Chapter 1: Family and Friends
Chapter at a Glance
Bela lives with her parents, her grandparents (Dadiji and Dadaji) and her two brothers, Banku Bhaiya and little Bishu. The children love playing hide and seek (chhupan-chhupai) and peek-a-boo in the open space outside their house, where the family has planted a flower garden. On rainy days everyone sits under a small shelter, plays antakshari and snakes and ladders, eats hot pakodas and sings rain songs taught by Dadiji. Their pet dog Shiru is treated as a member of the family, and the children share their food with him and never hurt him.
The chapter shows that families can be big or small, and that everyone in a family loves, cares for and helps one another. Bela’s parents share the housework, Dadiji oils and braids Bela’s hair, Dadaji looks after the garden, and the children help with small jobs like chopping vegetables and gardening. Close friends like Munni and Kusum Mausi are almost like family. Munni makes rangoli with colours from dried flowers.
Relatives who do not live with us are also part of our family, and they are related to us through our mother or father. On a holiday, Bela and her friends play pitthoo in the park with Dadaji and end the day with ice cream. We learn many things from our elders, and we should take special care of grandparents, small children and anyone who is unwell.
Word Meanings
| Word | Simple Meaning |
|---|---|
| Family | People who live together and care for each other, like parents, children and grandparents |
| Relative | A person related to us through our mother or father |
| Neighbour | A person who lives near our house |
| Chhupan-chhupai | Hide and seek |
| Peek-a-boo | A game where you hide your face and then show it suddenly to a small child |
| Antakshari | A singing game where the next song starts with the last letter of the previous one |
| Shelter | A covered place that protects us from rain or sun |
| Pet | An animal kept at home with love |
| Braid | To twist long hair into a plait |
| Mausi | Mother’s sister (or a close friend of mother) |
| Rangoli | Colourful patterns made on the floor with colours, flowers or leaves |
| Pitthoo | A game where one team tries to pile up stones while the other throws a ball |
| Care | To look after someone with love |
| Support | To help someone |
Important Topics
1. Bela’s Family
| Member | Relation to Bela |
|---|---|
| Dadiji | Grandmother (father’s mother) |
| Dadaji | Grandfather (father’s father) |
| Mother and Father | Parents |
| Banku Bhaiya | Elder brother |
| Bishu | Younger brother |
| Shiru | Pet dog |
| Kusum Mausi and Munni | Close family friends |
2. Playing and Singing Together
- Indoor games: antakshari, snakes and ladders.
- Outdoor games: hide and seek, peek-a-boo, pitthoo.
- On rainy days the family eats pakodas and sings rain songs together.
3. Types of Families
- Some families are big and some are small.
- A family can have parents, children, grandparents and other elders.
- Animals like cows, dogs, cats, parrots and goats can also be part of a family.
4. Helping Each Other
| Family member | Work they do |
|---|---|
| Parents | Cooking, cleaning, shopping for groceries |
| Dadiji | Oils and braids Bela’s hair |
| Dadaji | Gardening |
| Banku | Cleans and chops vegetables |
| Bela | Helps Dadaji in the garden |
5. Caring for Animals
- We should love pets and never hurt or tease animals.
- Bela and Banku share their food with Shiru.
6. Relatives and Friends
- Relatives may not live with us but are part of our family.
- Friends and neighbours also love and support us.
- We learn many things from elders, such as songs, games and skills.
Question-Answers
Very Short Answer Questions
- What is the name of Bela’s elder brother? Banku.
- What is the name of Bela’s little brother? Bishu.
- Who is Shiru? Bela’s pet dog.
- What does Bela call her grandmother? Dadiji.
- Name one game the children play on rainy days. Antakshari.
- What does Dadiji make during the rains? Hot pakodas and tea.
- Who is good at making rangoli? Munni.
- What does Munni use to make rangoli colours? Dried flowers.
- What game did the children play in the park? Pitthoo.
- Who loves gardening in Bela’s family? Dadaji.
Short Answer Questions
Q1. Who are the members of Bela’s family?
Bela’s family has her mother, father, Dadiji, Dadaji, her elder brother Banku, her little brother Bishu and their pet dog Shiru.
Q2. What does Bela’s family do on rainy days?
They sit under a small shelter in the garden, play antakshari and snakes and ladders, eat hot pakodas and sing rain songs together.
Q3. How do Bela and Banku take care of Shiru?
They love him, play with him, share their food with him and never hurt him.
Q4. How do Bela’s parents help each other?
They share all the housework, such as cooking, cleaning and buying groceries.
Q5. Why should we not hurt or tease animals?
Animals can feel pain and fear just like us. They also love us and give us company, so we should be kind to them.
Long Answer Questions
Q1. How do family members show love and care for each other?
Family members help each other with housework, like cooking and cleaning. Elders teach children songs, games and skills. Children help elders with small jobs. They play, eat and laugh together. They take special care of grandparents, small children and anyone who is sick. In this way, everyone feels loved and supported.
Q2. Describe the holiday Bela spent in the park.
On a holiday, Bela and Banku went to the park with Dadaji. Their friends Niku, Rinki, Rohit, Ronnie and Tara were playing pitthoo. They all made two teams. Dadaji hit the pile of stones with a ball, and the children ran to pile them up again while the other team tried to hit them with the ball. When they got tired, they rested and Dadaji bought them ice cream. They went home happy when it got dark.
Textbook Exercise Answers
A1. How do family members show their love and care for each other?
They help each other in daily work, share food, play together, teach each other and look after elders, children and sick members.
A2. What games do you play with your friends?
I play hide and seek, kho-kho, pitthoo, cricket and ludo with my friends.
B. Draw. Draw happy moments with your family, such as a picnic, a festival or playing games together.
C1. What do you learn from elders in your family?
We learn good manners, songs, stories, games, cooking, gardening and how to help others.
C2. We care for many others who are not in our family. Who are they? How do we care for them?
We care for neighbours, friends, animals and plants. We help neighbours when needed, feed animals, give water to birds and water plants.
D. Find and circle five words related to games.
Top, Ball, Ludo, Bat, Chess.
Other in-text questions
- Would you call Bela’s family big or small? A big family, because it has grandparents, parents, three children and a pet.
- Who does what work in your family? (sample)
| Work | Who does it? |
|---|---|
| Cooking food | Mother and father |
| Watering plants | Grandfather and I |
| Mending things | Grandmother |
| Cleaning the house | Everyone together |
| Buying things from the market | Father |