Two Stories about Flying

His First Flight

Line by line explanation (The story is about a young seagull who is at that stage of life where he has to learn to fly.)

THE young seagull was alone on his ledge. His two brothers and his sister had already flown away the day before. He had been afraid to fly with them.

The small seagull (kid of bird) was sitting alone on his cliff. His two brothers and his sister had already flown away from the cliff two days ago. He could not trust his wings. He got terrified by the vast sea and got convinced that he could never fly. So, he did not fly with them and remained at the cliff ledge where usually he slept.

Somehow when he had taken a little run forward to the brink of the ledge and attempted to flap his wings, he became afraid. The great expanse of sea stretched down beneath, and it was such a long way down — miles down.

When he ran up to the edge of the cliff and tried to move his wings, he got frightened. A large area of sea extended below and it was so much below from his ledge. It appeared that sea was many miles down from his ledge.

He felt certain that his wings would never support him; so he bent his head and ran away back to the little hole under the ledge where he slept at night.

He was sure that his wings would not support him to fly. So he turned around and ran back to his small place under the ledge. He used to sleep there during night.

Even when each of his brothers and his little sister, whose wings were far shorter than his own, ran to the brink, flapped their wings, and flew away, he failed to muster up courage to take that plunge which appeared to him so desperate.

Although each of his brothers and his younger sister had wings much shorter than his, they ran towards the edge, moved their wings and flew away. But he could not summon enough courage to fly. He thought that he would die if he flew off the ledge.

His father and mother had come around calling to him shrilly, upbraiding him, threatening to let him starve on his ledge unless he flew away. But for the life of him he could not move. That was twenty-four hours ago. Since then nobody had come near him.

His parents scolded him for not trying again. They even threatened him that they would not give him food unless he flew away. But to save his life he did not move. This had happened twenty-four hours ago. After that nobody had come near him.

The day before, all day long, he had watched his parents flying about with his brothers and sister, perfecting them in the art of flight, teaching them how to skim the waves and how to dive for fish.

Two days ago , for the whole day he had seen that his parents were flying with his brothers and sisters. [means- his parents were busy focussing on his siblings]. His brothers and sister were learning more about the art of flying. His parents were teaching them how to float on the waves and how to dive in the water to catch a fish.

He had, in fact, seen his older brother catch his first herring and devour it, standing on a rock, while his parents circled around raising a proud cackle. And all the morning the whole family had walked about on the big plateau midway down the opposite cliff taunting him with his cowardice.

He had seen how his elder brothers caught their first herring fish. Then they stood on a rock and ate it eagerly. His parents were flying around them and were making a loud sound of happiness. Completely the morning, the full family had been walking on a big platform which was at mid height between his ledge and sea. They were teasing him for being coward.

The sun was now ascending the sky, blazing on his ledge that faced the south. He felt the heat because he had not eaten since the previous nightfall.

Now the sun had started rising in the sky. This caused a lot of heat on his ledge . His ledge was facing south direction . He felt heat because he had not eaten since last night.

He stepped slowly out to the brink of the ledge, and standing on one leg with the other leg hidden under his wing, he closed one eye, then the other, and pretended to be falling asleep.

He slowly walked up to the edge of his cliff. He stood there on one leg. His other leg was hidden below his wings . He closed his eyes one by one. He acted as if he was sleeping.

Still they took no notice of him. He saw his two brothers and his sister lying on the plateau dozing with their heads sunk into their necks. His father was preening the feathers on his white back.

Still nobody paid attention to him . His two brothers and sister were on the plateau. They were sleeping . Their head were touching their necks . His father was cleaning white feathers of his back by his beak.

Only his mother was looking at him. She was standing on a little high hump on the plateau, her white breast thrust forward. Now and again, she tore at a piece of fish that lay at her feet and then scrapped each side of her beak on the rock.

Only his mother was looking at him . She was standing on a little hump on the plateau. Repeatedly , she pulled a piece from the fish that was lying at her feet. After eating that piece she rubbed each side of her beak on the rock.

The sight of the food maddened him. How he loved to tear food that way, scrapping his beak now and again to whet it.

By looking at the scene of food , he became mad . [ He became more hungry ] . He very much liked to pull the food , to again and again rub his beak on the rock to sharpen it .

