The Chair – Class 6 English NCERT Solutions

Explore the solutions for “The Chair,” Class 6 English NCERT. This story teaches children valuable lessons about true friendship and how real friends stand by you in difficult times. Through Mario’s experience with the magical chair, students learn that true friendship isn’t about the number of friends you have, but about having friends who genuinely care and support you when you need them.

Story Summary in English

The story “The Chair” is about a boy named Mario who loves to boast about having many friends at school. His grandfather challenges this claim by betting a fruit chaat that many of Mario’s friends are just companions or partners. To prove his point, the grandfather gives Mario an invisible chair and tells him to take it to school. When Mario tries to sit on the invisible chair, he keeps falling. While most of his classmates laugh at his attempts, three true friends – Guneet, Asma, and Deepa – help him by holding him up so he won’t fall. Through this experience, Mario learns who his real friends are – those who support him rather than laugh at his misfortune. The story ends with Mario and his three true friends enjoying fruit chaat with his grandfather and learning a valuable lesson about genuine friendship.

कहानी का सारांश (Story Summary in Hindi)

“द चेयर” एक लड़के मारियो की कहानी है जो स्कूल में अपने बहुत सारे दोस्तों के बारे में शेखी बघारता है। उसके दादाजी एक फल चाट की शर्त लगाकर यह साबित करना चाहते हैं कि उसके कई तथाकथित दोस्त केवल साथी या परिचित हैं। अपनी बात सिद्ध करने के लिए दादाजी मारियो को एक अदृश्य कुर्सी देते हैं और उसे स्कूल ले जाने को कहते हैं। जब मारियो इस अदृश्य कुर्सी पर बैठने की कोशिश करता है, तो वह बार-बार गिरता है। जहाँ अधिकांश सहपाठी उसके प्रयासों पर हंसते हैं, वहीं तीन सच्चे दोस्त – गुनीत, असमा और दीपा – उसे गिरने से बचाने में मदद करते हैं। इस अनुभव से मारियो को पता चलता है कि उसके वास्तविक दोस्त कौन हैं – वे जो मुसीबत में उसका साथ देते हैं। कहानी मारियो और उसके तीन सच्चे दोस्तों के दादाजी के साथ फल चाट का आनंद लेने और सच्ची दोस्ती का महत्वपूर्ण पाठ सीखने के साथ समाप्त होती है।

Let us do these activities before we read

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

Two words that come to mind when thinking of friendship are:

• Trust
• Support

2. Find words related to friendship from the grid (word search)

The eight words found in the grid are:

• HELPFUL (shown as example)
• LAUGHTER
• LOYAL
• TRUST
• HOPE
• CARING
• LOVING
• SUPPORT

3. Fill in the blanks to complete words meaning ‘friend’ or ‘friends’:

(i) partner – a person who you do things together with
(ii) buddies – an informal word for friends
(iii) companion – a person who you spend a lot of time with
(iv) classmates – children who are in the same class as you at school

4. What do you call ‘a friend’ in your own language?

In Hindi, a friend is called “दोस्त” (dost) or “मित्र” (mitra).

Let us discuss

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

True. The story clearly states that Mario loved to have lots of friends and showed off a lot, always talking about how many friends he had at school.

2. What did the grandfather take from the attic?

The grandfather took an invisible chair from the attic.

3. Will Mario face any challenges?

Yes, Mario will face challenges. Since the chair is invisible, it will be difficult for him to sit on it without being able to see it.

4. Will Mario be able to use the magic?

Yes, Mario will be able to use the magic of the chair to discover who his true friends are.

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

False. Mario failed multiple times before finally being able to sit on the chair with the help of his true friends.

6. Fill in the blank: Mario’s grandfather challenged him to a bet of _________.

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

7. Match the following characters with their action:

Guneet, Asma and Deepa – (a) held Mario up, so he wouldn’t fall

Let us think and reflect

1. From the lines about the special chair:

(i) The chair is special and invisible.
(ii) It was tricky to sit on the chair because it was invisible and Mario couldn’t see where exactly to sit.
(iii) Mario’s grandfather calls the chair ‘special’ because it has the magical ability to help identify true friends from false ones.

