Cosmos Castle International School Green Campus

Chapter – 3 Two Stories about Flying

His First Flight (Part 1)
Liam O’ Flaherty
* Summary: (Only for reference)
This story is about a family of seagulls. There was a young child in the family who was unable
to fly even after several tries. The story highlights the importance of family and friends in
one’s life. It also gives the message that one needs to believe in self to overcome all the
hurdles of own life.
The Seagull Family:
The seagull family consists of six seagulls- mother, father, three sons and one daughter.
All of them except the youngest son are expert in flying high. His parents have tried
several times to teach him how to fly but he is scared to do that and does not want to try
anymore. He relies on the food that his parents bring back from their flights.
Young Seagull’s Fear of Flying:
The youngest son is afraid of flying as he thinks that if he flies, his wings would not
support him as he would fall down in the sea below and drown. Even his parents have
rebuked him. They even threatened him if he doesn’t fly, he would die of hunger but he
does not try.
Parents leave young seagull alone:
After so many failed attempts his parents leave him alone on the rock without food.
They even taunt him for his cowardice. The young seagull look at his brother and sister
enjoying swimming, diving in the sea water for fish to feed themselves, but no one
comes near him to offer food.
Hunger and Heat increase:
As the time passes, the young seagull could not tolerate the hunger and the heat. He
moves closer to the edge and pretends to fall asleep but nobody takes notice of him. His
brother and sister have already had hearty breakfast and father seems busy preening the
feathers on his back. The mother looks at him and tries to tempt him with pieces of fish.
Her begging and crying do not affect him.
Young seagull Dives for Food:
The young seagull was very hungry. He was surprised enough at his mothers’ ignorance
of his pitiful condition. Thus, he dives for food. He falls down with a scream as soon as
he dives.
Flight Begins:
The young seagull begins to fall in the sea. He is afraid of drawing, so he tries to spread
his wings outwards and begins flying. He feels a little dizzy but all his fear vanished. He
soars slowly, downwards and upwards. He could finally fly on his own.
 Joy of flight and reunion of family:
The seagull becomes so happy and soars higher calling’ ga, ga, gab. It was really a
joyous moment for the whole family, his brothers and sister along with parents come near to
encourage and cheer him. The young seagull successfully made his first flight.
* Vocabulary: (Only for reference)
expanse plunge herring ascending dozing scrapped beneath shrilly cackle blazing
sunk maddened flapped upbraiding taunting ledge preening derisively muster starve
cowardice pretended thrust plaintively
* Glossary: (Only for reference)
1. ledge – a narrow horizontal shelf projecting from a wall or a cliff
2. brink – edge
3. plunge – dive
4. shrilly - sharply
5. skim – to move lightly just above a surface
6. herring – a soft – finned sea fish
7. Devour – eat at a great speed
8. preening – making an effort to maintain feathers
* Answer the following questions in brief:
1. Why was the young seagull afraid to fly? Do you think all young birds are afraid to
make their first flight, or are some birds more timid than others? Do you think a
human baby also finds it a challenge to take its first step?
A. The young seagull was afraid to fly because it was his first flight and he feared of falling
and hurting himself. He thought that his wings would not support him while flying. Yes, it
is natural that doing something for the first time is a bit challenging and fearful. All birds
must be afraid to make their first flight.
Similarly, a human baby is also afraid of taking the first step and find it challenging when
he learns to crawl or stand up without support.’
2. “The sight of the food maddened him.” What does this suggest? What compelled the
young seagull to finally fly?
A. The young seagull was very hungry. It was this hunger that ultimately compelled it to fly.
Its hunger intensified when it saw its mother tearing at a piece of fish that lay at her feet.
It cried to her, begging her to get some food. When its mother came towards it with food
in her beak, it screamed with joy and anticipation. However, she stopped midway. It
wondered why she did not come nearer. Not being able to resist or survive hunger any
longer, it dived at the food in its mother’s beak. At that moment, his hunger overpowered
his fear of the great expanse of sea beneath the cliff. Finally, this plunge was followed by
the natural reaction of its body, i.e. to fly.
3. “They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly.” Why did the seagull’s father and mother
threaten him and cajole him to fly?

