Two Stories about Flying

Q: What does the word 'upbraiding' mean in the context of the parents' behavior?

Scolding and reproaching him harshly. Upbraiding means scolding severely; the text shows parents called to him shrilly and threatened him with starvation, not lifting or teaching.

Q: The phrase 'maddened by hunger' uses which literary device?

Hyperbole—exaggerating how hungry he was. The phrase uses hyperbole to exaggerate the intensity of hunger, suggesting it consumed him almost irrationally, though technically it borders on personification as well.

Q: What is the turning point in the young seagull's journey from fear to flight?

When he dived at the fish his mother held just out of reach. The turning point occurs when his mother deliberately halts with the fish; this triggers the seagull to dive, finally overcoming his paralysis through hunger and instinct.

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Chapter Notes

Overview

This chapter presents two narratives about overcoming fear and facing the unknown: 'His First Flight' by Liam O'Flaherty, about a young seagull who conquers his terror of flying, and 'The Black Aeroplane' by Frederick Forsyth, about a pilot who survives a storm with mysterious help. The chapter exists in the syllabus to teach students about courage, self-belief, and the importance of taking risks. The ONE big idea a student must walk away with is that fear is a natural barrier to growth, but taking the first step—whether literally or metaphorically—leads to self-discovery and success.

Key Concepts (15)

Ledge

A narrow horizontal shelf projecting from a wall or cliff.

e.g. The young seagull stood on the ledge, afraid to take the plunge into the sea below.

Upbraiding

Scolding or criticizing someone angrily.

e.g. The seagull's parents were upbraiding him for his cowardice, threatening to let him starve.

Herring

A soft-finned sea fish, commonly used as food for seabirds.

e.g. The older brother caught his first herring and devoured it on a rock.

To skim

To move lightly just above a surface, here the sea.

e.g. The parents taught the young seagulls how to skim the waves while flying.

Preening

Making an effort to maintain feathers by cleaning and arranging them.

e.g. The father seagull was preening the feathers on his white back.

To whet

To sharpen, as in sharpening a beak or a blade.

e.g. The mother seagull scrapped each side of her beak on the rock to whet it.

Derisively

In a manner showing someone that she/he is stupid or mocking.

e.g. The mother screamed 'Gaw-col-ah' derisively at the young seagull's pleas for food.

Curveting

Leaping like a horse, used here to describe the seagull's playful flight movements.

e.g. The young seagull saw his siblings flying around him, curveting and banking and soaring.

Banking

Flying with one wing higher than the other, typically while turning.

e.g. The seagull's siblings were banking gracefully in the air.

Dizzy

An uncomfortable feeling of spinning around and losing one's balance.

e.g. After his first flight, the young seagull felt a bit dizzy but no longer afraid.

Compass

An instrument used for navigation that shows direction, especially magnetic north.

e.g. The pilot checked the compass and turned the Dakota twelve degrees west towards England.

Radar

A system that uses radio waves to detect the presence, direction, and distance of objects like aircraft.

e.g. The woman in the control centre said no other aeroplanes were visible on the radar that night.

Runway

A long, narrow strip of land with a hard surface where aircraft take off and land.

e.g. The pilot saw two long straight lines of lights in front of him—it was a runway.

Monstrous terror

An extremely intense and overwhelming fear.

e.g. When the young seagull dived at the fish and fell into space, a monstrous terror seized him and his heart stood still.

Epistemology of loss

Understanding the nature of loss—what it means to lose something (from the poem 'The Ball Poem' in the same chapter).

e.g. The boy in 'The Ball Poem' is learning the epistemology of loss, how to stand up knowing that loss is inevitable.

How It Works

The Young Seagull's First Flight

The young seagull is alone on his ledge, afraid to fly because the sea seems miles down and he doubts his wings will support him.
His family taunts him and his parents threaten to let him starve unless he flies.
After 24 hours without food, hunger maddened him when he saw his mother holding a piece of fish.
His mother flies towards him with the fish but halts just out of reach, tempting him.
Maddened by hunger, the seagull dives at the fish and falls outwards and downwards into space.
A monstrous terror seizes him, but then his wings spread outwards and he feels the wind supporting him.
He soars gradually, flaps his wings, and flies upward, joining his family in the sky.
He lands on the sea (green flooring), floats, and his family praises him, offering him scraps of dog-fish.