2. About the technical problem:

(i) Mario says there was a technical problem because he couldn’t see the chair to sit on it properly.
(ii) False. Most of Mario’s friends were not caring and helpful as they laughed at his attempts to sit on the chair.
(iii) Mario shows he is strong-willed because he keeps trying despite falling and being laughed at.

3. Additional questions:

(a) The bet was about proving that many of Mario’s so-called friends were nothing more than companions or partners.
(b) When Mario first tried to sit on the chair, he missed and fell straight onto his backside, making his classmates laugh.
(c) Mario was able to find his real friends when Guneet, Asma, and Deepa helped hold him up while others just laughed at him.
(d) Yes, the magic chair test was good because it clearly showed who truly cared about Mario and who would help him when he needed support.
(e) ‘Friends for life’ means having friends who stay loyal, supportive, and caring throughout our lives, no matter what situations we face.
(f) Another way to find real friends would be to observe who supports you during difficult times, who shares your joys and sorrows, and who is honest with you even when it’s difficult.

Let us learn

1. Complete table dividing words into root words and suffixes:

2. Match root words with suffixes and make sentences:

1. magic + al = magical: “The magical chair helped Mario find his true friends.”
2. care + ful = careful: “We should be careful in choosing our friends.”
3. celebrate + tion = celebration: “The celebration of friendship made everyone happy.”
4. laugh + ing = laughing: “True friends enjoy laughing together.”
5. wonder + ful = wonderful: “Having good friends is a wonderful feeling.”
6. help + ful = helpful: “Mario’s true friends were very helpful.”
7. friend + ship = friendship: “Their friendship grew stronger after that day.”
8. courage + ous = courageous: “Mario was courageous to keep trying despite falling.”

3. Describe Mario using adjectives:

Mario is:

• Brave
• Determined
• Persistent
• Friendly

4. Match adjectives with nouns:

Examples of adjective-noun pairs:

• brave soldier
• clever plan
• tasty peanuts
• heavy rain
• slight cold
• true friends

5. Complete paragraph with adjective-noun pairs:

Once upon a time in a little village, a/an happy boy named Abhishek found a/an old book in the attic. He read amazing stories about fairy lands, old castles and colourful creatures. 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

Fill in the blanks with words you hear:

(a) Monika found it difficult when she took admission in the school.
(b) Manu was supportive and helped by her in many ways.
(c) So, it was not so hard for the new girl to adjust in the school.
(d) Both friends experienced difficult and happy moments together.
(e) Manu is thankful to Monika for making her life easy and finding a friend.

Let us speak

1. Work in pairs. Choose four qualities of a friend and give reasons:

Here are some example responses using the given sentence starters:

1. “I feel my friend should be honest because trust is the foundation of any friendship.”

2. “I think the quality I want in my friend is being caring. The reason for this is that friends should support each other during tough times.”

3. “I believe my friend should be understanding. This is in order to accept me for who I am and help me grow.”

4. “If my friend is loyal, then our friendship will last through all difficulties.”

Let us write

1. Complete Mario’s message to Guneet:

Dear Guneet,

I am thankful to God to have you as a real friend for life. When everyone was laughing at me, Deepa, Asma and you showed me that you care for me. You are indeed a blessing in my life.

Best wishes,
Mario

2. Write your own message to your best friend:

Here’s a sample message:

Dear [Friend’s name],

You have been such an amazing friend to me. Just like Mario’s true friends, you’ve always stood by me in both good and difficult times. Your support and kindness make our friendship special. I’m grateful to have you in my life.

Best wishes,
[Your name]

Let us explore

1. Find more stories about ‘Friendship’:

Students can research and share stories about friendship from:

• Indian folklore and mythology
• Stories from their state or region
• International friendship tales
• Personal experiences

2. Complete the acrostic poem for FRIENDS:

Here’s a sample acrostic poem:

• Faithful in every way
• Reliable when needed most
• Inspiring me to do my best
• Ever ready to help
• Never giving up on me
• Dependable through thick and thin
• Sincere in their care

3. Survey about friendship across age groups:

Key findings from the survey:

• Similarities across age groups: Trust, support, and care are valued by all age groups
• Differences: Younger people focus more on shared activities while older people emphasize long-term bonds
• Changes with age: Understanding of friendship deepens with life experience