Life Skills Integration: Discuss healthy friendship habits (sharing games, helping under pressure).

6. Ready-Reckoner Student Revision Notes

STUDENT REVISION NOTES: THE FOUR FRIENDS

Part 1: Character Summaries

  • Daisy (The Deer): A swift, gentle jungle animal. She is highly accommodating of others, suggesting Toto look for them in hide-and-seek. Though she gets caught in the hunter’s net, she later shows immense courage by acting as a fast decoy to draw the hunter away from Toto.
  • Mika (The Mouse): A small, energetic, and highly playful mouse who loves playing hide-and-seek. He is the practical “rescuer” of the group. His sharp teeth are the ultimate tools that bite through both the hunter’s nylon net and his heavy canvas carrying bag.
  • Koko (The Crow): A wise, watchful bird who can fly high to spot danger and locate lost friends. He acts as the team’s “air transportation” (carrying Mika) and “tactical leader,” inventing the plans to trick the hunter and monitoring his movements.
  • Toto (The Tortoise): A slow-moving land reptile with a hard shell. Though he cannot run or hide quickly, he is highly observant and successfully finds Mika and Koko during games. When captured, his loud distress call rallies his friends to execute a brilliant rescue.
  • The Hunter: The human antagonist who traps jungle animals. He is easily fooled by the friends’ coordinated tricks and leaves empty-handed and frustrated at the end.

Part 2: Plot Summary (The Whole Story)

  1. Jungle Play: On a hot summer day, four unique friends—Daisy, Mika, Koko, and Toto—sing and play in a jungle.
  2. Hide-and-Seek Adaptations: Mika suggests hide-and-seek. Toto worries he cannot hide quickly enough, so Daisy suggests they hide while Toto seeks. Toto quickly finds Mika in a hole (by her tail) and Koko in a tree (by his feathers).
  3. The Trapped Deer: Daisy goes missing. Koko flies up and spots Daisy trapped in a hunter’s net.
  4. First Rescue Mission: Toto suggests Koko fly Mika to the net. Mika holds onto Koko’s feathers. Mika gnaws through the net, freeing Daisy.
  5. The Hunter Attacks: The hunter returns. The fast animals (Daisy, Mika, Koko) hide, but the slow tortoise, Toto, is caught. The hunter stuffs Toto in a bag.
  6. Second Rescue Mission (The Decoy): Koko orchestrates a plan. Daisy runs ahead of the hunter. The greedy hunter drops the bag containing Toto to chase Daisy.
  7. The Escape: While the hunter is chasing Daisy, Mika bites through the bag to free Toto. Koko warns them that the hunter is returning, and they hide in a hole and behind a bush.
  8. The Frustrated Hunter: The hunter returns to find his bag empty. He goes home disappointed because he lost both the deer and the tortoise. The friends celebrate happily.

Part 3: Complete Grammar Guide

A. Verbs (Doing Words)

  • Definition: Verbs are words that express action or state.
  • Textbook Present Tense Actions (Now Words):
    • swimming (e.g., “Toto is swimming.”)
    • eating (e.g., “Ruffles is eating a carrot.”)
    • sitting (e.g., “Koko… is sitting on a branch.”)
    • coming (e.g., “Mika… is coming out of a hole.”)
    • talking (e.g., “Daisy is talking to Mika.”)
  • Textbook Past Tense Actions (Yesterday Words):
    • ate (Present: eat) \(\rightarrow\) “Ruffles ate a carrot.”
    • swam (Present: swim) \(\rightarrow\) “Toto swam for an hour.”
    • drew (Present: draw)
    • flew (Present: fly)
    • blew (Present: blow)
    • came (Present: come)
    • sang (Present: sing)
    • gave (Present: give)
    • took (Present: take)

B. Collective Nouns (Group Words)

Use these exact combinations for exams:

  • A herd of deer
  • A colony of ants
  • A bunch of grapes
  • A swarm of bees
  • A pile of books
  • An army of soldiers
  • A bundle of sticks

C. Word Wall Rhyming Words

Memorize these matching rhyming sets:

  1. Fast \(\leftrightarrow\) Past \(\leftrightarrow\) Last
  2. Mail \(\leftrightarrow\) Pail \(\leftrightarrow\) Tail
  3. Hide \(\leftrightarrow\) Ride \(\leftrightarrow\) Glide

D. Sequencing Actions: “Before Going to School”

The correct logical order of morning activities as outlined in the curriculum:

  1. I wake up early.
  2. I brush my teeth.
  3. I take a bath.
  4. I have my breakfast.
  5. I pack my bag.
  6. I put my plate in the sink.

