Chapter 3: Two Stories About Flying
I. His First Flight
Q. 1: Why was the young seagull afraid to fly?
Do you think all young birds are afraid to fly for the first time, or are some
birds more timid than others? Do you think a human baby also finds it
challenging to take its first step?
Ans: The young seagull was afraid
to fly because it was its first flight, and it was scared of falling and
getting hurt. It didn’t think its wings could hold it up. Yes, it's natural to
be afraid when trying something for the first time. All young birds might be
nervous about flying for the first time. Similarly, a human baby is also afraid
to take its first step and might find it hard to learn how to crawl or stand.
Q. 2: “The sight of the food maddened him.”
What does this suggest? What made the young seagull fly finally?
Ans: The young seagull was very
hungry, and seeing the food made it desperate. Hunger drove it to fly. When it
saw its mother with a fish, it cried out to her, but she didn’t come closer.
The seagull couldn’t resist the hunger anymore, so it dove toward the food. As
it did, its body instinctively began to fly.
Q. 3: “They were beckoning to him, calling
shrilly.” Why did the seagull’s parents threaten him and encourage him to fly?
Ans: The seagull’s parents had
tried everything to get it to fly, but it was too scared. The seagull watched
its siblings fly but didn’t try. So, the parents left the seagull alone and
tried to encourage and threaten it to fly, but nothing worked.
Q. 4: Have you ever had a similar experience,
where your parents encouraged you to do something that you were too scared to
try?
Ans: Yes, I had a similar
experience when I learned to ride a bicycle in Class VI. At first, I kept
falling, and I was scared to try again. My parents encouraged me to keep
trying. My father helped me overcome my fear and guided me through the process.
Eventually, I enjoyed cycling once I gained confidence.
Q. 5: In the case of a bird flying, it seems a
natural act, and we assume it will succeed. In your own experience, was your
success guaranteed, or was it important for you to try, even if you might fail?
Ans: When learning something new, like riding a bicycle, we often face
challenges at first. Fear of failure can make us hesitate, but it’s important
to keep trying. In the case of the seagull, its parents encouraged it to fly,
just like my parents encouraged me to keep learning cycling. Success wasn’t
guaranteed at first, but with practice and determination, I overcame my fear
and succeeded.
II. The Black Aeroplane
Q. 1: “I’ll take the risk.” What is the risk?
Why does the narrator take it?
Ans: The narrator was flying through a storm to
reach home and spend time with his family. Even though the weather was
dangerous and visibility was very low, he decided to take the risk because he
didn’t want to miss the opportunity to meet his family at breakfast.
Q. 2: Describe the narrator’s experience as he
flew the aeroplane into the storm.
Ans: When the narrator flew into the storm, the plane began to shake and
twist. He couldn’t see anything outside because it was pitch black. His
instruments stopped working, and the fuel was almost gone. Just then, he saw
another black aeroplane beside him. The pilot signaled him to follow. The
narrator followed the plane, and eventually, he safely landed on the runway.
Q. 3: Why does the narrator say, “I landed and
was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota…”?
Ans: The narrator says this because he had just
survived a dangerous flight through the storm and was glad to be safe. After
such a terrifying experience, he was relieved to be on solid ground and away
from the old Dakota plane.
Q. 4: 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 he asked about the black aeroplane. She checked the
radar, and there was no other plane in the sky except his. She was confused
because she didn’t see any other planes during the storm.
Q. 5: Who do you think helped the narrator to
reach safely?
Ans: It’s unclear who helped the narrator, but it
might have been the narrator himself. No other plane was detected on the radar,
so he could have been imagining the black aeroplane. However, since he was a
skilled pilot, he might have managed to land safely on his own, overcoming the
fear and uncertainty of the storm.
