Answer the following questions

WHILE READING QUESTIONS:

a.       Why did the seagull fail to fly?

The seagull failed to fly, because he was afraid to fly.

b.      What did the parents do, when the young seagull failed to fly?

When the young seagull failed to fly, his parents scolded him, and threatened to let him starve on the ledge.

c.       What was the first catch of the young seagull’s older brother?

Herring was the first catch of the young seagull’s older brother.

d.      What did the young seagull manage to find in his search for food on the ledge?

The young seagull managed to find the dried pieces of Mackerel’s tail in the previous night. The next morning, he found the dried pieces of eggshell to eat.

e. What did the young bird do to seek the attention of his parents?

At first, the young bird pretended to be fall asleep. Later it uttered a low cackle and kept calling sadly to seek the attention of his parents.

f.       What made the young seagull go mad?

The young seagull was very hungry and her mother did not come nearer to feed him.

It made the young seagull go mad.

g.      Why did the young bird utter a joyful scream?

The young bird saw his mother picking up a piece of fish towards him. So he uttered a joyful scream. Later when he began to fly, he uttered a joyful scream.

h.      Did the mother bird offer any food to the young bird?

No, the mother did not offer any food to the young bird.

i.        How did the bird feel, when it started flying for the first time?

When the seagull started flying for the first time, a monsterous terror seized him for a moment, but then he uttered a joyful scream.

j.        What did the young birds’ family do when he started flying?

The young birds’ family was very happy. His mother swooped past him, his father flew over him, and his brothers and sister were flying around him, high and low out of joy.

A. Answer the following questions in a sentence or two.

1.           How was the young seagull’s first attempt to fly?  (or) Why did the seagull fail to fly?

The young seagull’s first attempt to fly was a failure, because he was afraid to fly. He failed to muster up courage to fly. Instead of flapping his wings and flying away, he ran back to the little hole.

2.           How did the parents support and encourage the young seagull’s brothers and sister?

The parents supported and encouraged the young seagull’s brothers and sister, by perfecting them in the art of flight, teaching them how to skim and surf the waves and how to dive for fish.

3.           Give an instance that shows the pathetic condition of the young bird.

The young seagull failed to muster up courage to fly. So he had to stay in his nest. He had no food. He could not find anything but the dried pieces of eggshell to eat.

4.           How did the bird try to reach its parents without having to fly?

The bird walked back and forth from one end of the ledge to the other. Without trying to fly and stepping daintily, he tried to find some means of reaching his parents.There was a deep wide crack between him and his parents.

5.           Do you think that the young seagull’s parents were harsh to him? Why?

No. I don’t think that the parents were harsh to him. Here the young seagull’s parents trained him to fly. The mother seagull showed a piece of fish to the hungry young seagull. Maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish and began to fly.

6.           What prompted the young seagull to fly finally?

The mother seagull showed a piece of fish to the hungry young seagull. But he couldn’t reach the food as it was out of reach. Maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish. Thus the parental care, its natural bird instinct to fly and its urge for survival prompted the young seagull to fly, finally.

7.           What happened to the young seagull when it landed on the green sea?

The young seagull landed on the green sea and sank into it. His belly touched the water and he sank no farther. He was floating on it.

B. Answer each of the following questions in a paragraph of about 100-150 words.

1.           Describe the struggles underwent by the young seagull to overcome its fear of flying.

Lesson : HIS FIRST FLIGHT

Author : Liam O’Flaherty

Theme : Parenting

Characters : The young seagull and its family

Outlook : The young seagull’s fear – hungry – mother seagull’s training – his first flight

The young seagull was alone on his ledge. Unlike his brothers and sister, he was afraid to fly. He failed to muster up courage to fly. His parents had come around calling to him shrilly, scolding him, threatening to let him starve on his ledge. He had no food. He could not find anything but the dried pieces of eggshell to eat. His parents wanted to teach him fly. So the mother seagull showed a piece of fish to the hungry young seagull. But he couldn’t reach the food as it was out of reach. Maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish. In order to grab it, he had no other choice other than to flap his wings and fly towards his meal. He landed on the green sea and sank into it. He was floating on the water. The young birds’ family was very happy and they offered him scraps of dog-fish for his first flight. Thus the parental care, his natural bird instinct to fly and his urge for survival prompted him to fly, finally.

2.           Your parents sometimes behave like the young bird’s parents. They may seem cruel and unrelenting. Does it mean that they do not care for you? Explain your views about it with reference from the story.

• Parents are our first teachers. Guiding their ward/children at every stage is their primary responsibility. If they fail to do this, the children cannot attain perfection.

• It is said that children start learning and responding even when they are in the womb of the mother. A child which grows, without the guidance of the parents, lack in the art of speech, walking, holding things, eating and even doing their everyday basic activity. They even need toilet training.

• Some children can learn easily. But few hesitate or struggle while learning new things. To them, the parents have to be harsh for the betterment of their life as we see the young seagull in this lesson. As the old proverb says “bend the twig bend the tree”. They may seem cruel and unrelenting but it is for the good of their children. It is the duty of every parent to educate and teach their young ones the art of life.

ESSAY

Introduction

The young seagull 

The reaction of the parents 

The young one’s first flight 

Landing on the water 

The reaction of the family 

Conclusion

Introduction:

Liam O’Flaherty was a famous Irish novelist and short story writer. One of his great work is ‘His First Flight’. A story that proves the saying ‘To master any art, one should overcome fear.’

The young seagull:

The young seagull was one among the four offsprings of the father and the mother seagulls. He was very timid. He was alone on the ledge. Unlike his two brothers and sister, he was afraid to fly. He failed to muster up courage to fly. Instead of flapping his wings and flying away, he ran back to the little hole.

The reaction of the parents:

His parents had come around calling him shrilly, scolding him, threatening to let him starve on the ledge. He had no food. He could find nothing but the dried pieces of eggshell to eat. His parents wanted to teach him to fly.

The young one’s first flight:

So the mother seagull showed a piece of fish to the hungry young seagull. But he couldn’t reach the food as it was out of reach. Maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish. In order to grab it, he had no choice other than to flap his wings and fly towards his meal.

Landing on the water:

He landed on the green sea and sank into it. His belly touched the water and he sank no farther. He was floating on the water.

The reaction of the family:

The young birds’ family was very happy. His mother swooped past him, his father flew over him, and his brothers and sister were flying around him, high and low out of joy. They offered him scraps of dog-fish for the success of his first flight. Thus, his natural bird instinct and his urge for survival prompted him to fly finally.

Conclusion:

These are the struggles underwent by the young seagull to overcome its fear of flying.

Moral: Necessity is the mother of action.