E. “Who Said This?” Exam Drill

  • “No! I can’t hide so quickly!” \(\rightarrow\) Toto
  • “How did you know I was hiding in the hole?” \(\rightarrow\) Mika
  • “Hold on to my feathers, Mika.” \(\rightarrow\) Koko
  • “Thank you for saving me, Mika.” \(\rightarrow\) Daisy
  • “If I can’t have a deer, I will take home a tortoise.” \(\rightarrow\) The Hunter

QUESTIONS :

The Four Friends

1. The “Hidden” In-Text Questions (Mid-Chapter Extraction)

Section: Let’s Start

Q1. Based on the introductory classification activity, list four indoor games and four outdoor games that children typically play with their friends. Answer:

  • Indoor Games: Chess, Ludo, Carrom, and Building Blocks.
  • Outdoor Games: Cricket, Football, Hockey, and Badminton.

Section: The Play (Opening & Setting)

Q2. Identify the exact geographic place and the temporal setting (time of day/season) when the events of the play unfold. Answer: The place is a jungle and the time is one summer day.

Q3. Analyze the opening song sung by the four friends. What four specific spatial and speed contrasts do they highlight about themselves in the lyrics? Answer: The song contrasts:

  1. One being extremely fast (the deer).
  2. One being extremely slow (the tortoise).
  3. One flying extremely high (the crow).
  4. One running extremely low (the mouse).

Section: The Play (Hide-and-Seek Dynamics)

Q4. Explain how the rules of the hide-and-seek game were modified to accommodate Toto, and explain what this reveals about the friends’ cooperative nature. Answer: Toto cannot hide quickly due to his slow speed. To make the game fair, Daisy proposes that the other three friends (Daisy, Mika, and Koko) will hide, and Toto will be the seeker. This shows their empathy and willingness to adapt rules so everyone is included.

Q5. State the precise physical evidence Toto uses to find Mika and Koko in their respective hiding places. Answer: Toto finds Mika because he spots her tail sticking out of the hole. He finds Koko by spotting his feathers visible in the tree.

Section: The Play (The Rescues & Climax)

Q6. Describe the specific physical coordination required to transport Mika the mouse to Daisy’s capture site, including who suggested the plan. Answer: Toto suggests the plan of Koko flying Mika to the site because Mika has sharp teeth to cut the net. Koko instructs Mika to “Hold on to my feathers,” and they fly to the net together.

Q7. Contrast the physical capabilities and reactions of the four friends when Koko warns them that the hunter is approaching after Daisy’s release. Answer: Koko, Daisy, and Mika are fast enough to hide instantly. Toto, being slow, cannot escape. Consequently, the hunter captures Toto as a substitute prize, putting him in a bag.

Q8. What exact role does Koko assign to Daisy in the rescue plan for Toto, and why is this role highly dangerous? Answer: Koko tells Daisy to run ahead of the hunter to act as a decoy. It is highly dangerous because the hunter wants a deer and will chase her, risking her recapture.

Q9. Describe where Mika and Toto hide immediately after Toto escapes the bag, and explain why they must hide again. Answer: Mika hides in a hole and Toto hides behind a bush. They must hide because Koko warns them that the hunter is coming back.

Section: Back-of-the-Chapter Sidebars & Pronunciation Notes

Q10. What specific pedagogical pronunciation instruction does the text provide for the word “tortoise”? Answer: The note for teachers and parents states that “tortoise” must be pronounced as “tor-tis”.

Section: Word Wall & Vocabulary Exercises

Q11. List the three rhyming families presented on the Word Wall and identify all three members of each family. Answer:

  1. The -ast family: fast, past, last.
  2. The -ail family: mail, pail, tail.
  3. The -ide family: hide, ride, glide.

Section: Word Building

Q12. What is the starter word provided in the word-making activity, and what is the first example word constructed from it in the text? Answer: The starter word is FRIENDSHIP and the first example word is fried.

