M.E.

SINDIANSCHOOL
ABUHAMOURBRANCH,DOHA–QATAR
NOTES[2024-2025]

Class& Div.:X (All Divisions) Subject: English

Lesson/Topic: Two Stories about Flying Date:21/03/2024
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Ref.No.ENG-N-08

GLOSSARY(Part-1)
Seagull=a seabird
ledge=a part of a rock that is jutting out
brink=edge
flap = move
expanse=stretch
muster = gather
desperate= full of disappointment
Shrilly = in a sharp voice
upbraiding = rebuking
skim= touch lightly
herring = fish
devour = eat
cackle= sound of a bird
plateau= level stretch on a mountain
cliff= hill
taunting = mocking
cowardice=lack of courage
blazing = burning
preening = dressing
hump = raised rock
scrapped = rubbed
whet = sharpen
derisively=scornfully
plaintively = sadly
swoop = fly
swish = soil sound
monstrous=very big
soaring = flying high

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curveting = jumping
commended=praised
shrieking = crying
ridges = small waves
beckoning = calling
floating=swimming
scraps=pieces

INTRODUCTION (Part-1)
A young seagull is fed lovingly by his parents. But when the time comes for him to fly, he
feels panicky. His parents try many tricks to teach him to fly. But he is so scared 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 but does not and 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.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (Part-1)

Liam 0′ Flaherty was an Irish novelist and short story writer. He was born on 28 August, 1896
and breathed his last on 7 Sept. 1984. He was born in a remote village of Gort Nag Capall in
Galway. In 1908, he went to Rockwell College. He became a popular literary figure with his
best selling novel ‘The Informer (1925). The next novel Return of the Brute was also a great
success. 0’ Flaherty will be remembered as a major voice in the Irish literary renaissance.

MAINPOINTS(Part-1)
1. The young seagull was sitting alone on his ledge.

2. His two brothers and his sister had already learnt how to fly a day before.

3. The young sea gull was hesitant and afraid of flying.

4. He thought that his wings would not support him.

5. His parents, brothers and sister regularly taunted him for his cowardice.

6. He saw his mother holding a piece of fish in her beak.

7. Maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish.

8. With a loud scream, he fell outwards and downwards into space.

9. He was seized with terror.

10. His wings were cutting through the air and he was not falling headlong now.

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 THEME(Part-1)
`His First Flight’ is an interesting story of a hesitant and timid seagull learning the art of
flying. While his two brothers and sister had already learnt flying, his fear and hesitation
stopped him from doing so. His diving at the fish due to hunger proved a blessing in disguise.
The story conveys the message that if we overcome fear, success is a surety.

JUSTIFICATION OF THE TITLE (Part-1)

The title of the story, ‘His First Flight’ is appropriate. The story relates the young seagull’s
maiden flight after he is stuck up as a result of his fear of flying. The title focus on a particular
situation where a young seagull is trying to fly and is in difficulty. Hunger forces him to come
to ledge. When he suddenly falls down, he is seized with sudden panic. But soon his wings
are spread. He finds himself flying. The first flight fills him with great joy and thrill. He goes
up and down, and thus overcomes his fear.

THINKINGABOUTTHETEXT
Question1.
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 steps?
Answer:
The young seagull was afraid to fly. When he tried to flap his wings to fly, fear caught him.
I think all birds are afraid to fly for the first time. Secondly, some birds are more timid than
others.
I think a human baby also faces difficulties in taking the first steps for anything. This is seen in
his shaking legs and weak movements.

Question2.
“The sight of the food maddened him.”What does this suggest? What compelled the young
seagull to finally fly?
Answer:
This suggests the sight of food made the seagull risk flying for the first time. He was very
hungry. In fact, the hunger was the drive that prompted the seagull to get it. A monstrous
terror seized him when he stooped, but the wings spread out and he was able to come to a
standstill. The art of flying came as a peripheral learning.
Question3.
“They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly.”Why did the seagull’s father and mother
threaten him and cajole him to fly?
Answer:
The sea gull’s father and mother made him fly. It was because if he did not fly, he would
starve to death.