“Ga, ga, ga,” he cried begging her to bring him some food. “Gaw-col-ah,” she screamed back derisively. But he kept calling plaintively, and after a minute or so he uttered a joyful scream.

He started crying to beg her to bring some food for him. She shouted and teased him . But he kept making requests with sadness. After a minute he spoke and shouted with happiness.

His mother had picked up a piece of the fish and was flying across to him with it. He leaned out eagerly, tapping the rock with his feet, trying to get nearer to her as she flew across.

His mother had picked up a piece of fish and she was flying towards him . He bent forward eagerly. He was tapping the rock with his feet. He was trying to come nearer to her as she was flying towards him .

But when she was just opposite to him, she halted, her wings motionless, the piece of fish in her beak almost within reach of his beak. He waited a moment in surprise, wondering why she did not come nearer, and then, maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish.

But when she was very close to him, she stopped in air. Her wings were not moving. The piece of fish in her beak was very close to him . He waited on the ledge with surprise. He was thinking why she was not coming nearer. Then he was so hungry that he jumped in the air to catch the fish.

With a loud scream he fell outwards and downwards into space. Then a monstrous terror seized him and his heart stood still. He could hear nothing. But it only lasted a minute.

Shouting loudly he fell outwards and downwards into the air. Then a huge terror gripped him. He was very much afraid. His heart stopped beating. He was not able to listen to anything. But this happened for a very short time only.

The next moment he felt his wings spread outwards. The wind rushed against his breast feathers, then under his stomach, and against his wings. He could feel the tips of his wings cutting through the air.

Next moment he felt that his wings had spread outwards. The wind was flowing with speed against feather of his chest, stomach and wings. He felt that ends of his wings were pushing the air. [ Means had had started moving his wings ]

He was not falling headlong now. He was soaring gradually downwards and outwards. He was no longer afraid. He just felt a bit dizzy. Then he flapped his wings once and he soared upwards.

He was not falling to the ground on his head. He was flying slowly downward and outwards. Now he was not afraid . He felt as if his head was spinning. Then he moved his wings and he flew upwards.

“Ga, ga, ga, Ga, ga, ga, Gaw-col-ah,” his mother swooped past him, her wings making a loud noise. He answered her with another scream. Then his father flew over him screaming. He saw his two brothers and his sister flying around him curveting and banking and soaring and diving.

His mother quickly moved ahead of him . Her wings were making a loud noise. He once again made a loud cry. His father made a loud voice while flying near and over him . He saw that his two brothers and sister were also flying close to him . They few up , they flew down , sometimes they rose up , flew straight and sometimes went down .

Then he completely forgot that he had not always been able to fly, and commended himself to dive and soar and curve, shrieking shrilly.

Then he completely forgot that once he did not know how to fly. He appreciated himself that he was able to fly. He started to dive, soar and make curve. He gave a loud and sharp voice of happiness.

He was near the sea now, flying straight over it, facing straight out over the ocean. He saw a vast green sea beneath him, with little ridges moving over it and he turned his beak sideways and cawed amusedly.

Now he was near the sea. He was flying just above the sea and looking at the sea. He saw very big sea of green color below him . Small waves were moving in the sea. He turned his beak towards his side and made a sound of happiness.

His parents and his brothers and sister had landed on this green flooring ahead of him. They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly. He dropped his legs to stand on the green sea. His legs sank into it.

His parents , his brothers and his sisters were now sitting on that green sea before he reached there . They were signaling him to come there. He tried to put his legs on the sea to stand. But his legs went into the sea.

He screamed with fright and attempted to rise again flapping his wings. But he was tired and weak with hunger and he could not rise, exhausted by the strange exercise.

He shouted because of fear and tried to rise again by flapping (moving) his wings. But he was very tired and weak because of hunger. He was completely tired because of the strange exercise called flying .

His feet sank into the green sea, and then his belly touched it and he sank no farther. He was floating on it, and around him his family was screaming, praising him and their beaks were offering him scraps of dog-fish. He had made his first flight.

His feet went into the green sea. His stomach touched the sea. He was not sinking now . He was floating on the sea. His family members were around him . They all were shouting and appreciating him . They were offering pieces of dog fish to him in their beaks. He had flown for the first time. He had taken his first flight.