Section: Grammar (Doing Words & Verb Tenses)

Q13. According to the “Know Grammar” section, how does the text define a “verb” and what are the two main points of time it discusses? Answer: A verb is defined as a “doing word” that tells us what someone or something does. The two points of time are actions happening now (present) and actions that happened yesterday or some time ago (past).

Q14. Based on the grammar illustrations, match the “now” action to its corresponding “yesterday” action for the characters Toto and Ruffles. Answer:

  • Toto: “Toto is swimming” (now) \(\rightarrow\) “Toto swam for an hour” (yesterday).
  • Ruffles: “Ruffles is eating a carrot” (now) \(\rightarrow\) “Ruffles ate a carrot” (yesterday).

Section: Let’s Speak & Let’s Listen

Q15. In the “Let’s Speak” oral activity, what example description is given for the character Rohan, and what four physical/material traits can students talk about? Answer: The example is: “Rohan is my friend. He is wearing a green cap.” The four traits students may talk about are clothes, hair, books, and toys.

2. The Textbook Exercise Integration (Back-of-Chapter)

Comprehension (Page 44-45)

  • A. Tick (\(\checkmark\)) the correct answers:
      1. Which game did the four friends play?
      • a. hide-and-seek \(\square\) b. hopscotch \(\square\)
      1. What was Daisy caught in?
      • a. a net \(\square\) b. a cave \(\square\)
      1. Who found Daisy?
      • a. Mika \(\square\) b. Koko \(\square\)
      1. Who cut through the hunter’s bag to save Toto?
      • a. Mika \(\square\) b. Daisy \(\square\)
  • B. Who said this? Write their names on the blanks:
      1. “No! I can’t hide so quickly!” ______________
      1. “How did you know I was hiding in the hole?” ______________
      1. “Hold on to my feathers, Mika.” ______________
      1. “Thank you for saving me, Mika.” ______________
      1. “If I can’t have a deer, I will take home a tortoise.” ______________
  • C. Answer these questions. Write the answers in your notebook:
      1. What were the names of the four jungle friends?
      1. How did Toto find Koko?
      1. Who flew with Koko to help Daisy?
      1. How did Mika save Toto?
      1. Where did Mika and Toto hide on seeing the hunter?
      1. Where did the hunter say he would go?

Work with Words (Page 45)

  • Phonic Practice: Look at the Word Wall and match the words in the columns:
      1. hide | pail
      1. fast | glide
      1. tail | past
      • | last
      • | mail
      • | ride
  • Group Words: Fill in the blanks with group names from the box:
    • Box: army | bunch | colony | pile | swarm | bundle
      1. a colony of ants
      1. a ______ of grapes
      1. a ______ of bees
      1. a ______ of books
      1. an ______ of soldiers
      1. a ______ of sticks
  • Make six words from the word FRIENDSHIP:
      1. fried
      1. ______ 3. ______ 4. ______ 5. ______ 6. ______

Know Grammar (Page 45-47)

  • G. Write the yesterday words for these words. Choose words from the box:
    • Box: drew | came | sang | ate | blew | flew
      1. eat : ate
      1. draw : ______
      1. fly : ______
      1. blow : ______
      1. come : ______
      1. sing : ______
  • H. Circle the correct words to describe the picture:
      1. Toto is (eating / sleeping).
      1. Look at Koko! He is (sleeping / sitting) on a branch.
      1. Do you see Mika? He is (coming / hiding) out of a hole.
      1. Daisy is (talking / reading) to Mika.

Let’s Listen (Page 47)

  • Listen to your teacher read out a dialogue. Then, answer the questions:
      1. Who are the two children? ______ and ______
      1. Which day of the week are they talking about? ______
      1. Where will Mona go? ______
      1. Who will Maya visit? ______

Let’s Write (Page 47-48)

  • L. Do you do these before going to school? Number the sentences in the correct order. Write the sentences in your notebook.
    • \(\square\) I take a bath.
    • \(\square\) I brush my teeth.
    • \(\square\) I put my plate in the sink.
    • \(\boxed{1}\) I wake up early.
    • \(\square\) I have my breakfast.
    • \(\square\) I pack my bag.

Life Skills (Page 48)

  • N. Titu and Ali always play together. Write three things you like to do with your friend:
      1. I like to ______ with my friend.
      1. I like to ______ with my friend.
      1. I like to ______ with my friend.