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Question4.
Have you ever had a similar experience, where your parents encouraged you to do
something that you were too scared to try? Discuss this in pairs or groups.
Answer:
Yes, I had had a similar experience when my parents made me ride the bicycle. They seated
me on its saddle and slowly moved it. I feared that if they let me alone, I would fall down. I
moved this way or that in fear at first. But courage and confidence came to me and I
controlled the bicycle. (To be discussed in groups)

Question5.
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?
Answer:
My success was not guaranteed. What was important was that I must try. Trying to do things
matters, not the result—success or failure. If one is afraid of failure and takes no action, one
surely fails. But one must not feel let down. It is trying that matters the most.

GLOSSARY(Part-2)

compass= Instrument for telling direction

twisted = shook
Instruments=machines
waved = shook
Fuel= petrol
runway= the narrow strip the plane lands on or takes off from

INTRODUCTION(Part-2)
This is a mysterious story. The writer was flying his Dakota aeroplane. Suddenly he was
caught in a big cloud. His compass, radio and other instruments failed. There was not much
fuel in the plane. Suddenly he saw a black aeroplane near him. The pilot of the black
aeroplane guided the writer and he was able to land his plane safely. But he was greatly
surprisedwhenthewomanatthecontrolcentretoldhimthattherehadbeennootherplane except
the writer’s Dakota on the sky that night.

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR(Part-2)
Frederick Forsyth was born on 25 August 1938, in Ashford, Kent, England. He was educated
at Tonbridge School and later joined the University of Granada in Spain. He joined the RAF
andbecameajetfighterpilot.HebecameajournalistandjoinedtheBBCin1965,wherehe served as
an assistant diplomatic correspondent.

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 MAINCHARACTERS(Part-2)
TheNarrator: The narrator (Fredrick Forsyth) was a professional pilot. He was flying his old
Dakota aero plane over France back to England. He was happy. The narrator was quite a family
man. He was dreaming of his holidays. He was looking forward to being with his family. He
wanted to be in time for breakfast. The narrator seemed to lack his professional ethics and
responsibilities. He was about 150 kilometers away from Paris when the storm clouds appeared
in the sky. He didn’t have enough petrol to fly around them to the North or South. Actually, he
ignored his professional wisdom. He ought to have gone back to Paris.
The narrator was a grateful human being. He was grateful to the pilot of the black aero plane
for saving his life. He went to the Paris control to ask who was the other pilot that saved his life.

The Unknown Pilot: He was a helpful man. He was flying a black aeroplane. He helped the
narrator to find his way in the storm. He was a quite satisfied man, who wanted nothing in
return. When the narrator landed down safely a t the Paris airport, he made an inquiry about the
pilot but he got no trace of him. The pilot did his work and disappeared in the sky. In all
probability, the pilot of the Black aero plane is symbolic of the narrator’s subconscious insight
that he availed on the spur of the moment to rescue himself from a crash.

MAINPOINTS(Part-2)
1. The narrator was flying his old Dakota aero plane over France back to England.
2. He called Paris control room and was asked to turn 12 degrees west.
3. He thought he would be with his family and be in time for breakfast.
4. Everything was going well and it was an easy flight.
5. Suddenly he saw dark black storm clouds and the plane was caught in the storm.
6. The plane jumped, twisted and the compass and other instruments got dead.
7. Suddenly, a black aeroplane appeared and the pilot asked the narrator to lower
8. Suddenly he came out of the clouds and saw two long straight lines in front of him.
9. It was a runway where he could land safely.
10. On landing, he asked the lady in the control room who pilot of the back aero plane was.
11. The lady replied that no other aero plane except his Dakota flew that night.
12. The pilot of the black aero plane remained an unsolved mystery for the narrator.