💡 Students often forget that the seagull's flight was triggered by hunger, not by courage alone. The mother deliberately withheld the fish to force him to fly.

The Pilot's Flight Through the Storm

The pilot is flying his old Dakota aeroplane from France to England on a clear night.
He contacts Paris Control, turns twelve degrees west as instructed, and switches to his last fuel tank.
He encounters huge storm clouds that look like black mountains; he cannot fly over or around them due to fuel constraints.
He decides to take the risk and flies straight into the storm.
Inside the clouds, everything is black; the compass spins uselessly, and all instruments including the radio die.
He sees another black aeroplane with no lights; the pilot waves and signals 'Follow me'.
He follows the strange aeroplane for half an hour, with only 5-10 minutes of fuel left.
The strange aeroplane descends, and the pilot follows, emerging from the clouds to see a runway.
He lands safely, but when he asks the control centre about the other pilot, they say no other aeroplanes were flying that night.

💡 The most common mistake is assuming the black aeroplane was real. The text leaves it ambiguous—the control centre saw only one plane on radar, suggesting the pilot may have imagined the helper or it was a supernatural/mysterious presence.

Exam Traps — Don't Make These Mistakes

⚠ Confusing the seagull's fear with simple laziness

✗ The young seagull was lazy and did not want to fly.

→ The text explicitly states he was afraid, not lazy. He attempted to run and flap his wings but became afraid of the height and doubted his wings would support him.

✓ The young seagull was afraid to fly because the sea seemed miles down and he felt certain his wings would not support him.

⚠ Assuming the mother seagull was cruel

✗ The mother seagull was cruel and did not care about her baby.

→ The mother's action of halting with the fish just out of reach was a deliberate teaching method—she was forcing him to overcome his fear by making him take the plunge himself.

✓ The mother seagull used tough love: she tempted him with food to provoke him into flying, knowing he had to conquer his fear on his own.

⚠ Thinking the black aeroplane was a real plane with a real pilot

✗ The pilot of the black aeroplane was another pilot who helped the narrator.

→ The control centre confirmed that no other aeroplanes were flying that night, and the black aeroplane had no lights, which is unusual. The story leaves it mysterious—it could be a hallucination, a ghost, or a supernatural being.

✓ The identity of the black aeroplane's pilot remains a mystery. The control centre reported no other planes on radar, suggesting it may have been an imaginary or supernatural guide.

⚠ Misinterpreting 'green sea' as actual grass

✗ The seagull landed on green grass.

→ The 'green sea' refers to the ocean, which appears green from above. The seagull's legs sank into it, and he floated on it.

✓ The 'green sea' is the ocean. The seagull landed on the water, his legs sank into it, and he floated on the surface.

⚠ Confusing the meaning of 'black' in different contexts

✗ In 'The black aeroplane', black means the colour black.

→ In the context of the storm, 'black' often means without light or dark, not necessarily the colour. The aeroplane is described as black, but the clouds are black due to absence of light.

✓ In 'The black aeroplane', black refers to the colour of the plane, but in 'Inside the clouds, everything was suddenly black', it means without light.

Compare & Contrast

Theme of overcoming fear

His First Flight

The Black Aeroplane

In 'His First Flight', the young seagull overcomes his fear of flying through hunger and instinct, with family support. In 'The Black Aeroplane', the pilot overcomes his fear of the storm by taking a risk and following a mysterious guide, ultimately surviving through unknown help.

Nature of fear and response

The seagull's fear

The pilot's fear

The seagull's fear is of the unknown (flying) and is conquered by a physical need (hunger). The pilot's fear is of a known danger (storm) and is conquered by a conscious decision to take a risk and trust a stranger.

Exam Focus

Marks pattern: 2 MCQs (1 mark each) on vocabulary or comprehension, 1 Short Answer (2-3 marks) on a specific event or character motivation, 1 Long Answer (5 marks) on a comparative or analytical question (e.g., comparing the two stories or discussing the theme of fear).