3. Exhaustive Objective Bank (The Factual Baseline)

Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs)

Q1. Who is the author that adapted this Panchatantra fable into the play text?

A) Ruskin Bond B) Nandini Nayar C) Sudha Murty D) Rabindranath Tagore

Q2. What is Koko’s animal species?

A) A mouse B) A deer C) A crow D) A tortoise

Q3. What does Mika suggest the friends play together at the beginning of the play?

A) Hopscotch B) Hide-and-seek C) Football D) Chess

Q4. Why did Toto struggle with playing the game that Mika suggested?

A) He did not know the rules B) He was too slow to hide quickly C) He was afraid of dark places D) He wanted to play cards instead

Q5. How did Daisy modify the game of hide-and-seek so Toto could participate?

A) She said Toto would hide and they would seek B) She said they would hide and Toto would look for them C) She suggested they play in teams of two D) She told Toto to count to one hundred

Q6. Where did Mika hide during the game of hide-and-seek?

A) Behind a bush B) In a tree branch C) In a hole D) Under a rock

Q7. What part of Mika’s body was visible, allowing Toto to discover her hiding place?

A) Her nose B) Her ears C) Her tail D) Her paws

Q8. Where was Koko hiding when Toto found him?

A) In a bush B) In a tree C) Inside a hollow log D) Behind a rock

Q9. What did Koko do immediately when the friends noticed Daisy was missing?

A) He ran home B) He flew away to look for her C) He started crying D) He called the hunter

Q10. What trap had caught Daisy in the jungle?

A) A deep pit B) A wooden cage C) A hunter’s net D) A metal snare

Q11. Who proposed the plan to carry Mika to Daisy’s rescue site?

A) Koko B) Mika C) Toto D) Daisy

Q12. How did Mika travel through the air with Koko to reach Daisy?

A) Mika sat in a small basket B) Mika held on to Koko’s feathers C) Koko carried Mika in his beak D) Koko carried Mika in his claws

Q13. What physical action did Mika take to free Daisy from the net?

A) She pulled the strings B) She bit through the net with her sharp teeth C) She untied the knots D) She cut the net with a sharp stone

Q14. Who warned the friends that the hunter had arrived at the net?

A) Toto B) Mika C) Koko D) Daisy

Q15. Why was Toto caught by the hunter?

A) He fell asleep B) He did not hear Koko’s warning C) He was too slow to hide D) He went to talk to the hunter

Q16. What did the hunter put Toto inside after capturing him?

A) A wooden cage B) A metal box C) A bag/sack D) A glass jar

Q17. What did Koko instruct Daisy to do to trick the hunter?

A) Hide behind a bush B) Run ahead of the hunter to make him drop the sack C) Make loud noises D) Pretend to be asleep

Q18. Where did Toto hide when Koko warned that the hunter was returning?

A) In a hole B) Behind a bush C) Up in a tree D) Under the hunter’s bag

Q19. What did the hunter decide to do after finding that both the deer and the tortoise had escaped?

A) Look for the mouse B) Buy new nets C) Go home empty-handed D) Stay in the jungle overnight

Q20. What is the correct group word (collective noun) for a group of deer?

A) A flock B) A herd C) A pack D) A swarm

Q21. Which yesterday word is the past tense of the verb “draw”?

A) Drawn B) Drawed C) Drew D) Drewed

Q22. In the “Before going to school” sequencing activity, which action comes immediately after “I take a bath”?

A) I pack my bag B) I have my breakfast C) I brush my teeth D) I put my plate in the sink

Fill-in-the-Blanks

Q23. The play is set in a ______ on a warm summer day.

Q24. The story of the four friends is adapted from an ancient ______ tale.

Q25. Mika the mouse was found hiding because her ______ was sticking out of the hole.

Q26. Koko the crow was found hiding because Toto saw his ______ in the tree.

Q27. When Daisy went missing, Koko looked ______ as he flew back down.

Q28. Mika tells Daisy, “Don’t worry, Daisy. I am going to get you ______.”

Q29. The hunter decided that if he couldn’t have a deer, he would take home a ______.

Q30. Koko’s plan was for Daisy to run ahead of the hunter so he would drop the ______ and chase her.

Q31. While the hunter was chasing Daisy, Mika worked to ______ the hunter’s bag.

Q32. A group of ants is called a ______ of ants.

Q33. A group of bees is called a ______ of bees.