The Black Aeroplane

THE moon was coming up in the east, behind me, and stars were shining in the clear sky above me. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky. I was happy to be alone high up above the sleeping countryside.

The moon was rising in the sky in the east direction behind me. The stars were shining in the clear sky above me. There were no clouds in the sky. I was so happy to be alone in the sky while all people in villages were sleeping.

I was flying my old Dakota aeroplane over France back to England. I was dreaming of my holiday and looking forward to being with my family. I looked at my watch: one thirty in the morning.

I was flying my old Dakota aeroplane over France. I was going to England. I was thinking about my holidays and was eager to be with my family. The time by my watch was one thirty in the morning. [After midnight]

‘I should call Paris Control soon,’ I thought. As I looked down past the nose of the aeroplane, I saw the lights of a big city in front of me. I switched on the radio and said, “Paris Control, Dakota DS 088 here. Can you hear me? I’m on my way to England. Over.”

I thought that I should call Paris Control room soon. I looked down beyond the nose of the aeroplane. I saw lights of a big city. I switched on my radio (wireless device) and enquired if Paris Control room was able to hear me. I said that I was going to England.

The voice from the radio answered me immediately: “DS 088, I can hear you. You ought to turn twelve degrees west now, DS 088. Over.”

The voice from the radio answered my call immediately. DS 088, I can hear you. Now you must take a 12 degrees turn towards west. DS 088. Over.

I checked the map and the compass, switched over to my second and last fuel tank, and turned the Dakota twelve degrees west towards England. ‘I’ll be in time for breakfast,’ I thought. A good big English breakfast! Everything was going well — it was an easy flight.

I checked my map and the compass. I started taking fuel for the aeroplane from the second and last fuel tank. I turned my Dakota twelve degree west towards England. I thought that I would reach there at the time of breakfast. It will be a nice and big English breakfast. Everything was happening well. It was an easy flight.

Paris was about 150 kilometres behind me when I saw the clouds. Storm clouds. They were huge. They looked like black mountains standing in front of me across the sky. I knew I could not fly up and over them, and I did not have enough fuel to fly around them to the north or south.

When I saw the clouds Paris was 150 KM behind me. These were clouds of storm. They were huge clouds. They looked like black mountains standing in the sky before me. I knew that I could not take my plane above these clouds and fly over them. And I did not have much fuel in the plane to take a turn and go around these clouds.

“I ought to go back to Paris,” I thought, but I wanted to get home. I wanted that breakfast. ‘I’ll take the risk,’ I thought, and flew that old Dakota straight into the storm.

I thought that I should go back to Paris but I wanted to reach home as soon as possible. I wanted to have breakfast there. So I thought that I would take the risk. I flew my old Dakota plane directly into the storm.

Inside the clouds, everything was suddenly black. It was impossible to see anything outside the aeroplane. The old aeroplane jumped and twisted in the air.

When the plane went into the clouds, suddenly everything became black. It was impossible to see anything outside the plane. The aeroplane jumped and twisted (rotated) in the air.

I looked at the compass. I couldn’t believe my eyes: the compass was turning round and round and round. It was dead. It would not work! The other instruments were suddenly dead, too.

Then I looked at the compass. I could not believe what I saw. The needle of compass was turning round and round. The compass was not working. Suddenly all other instruments also stopped working.

I tried the radio. “Paris Control? Paris Control? Can you hear me?” There was no answer. The radio was dead too. I had no radio, no compass, and I could not see where I was. I was lost in the storm.

I checked the radio [wireless]. I spoke in the radio to contact Paris Control room. There was no answer. The radio was also not working. The compass was not working. I could not see anything. I was lost in the storm.

Then, in the black clouds quite near me, I saw another aeroplane. It had no lights on its wings, but I could see it flying next to me through the storm. I could see the pilot’s face — turned towards me.

Then in the black clouds, very near to me I saw another aeroplane. It did not have lights on its wings but I was able to see it. It was flying close to my plane in the storm. I saw face of the pilot. He was looking at me.

I was very glad to see another person. He lifted one hand and waved. “Follow me,” he was saying. “Follow me.” ‘He knows that I am lost,’ I thought. ‘He’s trying to help me.’