Most asked: Reasons for the young seagull's fear and how he conquered it · The role of the mother seagull in teaching the young one to fly · The mystery of the black aeroplane and who the pilot was · The narrator's experience inside the storm clouds · Meaning of 'black' in different contexts

Don't skip: Long answer questions comparing the two stories—e.g., 'Compare the ways in which the young seagull and the pilot overcome their fears.'; Questions on the mysterious ending of 'The Black Aeroplane'—e.g., 'Who do you think helped the narrator? Give reasons.'

One-Line Revision (read aloud before the exam)

The young seagull was afraid to fly because the sea seemed miles down and he doubted his wings would support him.
Hunger maddened the seagull and compelled him to dive at the fish, leading to his first flight.
The mother seagull deliberately withheld the fish to force her young one to fly.
When the seagull fell, a monstrous terror seized him, but his wings spread and he began to soar.
The seagull's family praised him and offered him scraps of dog-fish after his successful flight.
The pilot was flying his old Dakota from France to England when he encountered storm clouds.
The pilot decided to take the risk and flew straight into the storm because he wanted to get home.
Inside the storm, the compass spun uselessly, and all instruments including the radio died.
The pilot saw a black aeroplane with no lights; its pilot waved and signalled 'Follow me'.
The black aeroplane guided the pilot to a runway, but then disappeared.
The control centre said no other aeroplanes were flying that night, leaving the helper's identity a mystery.
The word 'black' can mean the colour black or without light, depending on context.
The chapter teaches that fear is natural but must be overcome to achieve growth.
Both stories highlight the importance of taking risks and trusting oneself or others.

MCQs — 10 Questions with Answers

Q1. Why did the seagull feel 'certain that his wings would never support him'?

A. Because the expanse of sea below seemed enormous and the distance was too far ✓
B. Because his wings were shorter than his brothers' wings
C. Because his parents had told him he was weak
D. Because he had seen other seagulls fall into the sea

Answer: A — The text explicitly states the young seagull's fear stemmed from the vast sea stretching beneath and the extreme distance, making him doubt his wings could support him.

Q2. What does the word 'upbraiding' mean in the context of the parents' behavior?

A. Lifting him up on their wings
B. Scolding and reproaching him harshly ✓
C. Teaching him the correct flying technique
D. Bringing him food to strengthen him

Answer: B — Upbraiding means scolding severely; the text shows parents called to him shrilly and threatened him with starvation, not lifting or teaching.

Q3. Which detail proves that the seagull's older brother had successfully learned to catch fish?

A. The older brother was flying with the parents
B. The older brother had caught his first herring and devoured it on a rock while parents circled proudly ✓
C. The older brother was standing on the plateau with the family
D. The older brother was calling to the young seagull to join them

Answer: B — The text specifically describes the older brother catching his first herring, devouring it on a rock, and the parents circling with proud cackling—clear evidence of success.

Q4. Why is the mother seagull's action of halting with the fish in her beak considered 'strategic' rather than 'cruel'?

A. Because she wanted to make him angry and force confrontation
B. Because she deliberately triggered his survival instinct by making him choose between hunger and fear ✓
C. Because she was testing whether he loved her or the food more
D. Because she wanted to see if he would cry for help

Answer: B — The mother's halt forces the seagull to choose survival (hunger) over fear, activating his natural instinct to dive—a calculated parenting strategy, not cruelty.

Q5. The phrase 'maddened by hunger' uses which literary device?

A. Simile—comparing hunger to madness
B. Personification—giving hunger the quality of driving someone insane
C. Hyperbole—exaggerating how hungry he was ✓
D. Metaphor—directly equating hunger with madness

Answer: C — The phrase uses hyperbole to exaggerate the intensity of hunger, suggesting it consumed him almost irrationally, though technically it borders on personification as well.

Q6. What is the turning point in the young seagull's journey from fear to flight?

A. When his parents threatened to starve him on the first day
B. When his siblings demonstrated they could fly successfully
C. When he dived at the fish his mother held just out of reach ✓
D. When the sun blazed down on the ledge making him uncomfortable

Answer: C — The turning point occurs when his mother deliberately halts with the fish; this triggers the seagull to dive, finally overcoming his paralysis through hunger and instinct.

Q7. How does the seagull's terror during his initial fall relate to his final success?

