I- His First Flight (Liam O’ Flaherty)
*Ch.-3. Two Stories of Flying *
*I- His First Flight (Liam O’ Flaherty)*
*1. Who is the writer of ‘His First Flight’?*
Ans. Liam O’ Flaherty
*2. Whose first flight has been described in this lesson?*
Ans. A young seagull’s flight
*3. Where did the seagull pass the night?*
Ans. On the ledge
*4. How did the young seagull feel to fly?*
Ans. Afraid
*5. How many days did the young seagull remain hungry?*
Ans. Twenty four hours
*6. Whom did the young seagull beg to bring him some food?*
Ans. His mother
*7. Was the young seagull successful in making his first flight?*
Ans. Yes
Q8. What were the young seagull’s father and mother doing to encourage him to fly?
Ans. They were screaming, scolding, and threatening.
Q9. What tempted the young seagull to take his first flight?
Ans. The sight of food (a piece of fish) in his mother’s beak.
Q10. Where did the young seagull land after his first flight?
Ans. On the green sea.
Q11. What was the seagull’s first meal after his flight?
Ans. A piece of dogfish.
Textual Questions
Q.1 A young Seagull is afraid to fly. How does he conquer his fear?
Ans. The young Seagull was hungry for the last 24 hours. He thinks if he does not fly, he will remain hungry. So he conquers his fear of flying. Finally he is able to fly.
Q. 2 "The sight of the food maddened him." What does this suggest? What compelled the young Seagull to finally fly?
Ans. The Seagull did not want to fly. But in order to get food, he had to fly. He was very hungry. The sight of food that made the seagull risk flying for the first time.
Q. 3 When did the seagull's flight begin?
Ans. The seagull was very hungry. When he saw his mother bringing food in her beak, he dived towards her. But he fell from the brink of the ledge. He screamed with fear. But his fear lasted only for a moment. The next moment, he felt that his wings spread outwards. He was flying now. Now he screamed with joy.
Q. 4 Where did the seagull's flight end?
Ans. The seagull was very happy as he had learnt how to fly. He kept flying for sometime his parents, brother and sister flew around him. Then they landed on the sea surface. The Seagull also came down. When he tried to land, his legs sank into the sea. He cried with fear again. But then his belly touches the water. He did not drown. He started floating on the surface of the sea. Thus his first flight ended.
Q. 5 When did the Seagull get over his fear of the water?
Ans. After flying for some time, the Seagull saw that his parents and brothers and sister were sitting on the surface of the sea. He came down and landed on it. But his legs sank into it. He cried with fear. However his belly touched the surface and he did not drown. Now the Seagull got over his fear of the water.
Q. 6 Do you sympathise with the seagull? Give reasons.
Ans. Yes, we sympathise with the seagull. He is a very young bird. He has not yet learnt how to fly. His parents want him to fly. They encourage him. But he is afraid of falling. His parents starve him for 24 hours. In the end, however, the Seagull learns how to fly.
Q. 7 How did the young Seagull's parents teach him the art of flying?
Ans. The seagull parents encouraged him to fly. But he was too afraid to fly. Then they kept him hungry for 24 hours. Even then the seagull did not fly. Then they thought that experience would teach him. So they made him fall from the ledge. Now when he fell, he felt his wings spread and started flying.
Q.8 How did the seagull’s family celebrate his first flight?
Ans: When the young seagull started flying, his family was overjoyed. His parents flew around him screaming with joy. His brothers and sister swooped around him, curveting and banking, and they praised him by offering him pieces of dogfish.
Q.9 What does the title "His First Flight" signify?
Ans: The title signifies more than just a bird learning to fly; it represents overcoming fear, gaining independence, and taking the first step toward self-reliance in life.
Long-Answers
*Q. 1 What message does the story 'His First Flight' convey?*
Ans. 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 made a plan. She tempts him with food in her beak. 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 know 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.
*Q. 2 When did the seagull's flight begin and where did it end?*
or
*Describe how the young Seagull made his Maiden flight?*
Ans. The seagull was hungry for 24 hours. When he saw his mother bringing food in her beak, he dived towards her. But he fell from the brink of the ledge. He screamed with fear. But his fear lasted only for a moment. The next moment, he felt that his wings spread outwards. He was flying. The seagull was very happy as he had learnt how to fly. He kept flying for some time. His parents, brothers and sister flew around him. Then they landed on the sea surface. The seagull also came down. When he tried to land, his legs sank into the sea. He cried with fear again. But then his belly touched the water. He did not drown. He started floating on the surface of the sea. Thus the seagull made the first flight of his life.