A. Seagull’s parents had tried everything but he was reluctant to fly due to fear of falling
down. He looked at his brothers and sister but wouldn’t make any efforts. That’s why the
whole family had left him alone and threatened and cajoled him to come but every effort
went in vain.
4. In the case of a bird flying, it seems a natural act, and a foregone conclusion that it
should succeed. In the examples you have given in Answer to the previous question,
was your success guaranteed, or was it important for you to try, regardless of a
possibility of failure?
A. We face some problems in the initial stage while learning new skill. Due to the fear of
failure, we hesitate to perform a task or to do something new. In case of the seagull his
parents cajoled him to fly. In the example I have given in the answer of previous question,
I was cajoled by my father to learn cycling. So, at that stage, I was supposed to learn
cycling as it was very important for me to overcome my fear.
Yes, my success was guaranteed because if someone is determined to do something then
success is assured. Moreover, as said, practice, makes a man perfect.
5. How did the young seagull’s family celebrate his first flight?
A. The young seagull was afraid to fly. Even the encouragement and coaxing didn’t work. But
when the seagull had his first flight, he as well as his family was happy, relieved and
proud of him to have completed his first flight.
6. Flying is a natural act in birds. Then why was the young seagull ‘exhausted by the
strange exercise’?
A. The seagull didn’t have the courage to fly. Hence, he used to make excuses for not flying.
He felt certain that his wings were too weak to support him. He had no courage to flap his
wings and failed to muster up the courage to take the plunge.
7. ‘The sight of the food maddened him.’ Who is ‘he’ in these lines? Why was he angry?
What does this suggest?
A. (i) The young seagull is the ‘he’ in these lines.
(ii) He had not eaten anything for the last 24 hours. He was very hungry, hence was
angry.
(iii) His mother went near him with a piece of fish but did not feed him. Maddened by
hunger, the young seagull dived to snatch it but the mother flew away. This shows the
weakness of the young seagull.
Note: Q 8 onwards only for reference:
8. What was the young seagull’s experience during his first flight? A. Falling from the
ledge, the seagull was terrified, but soon he started soaring, and then, flying. He forgot that he
didn’t always know how to fly. His fear soon turned into confidence, and then into amusement.
As he was landing, he was again afraid, but, soon became at ease. It was a memorable first
flight.
9. Young seagull tried to fly but he could not. Why was he afraid to fly?
A. The young seagull felt certain that his wings were too weak to support him. He had no
courage to flap his wings. Even when each one of his brothers and sisters whose wings were
much shorter than his, ran to the brink of the ledge, flapped their wings and flew away, he
failed to muster up the courage to take that plunge.
* Answer the following questions in detail: (Only for reference)
1. Describe the methods used by the seagull family to help the young seagull overcome
his fear and fly.
A. This story is about a young seagull. The time had come when he should fly like his parents
and brothers and sister. But he was afraid to fly. His parents tried their best to teach him
how to fly. But he refused to fly. They left him alone on his ledge. They threatened him
that he would starve. Even then he was too afraid to fly. His brothers and sister made fun
of him. They laughed at his cowardice. At last, his mother thought of a plan. She took a
piece of fish in her beak and flew towards him. She came near him but did not land on the
ledge. The young seagull was very hungry. He came to the brink of the ledge. In order to
get food, he dived at the fish. But he fell from the rock. He became terrified. But it was
only for a moment. The next moment, he flapped his wings and started flying. In this way,
his mother was able to make him fly.
2. What message does the story ‘His First Flight’ convey?
A. This is an imaginary story. The story conveys the message that we learn by taking courage
and not by sitting idle. A young seagull is fed lovingly by his parents. But when the time
comes for him to fly, he feels afraid. His parents try many tricks to teach him to fly. But
he is so afraid that he refuses to fly. At last, his mother hits upon a plan. She tempts him
with food in her beak. But she only flies near his ledge and does not land there. In order
to get food, the hungry seagull comes to the edge of the rock and falls from it. At first, he
is terrified but then he opens his wings and starts flying. He is happy to note that he did
not fall in the sea. In this way, the young seagull makes the first flight of his life when he
takes courage.

