Change of Heart — Class 6 English (Poorvi)
"He realised that to enjoy a game, you did not need a scoreboard to keep a tally of your scores. Neither did you have to worry about winning and losing. You needed to enjoy the game for its own sake."
1. About the Chapter
This opens Unit 4: Sports and Wellness in the Poorvi textbook. Prabhat is a boy who cannot bear losing — he only plays games he is sure to win. Then Surya joins the school. Surya is excellent at badminton but doesn't seem to care about winning at all. He plays basketball terribly — and enjoys every minute. Through watching Surya, Prabhat undergoes a "change of heart" and learns what sports are really about.
Why This Chapter
- Challenges the "winning is everything" mindset
- Teaches sportsmanship and joy in participation
- Relatable for Class 6 students in competitive environments
- Shows that change is possible — Prabhat genuinely transforms
2. Characters
Prabhat
- A boy who "always wanted to win"
- Cannot bear losing — "not even at marbles"
- Only plays games he's sure to win
- Cheats to beat Surya at badminton
- Feels empty after cheating — this begins his transformation
- Eventually becomes known for his "great sporting spirit"
Surya
- A new student, excellent at badminton
- Relaxed, smiling, cracking jokes
- Doesn't care about losing
- Terrible at basketball but "enjoyed playing the game"
- His "happy smile never left his face"
- Unintentionally teaches Prabhat the joy of playing
3. The Story (from NCERT Poorvi Textbook)
Prabhat always wanted to win. His parents, teachers, and friends said that he did not know how to accept defeat. The fact was that he could not bear losing, not even at marbles. He felt so good when he won that he never wanted to give up that feeling. On the contrary, losing made him feel terrible. He thought that losing was the worst thing that could happen to anyone.
If Prabhat sensed that he would lose a game, he would not play it. He would take part only when he was sure of winning, even if the game lasted only for a minute. You could not stop him from playing the kind of games he was really good at, like badminton.
A new student joined Prabhat's school, and his name was Surya. Surya was an excellent badminton player. Prabhat waited for the last Friday of the month. Last Friday was significant.
This was when the coach conducted friendly matches in the games period. The teams were decided on Monday and it was no surprise when Prabhat and Surya were chosen to play a round against each other. Prabhat was given the responsibility of keeping score for their match.
On one hand, Prabhat prepared for the match with great seriousness. Surya, on the other hand, seemed relaxed, not taking the things seriously at all. He walked about the whole time, smiling and cracking jokes about all sorts of things.
But on Friday, at the badminton court, Surya was a real phenomenon. He won points again and again, laughing and joking all the time.
However, Surya was paying so little attention to the match that Prabhat managed to change the scoreboard while his opponent was looking elsewhere. Prabhat managed to win by cheating. He made a big thing of his win, but it did not matter to Surya.
"It's been fun. We should play again some other time," said Surya.
On that day, everyone was discussing their game and how Prabhat had played so well. Surprisingly, Prabhat could not sleep well that night. He had won the game but he did not feel as happy as he usually did.
What was surprising was that Surya did not feel bad about losing. What was more surprising was that Prabhat saw Surya playing basketball the next day. Surya was so hopeless at it that he could not score a basket for ten minutes. Yet, he enjoyed playing the game. His happy smile never left his face.
Prabhat kept a close watch on Surya for some days. He was great at some things, terrible at others but what was common was the enjoyment. He enjoyed everything equally.
As Prabhat went on with his observation, he realised that to enjoy a game, you did not need a scoreboard to keep a tally of your scores. Neither did you have to worry about winning and losing. You needed to enjoy the game for its own sake. What matters is trying to do well, and enjoying every moment of it.
Prabhat learnt something through the observations every day, soon realising the change in himself. He had even begun playing hide and seek, and felt sad whenever it was about to end. He also started joking while playing badminton.
Soon, the other students started talking amongst themselves, "Good fun playing with Prabhat, that fellow definitely has a great sporting spirit."
4. Prabhat's Transformation
| Before | After |
|---|---|
| Only played games he was sure to win | Played hide and seek — a game with no "winner" |
| Cheated to win | Joked while playing |
| Felt terrible about losing | Felt sad when the game ENDED — because he was enjoying it |
| Others avoided playing with him | Others said "good fun playing with Prabhat" |
| Thought winning = happiness | Learned that enjoyment = happiness |
5. What We Learn
| Value | How the Story Shows It |
|---|---|
| Sportsmanship | Surya lost at badminton and didn't care — he said "It's been fun" |
| Joy in Participation | Surya was terrible at basketball but "his happy smile never left his face" |
| Cheating Doesn't Satisfy | Prabhat won by cheating but "could not sleep well that night" |
| Change is Possible | Prabhat genuinely transformed — others noticed his "great sporting spirit" |
6. Important Vocabulary
- SIGNIFICANT: important, meaningful
- PHENOMENON: someone or something remarkable, extraordinary
- SCOREBOARD: a board showing the score in a game
- HOPELESS: very bad at something (here, Surya at basketball)
- TALLY: a record or count (of scores)
- SPORTING SPIRIT: fair and generous behaviour in sports — playing for joy, not just winning
7. Important Lines
"He could not bear losing, not even at marbles."
"It's been fun. We should play again some other time."
"He had won the game but he did not feel as happy as he usually did."
"He enjoyed everything equally."
"To enjoy a game, you did not need a scoreboard."
"Good fun playing with Prabhat, that fellow definitely has a great sporting spirit."
8. Activities
Activity 1: Comprehension
- Why did Prabhat only play games he was sure to win?
- How did Surya behave when he lost at badminton?
- Why couldn't Prabhat sleep after cheating to win?
- What did Prabhat learn from watching Surya?
Activity 2: Personal Reflection
Have you ever been like Prabhat — so focused on winning that you forgot to enjoy the game? Or have you been like Surya — enjoying an activity even when you weren't the best at it? Write about your experience.
Activity 3: Discussion
In sports, is winning important? Is enjoying the game more important? Can both be true at the same time? Discuss.
9. Conclusion
"Change of Heart" is one of the most relatable chapters in Poorvi. Almost every student has felt the pressure to win — and the emptiness of a victory that didn't feel earned. Prabhat's journey from cheat to sportsman is a reminder that the point of any game, any sport, any activity, is not the score at the end. It's the joy during.
Surya never gives Prabhat a lecture. He never says "you should enjoy the game." He just IS — and Prabhat learns by watching. That's often how the best lessons work.