MESSAGE(Part-2)
‘The Black Aeroplane’ seems to be a mystery story. However, it clearly conveys us the message
that one must not give up in the face of troubles and obstacles. One needs to be
courageousandfearless.Onlythencanonehopetoachievesuccessinone’smission.The narrator
flying his Dakota over France is suddenly in the midst of a terrible storm. He has inadequate
fuel to fly up and over the stormy clouds. His all means of communication is snapped .Even his
compass does not work. He finds himself entirely on his own. When he sees a pilot of a
mysterious plane beckoning to him to follow him, he takes the risk and follows him like a child.
With heroic efforts he is able to land his plane safely.

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 JUSTIFICATION OF THE TITLE (Part-2)
The title of the story, “The Black Aero plane” is quiet appropriate. The narrator intends to
focus on the fact of the mysterious black color aeroplane throughout the story. When he
findsisseenflyinghisDakotaoverFrancefindsamysteriousaeroplaneflyingbesidehis,heis greatly
surprised. The pilot of this mysterious plane seems to ask him to follow him. It is this black
mysterious plane that helps him and asks the narrator to follow him, making the narrator
and his plane land safely. And when he makes the enquiry about the plane, he is shocked to
learn that there had been no other plane than his in the sky that night. We are thus made to
think beyond the text. What is the reality of the black aeroplane? Who was piloting it? Was
he a ghost or a supernatural being out to help the author in distress? No
rationalanswerstosuchquestionsarepossible.TheBlackAeroplanecontinuestohauntus.

THINKING ABOUT THE TEXT

Question1.
“I’ll take the risk.”What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it?
Answer:
The ‘risk’ is flying the old Dakota aeroplane straight in to the storm. It was because the
author wanted to get home to be present at the breakfast table.
Question2.
Describe the narrator’s experience as he flew the aeroplane into the storm.
Answer:
Thenarratorfoundthatsuddenlytherewasblacknessaroundhiminsidetheclouds.He could see
nothing. The aeroplane jumped and twisted in the air. The instruments like the compass
couldn’t work. The radio also did not work. He was lost in the storm. Then he saw another
aeroplane. It had no light on its wings. But it guided him ahead. Then it disappeared whenthe
author was safe. The black clouds were behind him as he was out of them. He was now safe.
Question3.
Why does the narrator say,“I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old
Dakota…”?
Answer:
The author was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota. It was because it had saved his
life. It along with the mysterious aeroplane had saved his life.
Question4.
What made the woman in the control centre look at the narrator strangely?
Or
Why did the lady in the control room give the pilot a puzzled look?(CBSE2012)
Answer:
The narrator asked the lady about the mysterious aeroplane that had guided him through the
dark clouds to safety. But there was no such aeroplane over there. The lady did not see nor
Did she come into contact with that aeroplane. So, she gave him a puzzled look.

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Question5.
Whodoyouthinkhelpedthenarratortoreachsafely?Discussthisamongyourselvesand give
reasons for your answer.
Answer:
Ithinkthatsomesupernaturalpowerhelpedthenarratortoreachsafqly.Otherwisehow could he
fly safely through those dark clouds ? The things that suggest this are : The
appearance of the mysterious aeroplane at that particular time ; how it knew the narrator
wasintrouble;howthepilotofthemysteriousplanecouldguidehim;whereitdisappeared
;why the control tower had no such contact, etc.

THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE

I.Study the sentences given below:
Now,try to guess the meanings of the word ‘black’ in the sentences given below. Check the
meanings in the dictionary and find out whether you have guessed right.
Question1.
Go and have a bath; your hands and face are absolutely black
Answer:
Black refers to black color—guessed right
Question2.
The taxi-driver gave Ratan a black look as he crossed the road when the traffic light was
green.
Answer:
Black refers to angry look—guessed right
Question3.
The bombardment of Hiroshima is one of the blackest crimes against humanity
Answer:
Black means here a very horrible crime—guess appropriately.
Question4.
Very few people enjoy Harold Pinter’s black comedy.
Answer:
Black here means ‘tragic farce’—guessed right.
Question5.
Sometimes shopkeepers store essential goods to create false scarcity and the sell it in
black market
Answer:
Black here means charging more—guessed right.
Question6.
Villagers had beaten the criminal black and blue
Answer:
Black and blue means black and blue means very badly-guessed right.

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