A. His terror proves he made a mistake in diving for the fish
B. His terror is only momentary; his instinct activates within a minute and he discovers he can soar ✓
C. His terror causes him to lose consciousness and forget his fear entirely
D. His terror is replaced by anger, which gives him the strength to fly

Answer: B — The text shows the seagull's monstrous terror lasts only a minute; then his wings spread naturally and he begins soaring, showing that instinct overcomes panic.

Q8. What does the seagull's behavior on the water—sinking his legs and belly before floating—symbolize?

A. That he was still afraid and struggling to survive
B. That his parents had lied about him being able to fly
C. That his initial fears were baseless; he can safely rest on the water and is now accepted by his family ✓
D. That he was exhausted and would never fly again

Answer: C — His legs sinking then floating on the water proves the vast sea he feared was actually safe; his family's praise and food offerings show acceptance and survival.

Q9. In the line 'Then he completely forgot that he had not always been able to fly,' what does the seagull's memory loss represent?

A. That fear clouds memory and prevents learning
B. That once instinct activates, the past no longer matters; confidence replaces doubt ✓
C. That flying is so difficult he had to forget other skills
D. That his family erased his memories of being afraid

Answer: B — The seagull's forgotten past represents how confidence and success in the present moment erase doubt and fear; instinct overrides prior paralysis.

Q10. Which statement best captures the underlying message of 'His First Flight'?

A. Parents should be strict and never show affection to children
B. All creatures possess natural instincts that emerge when necessity demands, and love sometimes requires tough choices ✓
C. Fear is always irrational and should be ignored completely
D. Flying is easier than expected for seagulls born with proper wings

Answer: B — The story shows that the mother's strategic withdrawal (tough love) activates the seagull's innate survival instinct, proving that necessity and instinct together overcome fear.

Flashcards

Why did the young seagull refuse to fly on the first day despite seeing his siblings succeed?

He was afraid because the sea looked vast and distant below, and he doubted his wings could support him.

What did the seagull's parents do to encourage him to fly?

They called to him shrilly, scolded him, and threatened to let him starve unless he flew away.

What finally compelled the seagull to attempt flying?

His hunger and the sight of his mother holding a piece of fish maddened him into diving for it.

Why did the seagull's mother hold the fish at a distance instead of bringing it to him?

She deliberately halted in flight to force him to dive after it, knowing this would trigger his flying instinct.

What did the seagull experience during his first fall into space?

He felt monstrous terror and his heart stopped, but within a minute his wings spread out naturally and he began soaring.

How did the seagull's fear disappear once he started flying?

He felt only a bit dizzy, and once he flapped his wings upward, he completely forgot he had never flown before.

What is the significance of the phrase 'His feet sank into the green sea'?

It shows the seagull landed safely on water, proving his fear was baseless and his wings could indeed support him.

How did the family react when the seagull finally landed on the water?

They screamed with praise, circled him, and offered him scraps of dog-fish as reward.

What literary technique is used in 'The sight of the food maddened him'?

Personification and hyperbole are used to show how hunger intensified his emotions beyond rational control.

What is the main theme of 'His First Flight'?

Fear can be overcome not by encouragement or threats alone, but by necessity and instinct working together.

Important Board Questions

Why was the young seagull unable to fly despite having strong wings and seeing his siblings succeed? What does this reveal about fear and instinct? [2 marks]

Mention: fear of vast sea below, doubt in his own abilities, psychological paralysis not physical weakness. Show how external encouragement alone fails; instinct requires necessity.

How did the mother seagull's action of halting with the fish in her beak solve her son's problem? Explain why this method succeeded when threats and encouragement had failed. [3 marks]

Identify: mother's deliberate strategy, she combined hunger (necessity) with opportunity (fish within reach), forced choice between fear and survival. Contrast with day-before threats—logic fails, instinct requires action. Show cause-effect: hunger maddened him → dive triggered → wings instinctively spread.

The young seagull's journey from paralysis to flight mirrors real-life challenges humans face. Using examples from the story and your own experience, explain how necessity and family support together help overcome fear. What does the seagull's final floating on water symbolize? [5 marks]

Story evidence: 24-hour isolation, hunger, mother's strategic withdrawal, monstrous terror→instinct activation, floating safely on feared water. Real life: parallel how children learn skills (cycling, swimming) through combination of encouragement and necessity. Analyze: fear is psychological not factual; flotation on water proves his fear baseless—symbolizes how we discover our actual capabilities exceed our imagined limits when forced to try.