3. What happened after the seagull had learnt how to fly?

A. The seagull came to the brink of the ledge in order to get the fish from his mother. But his
mother remained in the air, a little away from the ledge. The seagull dived at the fish. But
he fell from the rock into space. He cried with fear. But this fear lasted only a moment.
The next moment, he flapped his wings. He was surprised to find that he was flying. He
 screamed with joy. He soared higher and higher. His parents flew around him. They
praised him for learning how to fly. Then his parents, brothers and sister landed on the
sea. They beckoned the young seagull to come to them. The seagull dropped his legs and
came down on the surface of the sea. He had thought that the surface of the sea was green
flooring. But his legs started sinking into the water. He again screamed with fear.
However, his belly touched the water and he did not drown. He started floating on the
water. His family members were also happy. They gave him pieces of a fish to eat.
4. The young seagull found it difficult to fly for the first time. He felt that his wings
would never support him. Was it not in his attitude to accept the challenges? Did he
lack courage? Discuss the values that can help people accept challenges in life.
A. The young seagull’s brothers and sisters had started flying the previous day. However, he
himself was unable to muster the courage to fly. He lacked confidence and felt that his
wings wouldn’t support him. However, I do not think that facing challenges was a
problem for him. Still, he did lack courage. To accept and successfully face challenges,
one must be fearless, determined and have clarity of thought and action. Also, the support
of those around us can play a big role, as in the seagull’s case.
5. The mother of young seagull picked up a piece of fish but still did not come near to
give him. Why did she do so? Did she lack love for her son or she wanted to make
him courageous? What values does the mother depict through her act?
A. The young seagull was terribly afraid to fly. His parents encouraged him to make his first
flight. But he could not do so. Then, the mother picked up a piece of fish but did not go
near to give him. The seagull was extremely hungry. He started crying so that his mother
would give him some food. But after coming towards him, the mother stopped opposite to
him but almost within his reach. When the seagull dived to get the piece, she swooped
upwards. Maddened by hunger, the young seagull spread his wings upwards and started
flying. This shows that the mother wanted her son to become courageous. This shows that
sometimes parents take such harsh steps for their kids which may appear wrong at that
time but later prove to be beneficial for their kids.

The Black Aeroplane (Part - 2)