Q34. The yesterday word for the action “fly” is ______.

Q35. The yesterday word for the action “sing” is ______.

Q36. In the morning routine sequence, “I put my ______ in the sink” is the final action.

Q37. The teacher note states that the word tortoise is pronounced as ______.

True/False Questions (If False, correct the statement)

Q38. Koko, the crow, is the character who suggests playing hide-and-seek.

Q39. Toto successfully locates all three of his hiding friends during the game.

Q40. Koko carries Mika in his beak to fly to Daisy’s rescue.

Q41. The hunter traps Daisy in a deep pit covered with leaves.

Q42. Daisy acts as a decoy to lure the hunter away so Toto can escape.

Q43. The yesterday word for the action “blow” is “blewed”.

Q44. A group of soldiers is called a herd of soldiers.

Q45. Mika hides behind a bush and Toto hides in a hole when the hunter comes running back.

Q46. The hunter goes home happy because he caught a big tortoise.

Q47. The name of the mouse character in the play is Mika.

4. Subjective & Competency Bank (Higher-Order Thinking)

Short-Answer Questions (Write each question on a single line)

Q48. Why did Toto feel hesitant about playing hide-and-seek and how did his friends resolve this issue?

Q49. How did Toto’s observation skills prove useful despite his slow speed in finding Mika and Koko?

Q50. Explain Koko’s immediate actions when the friends realized that Daisy had not returned during the game.

Q51. Why was Koko’s physical ability of flight crucial to the first rescue mission to save Daisy?

Q52. How did Mika use his biological/physical features to accomplish both rescue missions in the play?

Q53. Why did the hunter capture Toto and what does this reveal about the hunter’s motivations?

Q54. Explain the strategic division of labor among Koko, Daisy, and Mika during the second rescue mission.

Q55. How did Koko act as the “air controller” or eyes of the group during both rescue operations?

Q56. Explain the difference between “now words” and “yesterday words” using the verb transitions “swim” and “eat”.

Q57. Why is the chronological ordering of daily tasks important for a student’s routine before school starts?

Scenario-Based / Competency Questions (Write each question on a single line)

Q58. Scenario: A classmate of yours is very slow at completing group worksheets, but has excellent handwriting. Using the lessons of collaboration from the four friends, how can you structure your group work so that his slower speed does not hold the group back?

Q59. Scenario: You are planning a picnic with a group of friends. One of your friends is physically unable to run around. How can you apply Daisy’s strategy of adapting the game of hide-and-seek to make sure your friend is fully included in the fun?

Q60. Scenario: You have been asked to organize a classroom library. You have piles of books, bundles of pencils, and bunches of folders. Write a guide on how you will categorize these items using proper collective nouns to instruct your classmates.

Q61. Scenario: Imagine you are writing a journal entry about a rescue you witnessed yesterday where a fireman saved a cat from a tree. Explain why using the past-tense forms “came,” “climbed,” and “saved” is grammatically necessary instead of “coming,” “climbing,” and “saving”.

Q62. Scenario: Your sports team consists of some players who are tall and can run fast, and others who are short but can throw with great accuracy. Design a team strategy for a game of capture-the-flag that mimics the cooperation between Koko, Mika, and Daisy.

Long-Answer / Essay Questions (Write each question on a single line)

Q63. Analyze how ‘The Four Friends’ serves as a classic fable demonstrating that diverse physical attributes are a strength, not a weakness, when combined through cooperation.

Q64. Provide a highly detailed comparative breakdown of the first rescue mission (saving Daisy) versus the second rescue mission (saving Toto), detailing the steps, plans, and roles of each character.

Q65. Explain the concept of irregular past-tense verbs (“yesterday words”) as taught in this chapter, detailing their structural changes and providing sentences using the yesterday words of eat, fly, come, draw, and sing.

Q66. Reconstruct the complete narrative arc of the play, tracing the sequence of events from the opening song and dance to the final exit of the frustrated hunter.

Q67. Discuss how the play integrates physical actions (verbs), group identities (collective nouns), and sequencing skills (morning routines) to build both literacy and life skills in young learners.