I was very happy to see another person. He lifted his one hand and signalled at me. He was asking me to follow him. I thought that he knew I was lost in the storm. He was trying to help me.

He turned his aeroplane slowly to the north, in front of my Dakota, so that it would be easier for me to follow him. I was very happy to go behind the strange aeroplane like an obedient child.

He turned his plane slowly to north. Now his plane was flying in front of my Dakota. Therefore it was easier for me to follow him. I was very happy to go behind that strange aeroplane. I was behaving like an obedient child.

After half an hour the strange black aeroplane was still there in front of me in the clouds. Now there was only enough fuel in the old Dakota’s last tank to fly for five or ten minutes more. I was starting to feel frightened again. But then he started to go down and I followed through the storm.

After half an hour, we were still in clouds. The strange black aeroplane was flying in front of my plane. Now fuel in my plane was sufficient to fly for five or ten minutes more. I was again getting afraid. At that time, the other plane started going down. And I was moving behind the plane through the storm.

Suddenly I came out of the clouds and saw two long straight lines of lights in front of me. It was a runway! An airport! I was safe! I turned to look for my friend in the black aeroplane, but the sky was empty. There was nothing there. The black aeroplane was gone. I could not see it anywhere.

Suddenly my plane came out of clouds. I saw two long straight line of lights in front of my plane. It was runway of an airport. I was safe now. I tried to look at my friend who was in the black aeroplane. But there was nothing in the sky. The black aeroplane had disappeared. I could not see it anywhere.

I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota near the control tower. I went and asked a woman in the control centre where I was and who the other pilot was. I wanted to say ‘Thank you’.

I landed my Dakota on the runway. I was happy to walk away from my old Dakota plane to the control tower. I went in and asked a woman where I was.[Meaning which airport was that] I also asked who the pilot of another plane was. I wanted to say thanks to him.

She looked at me very strangely, and then laughed. “Another aeroplane? Up there in this storm? No other aeroplanes were flying tonight. Yours was the only one I could see on the radar.”

She strangely looked at me and laughed. She said tonight no other aeroplane was flying in the storm. My aeroplane was the only plane she had seen on the radar.

So who helped me to arrive there safely without a compass or a radio, and without any more fuel in my tanks? Who was the pilot on the strange black aeroplane, flying in the storm, without lights?

Then who had helped me to arrive safely without a radio or a compass and without any fuel left in the tank of my plane? Who was the pilot of that strange aeroplane? He was flying in the storm without lights.

Text Book Questions

His First Flight

Q. 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?
Ans. The young seagull was certain that his wings would not support him when he tried to fly. He feared that he would fall down into the sea. In fact, it is the case with all young birds. They are afraid to make their first flight. Some birds can be more timid than others. But the fear is there in all young ones. It is the mother who helps the young ones to overcome this fear. The human baby too finds it a challenge to take its first steps. It has to be supported and encouraged by the elders. It falls down many a time while taking the first steps. But ultimately, through constant effort and encouragement, it overcomes its initial fears.

Q. “The sight of the food maddened him.” What does this suggest? What compelled the young seagull to finally fly?
Ans. Hunger is the biggest motivating factor among all living things. A hungry bird, animal or human being can take any risk to have food. In fact, hunger maddens an individual. Then without caring for the consequences, the individual becomes prepared to take the most dangerous plunge. The same thing happens with the young seagull. He sees the mother with a piece of fish in her beak. Maddened by hunger, he dives at her for the fish. The mother at once moves upward. The young seagull falls downward into space. He cries in fear. But then he spreads his wings outwards, flaps them and begins to fly. All his fear is gone now.

Q. "They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly.” Why did the seagull's father and mother threaten him and cajole him to fly?
Ans. The seagull's mother and father wanted him to fly from his ledge and come to the plateau. All other members of the family had already settled there. They came to him again and again and cajoled him to fly away along with them. But the young seagull was too timid to fly. Now the father and the mother adopted another method to goad him to fly. They indicated to him through their gestures that he would die of hunger if he kept sitting there on his ledge. They caught fish from the sea and enjoyed it in full view of the young seagull. On seeing them eat, the seagull became terribly restless. Hunger maddened him so much that at last he was forced to take the plunge. He spread out his wings as he started falling downwards. Now he began to fly by flapping his wings. All fear now left him.