- Frederick Forsyth
* Summary: (Only for reference) In the story the narrator was flying to England with his
family to enjoy his holiday. He wanted to reach England on time so that he could enjoy a good
English breakfast with his family.
The Trip to England:
The author was flying his aeroplane at night over France to England. He was eager to meet his
family. He was dreaming of his holiday. The stars were shinning in the clear sky. Even the city
– Paris could be seen down below. He called Paris control to get instructed about the way. He
was instructed to turn 12 degrees west.
Fear of Storm:
Everything was going well before he saw the storm clouds and Paris was about 150 km behind
him. It was natural for the author to panic. He knows that it was not possible to fly up and over
those storm clouds.
A risky but brave decision of the author:
As everything was fearful at that moment, the author decided to risk and flew into the storm,
but everything went berserk. The compass as well as other instruments stopped working. He
was unable to see outside the plane as the plane was jumping and twisting in the air. He tried
to contact Paris Control but couldn’t. He was lost in the storm.
A Black Aeroplane Appeared:
Suddenly, the author saw another black aeroplane in the storm by his side without lights on its
wings. It seemed strange to him but he was glad to see another person in the storm. The pilot
of another plane waved at him and signaled to follow so he did that because he did not have
other option except it.
A Safe Landing:
The author flew for half an hour which was quiet strange to him as he had fuel only for five to
ten minutes. He felt tearful but suddenly he saw two bright lines in front of him. It was a
runway. He was able to land safely which gave him a sigh of relief. It was just like a miracle
for him.
The Great Surprise:
The author came out from his plane to thank the pilot of the black aeroplane but he was
shocked to see no one there. He went to Control Tower and asked the woman about the place
and black aeroplane. Hearing his words the woman laughed and said that there was no other
aeroplane except his. It was a big surprise to the author. He was dumb found as he had no
explanation for the miracle.
* Meaning: (only for reference)
1. Countryside – rural side
2. immediately – at once
3. twisted – moved sideways
4. strange – surprising
5. Obedient – one who is ready to follow order or request
6. frightened – afraid
* Answer the following questions in brief:
1. “I’ll take the risk”. What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it? A. A huge storm
was brewing up and the author was keen to reach his home to spend his holiday with his
family. So, he decided to fly through the storm as he did not want to miss the chance to meet
his family at breakfast.Thus, he took the risk even when the visibility was almost zero in the
storm.
2. Describe the narrator’s experience as he flew the aeroplane into the storm. A. As the
pilot (narrator) entered the storm, his plane started jumping and twisting. He could not see
anything outside the plane as it was black. When he looked at compass and other instruments,
they had stopped to function due to storm. It was a terrible and fearsome experience for him.
The fuel tank was almost empty and he could not fly more than ten minutes. Then he saw
another black aeroplane by his side and the pilot of the plane signaled him to follow. It was a
surprise for the narrator as the other black plane was having no light. He followed him without
any choice and landed safely on the runway.
3. What made the woman in the Control Centre look at the narrator strangely?
A. The woman in the Control Centre looked at the narrator strangely because the narrator
asked him about the black aeroplane and she saw no one except the narrator’s plane in the sky
during the storm. Even the radar showed only the narrator’s plane that night in the sky.
4. Who do you think helped the narrator to reach safely? Discuss this among yourselves
and give reasons for your answer.
A. It is very difficult to say about the unknown pilot who helped the narrator. But probably it
was the narrator himself that helped him to overcome the fear in the storm as no other
plane was seen in the radar except the narrator’s Dakota plane. In that fearsome situation,
he might have been hallucinating. He himself was a good pilot and brave enough who
helped himself land safely.
5. Explain the statement: ‘I was very happy to go behind the strange aeroplane like an
obedient child.
A. The pilot came across huge storm clouds. He could neither go above them nor go around
them due to lack of fuel. Then, he saw a black plane without lights on wings, flying near
his plane. Its pilot waved and signalled him to follow him. The author did not have much
choice but to follow him.
6. “I’ll take the risk.” What is the risk? Why does the pilot of the old Dakota take it? A.
The risk is that of going through the storm in the narrator’s old Dakota aeroplane. He flew
through as he did not have fuel to fly around them, and couldn’t fly over them. Also, he
wanted to get home for a big English breakfast.

Note: Q 7 onwards only for reference

7. What happened when the author turned the aeroplane twelve degrees west towards
England?
A. The author saw the huge storm clouds that looked like black mountains standing in front of
him across the sky.
8. Why did the pilot think of going back to Paris?
A. The pilot came across huge storm clouds that seemed to him like Black Mountain. He could
neither go above them nor go around them due to lack of fuel. That was when he thought
of returning to Paris.
9. Describe the black clouds from the point of view of the pilot.
A. The writer was going from France to England. He was flying his Dakota aeroplane. When
he had gone 150 kilometres from France, he saw storm clouds. They were huge. They
looked like black mountains standing in front of him across the sky.
10. Recount the experience of the pilot of the Dakota inside the black clouds.
A. The pilot found that everything was black inside the clouds. It was impossible to see
anything outside the aeroplane. The old aeroplane rolled and jumped in the air. The compass
and other instruments stopped working. Suddenly his radio also went dead.
11. How did the black aeroplane rescue the first pilot?
A. The pilot of the black aeroplane waved his hand. He gestured the first pilot to follow him.
The writer followed him. He followed the black plane for half an hour. Suddenly, his
plane was out of the clouds. He could see the lights of the airport and landed his
aeroplane. In this way, the black aeroplane rescued the first pilot.
12. Was the pilot of the Dakota able to meet the pilot of the black?
A. No, he was not able to meet the pilot of the black aeroplane. When he was going to land
his plane, he looked behind him. But the black plane was not there. The sky was empty.
The woman at the control centre told him that no other planes were flying on that stormy
night.
13. Why did the writer feel frightened once again?
A. The pilot of the black plane waved to the writer to follow him. The writer flew his plane
behind him for half an hour. He found that there was less fuel in his aeroplane for five or
ten minutes more. So, he felt frightened once again.