5. The Master Answer Key & Marking Rubric

Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs) Answer Key

  • Q1. Answer: B) Nandini Nayar
  • Q2. Answer: C) A crow
  • Q3. Answer: B) Hide-and-seek
  • Q4. Answer: B) He was too slow to hide quickly
  • Q5. Answer: B) She said they would hide and Toto would look for them
  • Q6. Answer: C) In a hole
  • Q7. Answer: C) Her tail
  • Q8. Answer: B) In a tree
  • Q9. Answer: B) He flew away to look for her
  • Q10. Answer: C) A hunter’s net
  • Q11. Answer: C) Toto
  • Q12. Answer: B) Mika held on to Koko’s feathers
  • Q13. Answer: B) She bit through the net with her sharp teeth
  • Q14. Answer: C) Koko
  • Q15. Answer: C) He was too slow to hide
  • Q16. Answer: C) A bag/sack
  • Q17. Answer: B) Run ahead of the hunter to make him drop the sack
  • Q18. Answer: B) Behind a bush
  • Q19. Answer: C) Go home empty-handed
  • Q20. Answer: B) A herd
  • Q21. Answer: C) Drew
  • Q22. Answer: B) I have my breakfast

Fill-in-the-Blanks Answer Key

  • Q23. Answer: jungle
  • Q24. Answer: Panchatantra
  • Q25. Answer: tail
  • Q26. Answer: feathers
  • Q27. Answer: worried
  • Q28. Answer: out
  • Q29. Answer: tortoise
  • Q30. Answer: sack / bag
  • Q31. Answer: bite / cut
  • Q32. Answer: colony
  • Q33. Answer: swarm
  • Q34. Answer: flew
  • Q35. Answer: sang
  • Q36. Answer: plate
  • Q37. Answer: tor-tis

True/False Questions Answer Key

  • Q38. Answer: False. Mika, the mouse, is the character who suggests playing hide-and-seek.
  • Q39. Answer: False. Toto finds Mika and Koko, but he cannot find Daisy because she has been captured by the hunter.
  • Q40. Answer: False. Mika holds on to Koko’s feathers while Koko flies to the rescue site.
  • Q41. Answer: False. The hunter traps Daisy in a net.
  • Q42. Answer: True.
  • Q43. Answer: False. The yesterday word for the action “blow” is “blew”.
  • Q44. Answer: False. A group of soldiers is called an “army” of soldiers.
  • Q45. Answer: False. Mika hides in a hole and Toto hides behind a bush.
  • Q46. Answer: False. The hunter goes home disappointed because both the deer and the tortoise got away.
  • Q47. Answer: True.