Q. 4. 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.
Ans. I used to be scared of swimming in deep water. I always thought I would not be able to swim and would get drowned. But my father would always encourage me by saying that there was nothing difficult about swimming. He got me and himself enrolled as the members of a swimming club and would take me there regularly. Through his persuasions and efforts, I was able to learn swimming in less than a month. Now I take part in big swimming competitions and have won a number of prizes also.

Q. 5. 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?
Ans. Success can never be guaranteed. And without putting in efforts, success can't be imagined even. It is only through efforts, that the possibility of success can arise. Sometimes, even our efforts don't produce the desired or expected results. Thus, success can never be taken as a foregone conclusion as in the case of bird flying. Some developments or successes are just a matter of natural process. For example, the young one of a bird will learn to fly and the young one of a horse will learn to walk, run and gallop. But in the case of most human achievements, it is only the efforts that count and bring about the success. Without putting in any effort, no success is ever possible.

Summary

His First Flight

'His First Flight' written by Liam O' Flaherty depicts the journey of a young seagull as he learns to fly. The young seagull is afraid of flying. The story depicts how the seagull emerged out of his fear.
A family of seagulls lived on a ledge. A young seagull is left alone as he is afraid to fly. He is one among the slow learners. All that this young seagull needed was motivation. By way of punishment, his family left him alone on the ledge and flew away. They upbraided him, taunted him for cowardice and even threatened to let him starve. He remained hungry for twenty - four hours and was unable to shed off his fear of flight. He cried begging his mother to bring him some food. She picked up a piece of fish in her beak and flew across him and stood just in front of him. The piece of fish in her beak was almost within the reach of his beak. The young seagull was mad with hunger. He dived at the fish. He fell outwards with a scream. A great fear caught him. But the fear lasted a moment. He spread his wings and flapped them. He soared upwards and all his fear is gone. He enjoyed making his first flight. It was a joyous moment for his family. He forgot that he was ever afraid of flying.
Thus, the story conveys the message that to progress in life we have to overcome our fears and one should trust one’s abilities.

Text Book Questions

The Black Aeroplane

Q. “I’ll take the risk.” What is the risk? Why does the pilot of the old Dakota take it?
Ans. The risk was of flying the old Dakota aeroplane into the storm. He took it as he wished to reach home as soon as possible and to be present at the breakfast table with his family in the morning. Thus he took the risk although the visibility in the storm was zero.

Q. Describe the narrator’s experience as he flew the aeroplane into the storm.
An. As the pilot (author) entered the storm, his plane started jumping and twisting. He could not see anything outside the plane as it was black. His aeroplane jumped and twisted in the air. His compass, radio and all other instruments were suddenly dead. He did not know which way he was going.

Q. What made the woman in the Control Centre look at the narrator strangely?
Ans. 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.

Q. Who do you think helped the narrator to reach safely? Discuss this among yourselves and give reasons for your answer.
Ans. 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.

Q. Why does the narrator say, “I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota…………”?
Ans. The narrator had landed safely a horrible experience in the storm clouds. Naturally, he was happy when he landed and walked away from his old Dakota.

Summary

II The Black Aeroplane

The story ‘The Black Aeroplane’ has been written by Frederick Forsyth. It recounts the experience of a pilot whose plane is caught in a storm.
The author was flying his old Dakota aeroplane over France back to England. It was one - thirty in the morning. He was happy and was looking forward to being with his family.
Suddenly he was caught in stormy clouds. They looked like black mountains standing in front of him across the sky. He knew that he could not fly up and over them and he also knew that he did not have enough fuel to fly around them to the north or south. But then he decided to take the risk and flew his old Dakota straight into the storm. The old aeroplane jumped and twisted in the air. Its compass and radio went dead. He called Paris Control but in vain. He could not see where he was. He was lost in the storm. Then he saw a black aeroplane near him in the black clouds. The pilot of the black aeroplane guided the author and helped him land his plane safely.
The author turned to look for his friend in the Black Aeroplane, but there was no other airplane in the sky. He went to the Control Tower and asked a woman about that other aeroplane. She looked at him very strangely and then laughed and said there was no other aeroplane was flying that night. Perhaps the other pilot was his inner self, dare, courage and determined will power.