Two Stories about Flying

1. 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?
It is very well said that challenges make you strong and let you face your fear. The young seagull also had a challenge to
face, and he was afraid because it was his first flight. I think mostly all young birds must be afraid to make their first
flights but exceptions are always there as they might not find it much challenging. Similarly, a human baby would also
find it a challenge to take their first step.
2. "The sight of the food maddened him." What does this suggest? What compelled the young seagull to finally fly?
The young seagull was very hungry. It was this hunger that ultimately compelled and encouraged him to fly. When he
saw his mother tearing at a piece of fish that lay at her feet, his hunger intensified. He cried and begged her to give him
some food. When he saw her coming towards him with food in her beak, he screamed with joy and anticipation. However,
she stopped midway. Not being able to resist his hunger any longer, he dived at the food in her beak. At that moment, his
hunger overpowered his fear of the great expanse of sea beneath the cliff. Finally, this plunge was followed by the seagull's
first flight.
3. "They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly. "Why did the seagull's father and mother threaten him and cajole him to fly?
The young seagull was afraid to fly. Even when he saw his parents, teaching and helping his brothers and sisters to fly,
he still could not gather enough courage to make that first flight. That is why his father and mother were scolding and
taunting him of his cowardice. They threatened to let him starve on the ledge if he did not fly. They did so because they
wanted him to overpower his fear and take his first flight.
Model Questions & Answers
Q1. Describe the role of the mother in making the young seagull fly.
Ans: The mother played a smart role by using food to lure the young seagull. She flew close to him with fish in her beak
and pretended to stop. As the hungry bird dived to get the food, he found himself flying. Her trick worked and helped
him overcome fear.
Q2. (2022) What forced the young seagull to fly at last?
Ans: Hunger forced him. His mother tempted him with a piece of fish, and as he jumped for it, he fell and instinctively
started flying.

Summary
• A young seagull is afraid to fly.
• His siblings have already flown.
• His parents encourage him, even scold and starve him to make him fly.
• His mother lures him with food.
• He finally takes his first flight and feels excited and confident.
• The story symbolises overcoming fear.
 The Black Aeroplane
1. "I'll take the risk." What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it?
The risk is to fly through the black storm clouds. The narrator takes the risk because he wanted to reach Paris to celebrate
Christmas with his family.
2. Describe the narrator's experience as he flew the aeroplane into the storm.
As he flew into the storm, everything went black. It was impossible to see anything outside the plane. It jumped and
twisted in the air. When he looked at his compass, he saw that it was turning round and round. It was dead. Along with it,
the other instruments, including the radio, were also dead. Suddenly, he saw another aeroplane. Its pilot waved at him,
asking him to follow. He was glad to find a helper. He was using his last fuel tank and there was only enough fuel to fly
five or ten minutes more. Then, the other pilot started to go down and he followed. He suddenly came out of the clouds
and saw the runway, on which he then landed his plane safely.
3. Why does the narrator say, "I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota..."?
He was delighted to land safely out of dark stormy clouds, so, he was not sorry to walk away from his plane. He felt bad,
when he was no able to thank his guide, who guided and saved him from that frightening situation, but he was so happy
after landing that he didn't feel sorry for not being able to thank the guide pilot.
4. What made the woman in the control centre look at the narrator strangely?
The women in the control room was surprised and looked at him strangely, when the narrator asked about the other
aeroplane and its pilot. She said that no other aeroplane was seen on the radar during that time as the storm had already
begun

5. Who do you think helped the narrator to reach safely? Discuss this among yourselves and give reasons for your answer.
Probably, it was the narrator's own self that helped him through the storm. There was no other plane in the storm as the
woman at the control centre could see only his plane on the radar. Also, no other plane was flying that night. In his fear,
he might have been hallucinating. He was a good pilot, and it might have been his own self that came to his help.
Model Questions & Answers
Q1. How is the ending of “The Black Aeroplane” mysterious?
Ans: After landing, the narrator asks about the black aeroplane and its pilot, but no one knows anything. The radar
showed no other plane. It remains a mystery who helped him land safely.
Q2. (2020) Why did the pilot take the risk of flying through the storm?
Ans: He wanted to reach home and have a good English breakfast. His desire was so strong that he risked flying into the
storm.
Q3. (2019) What message does ‘His First Flight’ convey?
Ans: It conveys that we must overcome our fears and take a leap of faith. Courage comes when we face challenges.