Subjective & Competency Bank Marking Rubrics

Short-Answer Questions Rubric
  • Q48. Why did Toto feel hesitant about playing hide-and-seek and how did his friends resolve this issue?
    • Marking Rubric:
      • Must mention Toto is slow-moving and cannot hide quickly (1 mark).
      • Must state Daisy’s solution: the other friends hide, and Toto seeks, making it fair (1 mark).
      • Found in: The Play (Page 40).
  • Q49. How did Toto’s observation skills prove useful despite his slow speed in finding Mika and Koko?
    • Marking Rubric:
      • Identify that Toto pays close attention to physical details (1 mark).
      • Cite specific details: saw Mika’s tail sticking out of her hole and Koko’s feathers in the tree (1 mark).
      • Found in: The Play (Page 40).
  • Q50. Explain Koko’s immediate actions when the friends realized that Daisy had not returned during the game.
    • Marking Rubric:
      • Koko volunteered to search for her (1 mark).
      • He flew up high to get an aerial view of the jungle and spotted her trapped in a net (1 mark).
      • Found in: The Play (Page 40).
  • Q51. Why was Koko’s physical ability of flight crucial to the first rescue mission to save Daisy?
    • Marking Rubric:
      • Flight allowed Koko to locate Daisy’s exact location quickly (1 mark).
      • Flight served as rapid transit to carry Mika (who held onto his feathers) to the net before the hunter returned (1 mark).
      • Found in: The Play (Page 40).
  • Q52. How did Mika use his biological/physical features to accomplish both rescue missions in the play?
    • Marking Rubric:
      • Must identify Mika’s sharp teeth as the primary physical tool (1 mark).
      • Must explain how he bit through the hunter’s net (Mission 1) and the hunter’s bag (Mission 2) (1 mark).
      • Found in: The Play (Pages 40 & 42).
  • Q53. Why did the hunter capture Toto and what does this reveal about the hunter’s motivations?
    • Marking Rubric:
      • The hunter captured Toto as a backup prize because Daisy got away: “If I can’t have a deer, I will take home a tortoise.” (1 mark).
      • This reveals the hunter is motivated by greed and opportunism, wanting to exploit any animal resource he can (1 mark).
      • Found in: The Play (Page 41).
  • Q54. Explain the strategic division of labor among Koko, Daisy, and Mika during the second rescue mission.
    • Marking Rubric:
      • Daisy: Acts as decoy/bait to distract and lure the hunter away (1 mark).
      • Mika: Cuts/bites the bag to free Toto (1 mark).
      • Koko: Acts as lookup/aerial observer and alarm coordinator (1 mark).
      • Found in: The Play (Pages 41-42).
  • Q55. How did Koko act as the “air controller” or eyes of the group during both rescue operations?
    • Marking Rubric:
      • Operation 1: Spotted Daisy, guided Mika, and warned of the hunter’s arrival (“Run! Run! The hunter is here.”) (1 mark).
      • Operation 2: Warned Mika when the hunter dropped the bag, urged Mika to hurry, and warned them to hide again when the hunter returned (1 mark).
      • Found in: The Play (Pages 40-42).
  • Q56. Explain the difference between “now words” and “yesterday words” using the verb transitions “swim” and “eat”.
    • Marking Rubric:
      • “Now words” describe actions currently taking place (present tense) using verb + -ing (1 mark).
      • “Yesterday words” describe actions that already happened (past tense) via irregular vowel changes (1 mark).
      • Examples: “swimming” to “swam”; “eating” to “ate” (1 mark).
      • Found in: Know Grammar (Page 45).
  • Q57. Why is the chronological ordering of daily tasks important for a student’s routine before school starts?
    • Marking Rubric:
      • Shows logical sequencing of actions based on daily reality (e.g., wake up before bathing, eat breakfast before putting plate in sink) (1 mark).
      • Builds executive function, daily structure, and coherent writing/organizational skills (1 mark).
      • Found in: Let’s Write (Pages 47-48).
Scenario-Based / Competency Questions Rubric
  • Q58. Classmate is slow at typing but has excellent handwriting. How can you structure group work based on the four friends?
    • Marking Rubric:
      • Apply the principle of leveraging diverse strengths (1 mark).
      • Assign research/drafting tasks to the faster typists, and assign hand-written diagrams or final review styling to the slow-typing student with excellent handwriting (1 mark).
      • Found in: Structural analogy to Toto’s slow speed but high observational talent in the play.
  • Q59. Picnic friend is physically unable to run around. Apply Daisy’s strategy of adapting hide-and-seek.
    • Marking Rubric:
      • Propose modifying game dynamics rather than excluding the friend (1 mark).
      • Keep the physically limited friend stationary (e.g., as the “seeker” or “game manager”) while active friends move and hide, ensuring complete inclusion (1 mark).
      • Found in: Adaption of play rules by Daisy (Page 40).
  • Q60. Classroom library organization using proper collective nouns.
    • Marking Rubric:
      • Must correctly use the exact target collective nouns from the chapter: “pile of books” (1 mark), “bundle of pencils/sticks” (1 mark), and “bunch of folders/grapes” (1 mark).
      • Found in: Work with Words (Page 45).
  • Q61. Journal entry about a rescue yesterday. Explain past-tense grammar necessity.
