Unit 4 · Ups and Downs · NCERT Class 5 Santoor

Gilli Danda

A story about a much-loved street game. We only name the story — every example here is our own — and use it to learn the skill of narration: who is telling the story (first or third person), how to tell events in order with lively action words, and how to read for the theme of fair play. Tap each idea to begin.

👥 3 topics⏱ ~15 min📝 10-question quiz

Play with it

The voice of a story

Every story has a teller and a way of telling. Tap each idea to see how narration works.

Explore · Narrationtap an idea

Learn

The three big ideas

Narrator — the voice telling the story to us.
First person — the narrator is in the story and uses I, me, we: “I gripped the danda and waited for my turn.” It feels close and personal.
Third person — the narrator stands outside and uses he, she, they: “Ravi swung the danda and the gilli flew.”

Which person? “We chose teams, and then I took the first hit.”

The words we and I show the narrator is part of the story — so this is first person.

Order — tell events in the order they happened, using order words: first, then, next, after that, finally.
Setting — show where and when: a dusty playground on a warm evening, the sun going down.
Lively action words — verbs like swung, dashed, struck, leapt make the game easy to picture and exciting to read.

Theme — the big idea behind the story, not just what happens. A game story often explores fair play and sportsmanship.
Find it in the actions — do the players share turns, follow rules, and accept winning and losing kindly? That shows the theme.
Ups and downs — this unit is about how we handle both: a good player is gracious when winning and brave when losing.

Common mix-up: the theme is the message (fair play), not the plot (“they played gilli danda”). Ask what the story is teaching, not just what happened.

Where you'll meet it

Telling your own tales

Writing about a match you played

Choose first person (“I”) to make it personal, tell the events in order, and use lively verbs. Your reader will feel as if they were on the field with you.

Spotting the narrator in any book

Whenever you read, ask: is the teller inside the story (“I”) or outside it (“he/she”)? Knowing this helps you understand whose feelings you are getting.

Playing and watching games

The theme of fair play is real life too — sharing turns, following rules and being kind whether you win or lose makes every game better for everyone.

Check yourself

Skill quiz

Ten quick questions that check the skill — spotting the narrator and point of view, narrating in order, and reading for theme — not just remembering the story.

Score 0/10

Buffyyour study buddy

Hi! Ask me who the narrator is, the difference between first and third person, how to narrate events in order, or what the theme of a story is. I will explain simply with my own examples.

Buffy is an AI helper and can be wrong — always check your NCERT textbook.