Summary
• The narrator is flying from France to England.
• He flies into a dark storm and loses control and radio contact.
• A mysterious black aeroplane appears and guides him to safety.
• After landing, he finds that there was no such plane on the radar.
• The story ends in mystery and wonder.
 Chapter 4 How to Tell Wild Animals
1. Does ‘Dyin’ really rhyme with ‘lion’ ? Can you say it in such a way that it does?
No, ‘Dyin’ does not rhyme with ‘lion’. If we change the pronunciation of lion by speaking it as ‘lying’ then it may rhyme
with the word ‘dyin’.
2. How does the poet suggest that you identify the lion and the tiger? When can you do so according to him?
A lion is a large and tawny beast. A Bengal Tiger has black stripes on its yellow coat. A lion roars when it falls upon its
prey, while a tiger attacks silently. We can identify the two while roaming in the jungle.
3. Do you think the words ‘lept’ and ‘lep’ in the third stanza are spelt correctly? Why does the poet spell them like this?
The words ‘lept’ and ‘lep’ are not spelt correctly. The poet has spelt them like this in order to maintain the rhythm of the
poem. The correct spelling of the words, ‘lept’ is leapt and ‘lep’ is leap. The poet has intentionally spelt them incorrectly
to create a sense of humour.
4. Do you know what a ‘bearhug’ is? It’s a friendly and strong hug-such as bears are thought to give, as they attack
you! Again, hyenas are thought to laugh and crocodiles to weep (‘crocodile tears’) as they swallow their victims.
Are there similar expressions and popular ideas about wild animals in your own language (s)?
A bearhug is when the bear hugs his prey tightly with both hands and presses him to death.
There are indeed similar expressions and popular ideas about wild animals in every language. For example, in Hindi, we
say ‘Magarmach ke aansu aaana’ (Crocodile tears) ‘Haathi ke daant dikhane ke aur, khane ke aur’, ‘Ab pachtaye hot kya
jab chidiya chug gai khet’, ‘Girgit ke tarah rang badalna’.
5. Look at the line ‘A novice might nonplus.” How would you write this ‘correctly’? Why is the poet’s ‘incorrect’ line better in
the poem?
The line “A novice might nonplus” can be written correctly as “A novice might be nonplussed”. However, the poet’s
incorrect line is better in the poem as it maintains the rhyme scheme of the poem. By writing it incorrectly, ‘nonplus’
rhymes with ‘thus’.
6. Can you find other examples of poets taking liberties with language, either in English or in your own language?
Can you find examples of humorous poems in your own language (s)?
One can find plenty of examples in poetry where poets take liberties with language. This is called ‘poetic licence’. Poets
take such liberties in order to create proper rhyming and rhythm. For example, in the following lines the word ‘prest’ is
used instead of ‘pressed’ so that it may rhyme with ‘breast’.
Eg: A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth’s sweat flowing breast.
7. Much of the humour in the poem arises from the way language is used. Although the ideas are funny as well. If
there are particular lines in the poem that you especially like, share these lines with the class, speaking briefly
about what it is about the ideas or the language that you like or find funny.
The way the poet has used language and ideas in the poem is indeed humorous. The lines from the poem that appears to
be funny are “A noble wild beast greets you”. The idea that a wild beast is going to welcome you is quite funny. The
language in the line, “He’ll only lep and lep again” is also very humorous. The concept of ‘lep’ from the word ‘leopard’
generates humour
Model Questions & Answers
Q1. How does the poet use humour to describe dangerous animals?
Ans: The poet uses funny suggestions like: if an animal eats you, it's probably a tiger; if it hugs you tightly, it's a bear.
These funny situations make the poem light and enjoyable.
Q2. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
Ans: The poem follows the rhyme scheme: aa, bb in most stanzas.

Summary
A humorous poem explaining how to identify wild animals by their behaviour.
• Asian Lion: Roars loudly and has a tawny colour.
• Bengal Tiger: Large, with black stripes, may "eat you."
• Bear: If you’re hugged tightly, it's likely a bear!
• Crocodile vs. Hyena: Hyenas smile; crocodiles weep.
• Chameleon: Changes colour and blends into the surroundings.
The poem uses humour and rhyme to teach about dangerous animals in a fun way.