    • Marking Rubric:
      • State that the rescue happened in the past (“yesterday”), which requires “yesterday words” (past tense) to indicate completed action (1 mark).
      • Explain that using “-ing” (present participle) implies the action is ongoing right now, which would confuse the reader about when the event happened (1 mark).
      • Found in: Know Grammar (Page 45).
  • Q62. Capture-the-flag strategy mimicking cooperation between Koko, Mika, and Daisy.
    • Marking Rubric:
      • Tall/fast runners (like Daisy) act as visible decoys to draw opponents away from the flag (1 mark).
      • Highly agile/low-profile players (like Mika) slip in to grab/untie the flag (1 mark).
      • A tall observer or player with high vision (like Koko) acts as director/scout from a elevated vantage point to call out directions (1 mark).
      • Found in: Coordinated rescue plan of Toto (Pages 41-42).
Long-Answer / Essay Questions Rubric
  • Q63. Analyze how ‘The Four Friends’ serves as a classic fable demonstrating that diverse physical attributes are a strength through cooperation.
    • Marking Rubric:
      • Define the physical diversity: Daisy (speed on land), Mika (low stature, sharp teeth), Koko (flight, height, vision), Toto (slow speed, heavy shell protection) (1 mark).
      • Explain how individual efforts fail under hunter threat (Daisy is trapped in net, Toto is trapped in bag) (1 mark).
      • Elaborate on how cooperation synthesizes these traits: combining flight (Koko) with sharp teeth (Mika) to solve the net trap; combining decoy speed (Daisy) with sharp teeth (Mika) to solve the bag trap (2 marks).
      • Conclude that a diverse group is more resilient than an identical group (1 mark).
      • Found in: Entire play script.
  • Q64. Provide a highly detailed comparative breakdown of the first rescue mission (saving Daisy) versus the second rescue mission (saving Toto).
    • Marking Rubric:
      • Mission 1 (Saving Daisy):
        • Trigger: Daisy trapped in a net.
        • Plan: Toto suggests Koko carry Mika; Mika holds Koko’s feathers.
        • Execution: Mika bites the net.
        • Roles: Toto (planner), Koko (transport/scout), Mika (cutter).
      • Mission 2 (Saving Toto):
        • Trigger: Toto trapped in a bag.
        • Plan: Koko plans for Daisy to run as bait so the hunter drops the bag.
        • Execution: Daisy runs, hunter drops bag, Mika cuts bag.
        • Roles: Koko (planner/scout), Daisy (bait), Mika (cutter).
      • Marking allocation: Detail Mission 1 (2 marks), Detail Mission 2 (2 marks), compare planners and executioners (1 mark).
      • Found in: Play text (Pages 40-42).
  • Q65. Explain the concept of irregular past-tense verbs (“yesterday words”) as taught in this chapter, detailing their structural changes and providing sentences.
    • Marking Rubric:
      • Explain that irregular past-tense verbs (“yesterday words”) do not follow the standard “-ed” suffix addition rule. Instead, they change internal vowel spelling or spelling entirely (1 mark).
      • Provide the correct past-tense transformations: eat \(\rightarrow\) ate, fly \(\rightarrow\) flew, come \(\rightarrow\) came, draw \(\rightarrow\) drew, sing \(\rightarrow\) sang (2 marks).
      • Create 5 grammatically correct, fully grounded sentences using these words (e.g., “Ruffles ate a carrot,” “Koko flew to search for Daisy”) (2 marks).
      • Found in: Know Grammar (Pages 45-46).
  • Q66. Reconstruct the complete narrative arc of the play, tracing the sequence of events from the opening song to the final exit of the hunter.
    • Marking Rubric:
      • Exposition: Jungle setting, character introduction, and the opening song of unity (1 mark).
      • Inciting Incident & Rising Action: Hide-and-seek play, finding Mika/Koko, discovering Daisy is captured in the hunter’s net (1 mark).
      • First Climax & Resolution: Mika cuts the net, but the hunter returns; Toto is too slow and gets caught in the bag (1 mark).
      • Second Climax & Falling Action: Daisy acts as decoy bait, Koko coordinates, Mika cuts the bag, freeing Toto (1 mark).
      • Resolution: Friends hide (Mika in hole, Toto behind bush); hunter goes home disappointed and empty-handed; friends resume happy play (1 mark).
      • Found in: Entire play sequence (Pages 38-43).
  • Q67. Discuss how the play integrates physical actions (verbs), group identities (collective nouns), and sequencing skills (morning routines) to build both literacy and life skills.
    • Marking Rubric:
      • Physical Actions (Verbs): Teaching verbs through the actual movements of the characters (swimming, eating, flying, biting) helps kids associate grammar with real action (1.5 marks).
      • Group Identities (Collective Nouns): Teaching terms like “herd of deer,” “swarm of bees,” and “colony of ants” builds precise descriptive language skills and categorizing instincts (1.5 marks).
      • Sequencing Skills (Morning Routine): Connecting grammar/storytelling to personal life routines (waking, brushing, bathing) teaches logical timeline progression (1 mark).
      • Conclusion: Synthesizes grammar rules into functional everyday language and life organization (1 mark).
      • Found in: Grammar, Word Wall, and Let’s Write sections (Pages 44-48).

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