Assertion-Reason Questions for Two Stories about Flying

Q1. Assertion (A):

The young seagull's fear of flying was completely unique among seagulls and no other bird has ever experienced such fear.

Reason (R):

His siblings flew away successfully without showing any hesitation or anxiety.

Answer: D — A is false but R is true — Both the assertion and reason are false. The assertion overstates uniqueness—the introductory question asks 'Do you think all young birds are afraid... or are some birds more timid than others?'—implying fear is common but varies in degree. While the reason is true (siblings flew successfully), it doesn't support an absolute claim about uniqueness. The correct answer is D because both parts are false; fear of first flight is not unique, even if this seagull's intensity was unusual.

Q2. Assertion (A):

The seagull's parents used a deliberate strategy of withholding food to motivate him to fly.

Reason (R):

After threatening him, they eventually brought food to him, knowing he would attempt to catch it and thus be forced to fly.

Answer: A — Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A — Both the assertion and reason are true, and the reason IS the correct explanation for the strategy. The parents first threatened to starve him, then when he was hungry, the mother strategically held the fish just out of reach, forcing him to dive—which resulted in his first flight. The mother's action was calculated to use hunger as motivation. This represents intentional parenting strategy.

Q3. Assertion (A):

The young seagull's immediate forgetting of his fear after his first successful flight indicates that fear was never genuinely deep or real.

Reason (R):

He 'completely forgot that he had not always been able to fly' and became absorbed in the joy of flying.

Answer: D — A is false but R is true — The assertion is false, but the reason is true. His fear was genuinely deep—he spent 24 hours paralyzed by it and refused to fly despite family pressure and threats. The reason is true: he did forget his fear in the moment of joyful success. However, the reason does NOT support the assertion that his fear wasn't real. Rather, it shows that joy and success can override memory of fear—a testament to how real his fear was, since it took such positive experience to displace it.

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Case-Based Questions (CBQ) for Two Stories about Flying

Case Study:

A wildlife educator was documenting seagull behavior over several weeks. She observed that young seagulls showed vastly different responses to their first flight: some (about 30%) were hesitant and required motivation from parents, while most (about 70%) flew confidently after watching siblings. She noted that weather conditions, hunger levels, and parental encouragement all influenced the timing of first flights. Interestingly, the hesitant birds showed no later disadvantage in flying skills once they overcame their initial fear.

Q1. According to the passage, what percentage of young seagulls showed hesitation about their first flight?

A. 30% ✓
B. 50%
C. 70%
D. 90%

Answer: A

Q2. Which factor is NOT mentioned as influencing the timing of first flights?

A. Hunger levels
B. Parental encouragement
C. Time of day ✓
D. Weather conditions

Answer: C

Q3. What does the passage suggest about hesitant seagulls' later flying abilities?

A. They never fully develop proper flying skills
B. They have a permanent disadvantage compared to confident birds
C. They show no later disadvantage once they overcome initial fear ✓
D. They require lifelong parental support to fly

Answer: C

Q4. The educator's observation supports which theme from the story?

A. Only confident birds should attempt flight
B. Fear is temporary and can be overcome, leading to equal competence ✓
C. Birds that hesitate are genetically inferior
D. Parental pressure is harmful to young birds

Answer: B

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Previous Year Questions (PYQ) for Two Stories about Flying

Real CBSE board exam questions from past papers — free to attempt.

CBSE 2026 · Set 31/1/1 · 3 marks

Bring out the literal and metaphorical meaning of the word 'plunge' with reference to the young seagull who failed to muster up the courage to the plunge.

CBSE 2026 · Set 31/2/1 · 5 marks

A dime, another ball, is worthless. Now He senses first responsibility In a world of possessions. People will take Balls, balls will be lost always, little boy. And no one buys a ball back. Money is external He is learning, well behind his desperate eyes, The epistemology of loss, how to stand up Knowing what every man must one day know And most know many days, how to stand up.

(i) Comment on the portrayal of the character of the boy in the given extract.

CBSE 2026 · Set 31/2/1 · 6 marks

Evaluate the similarities and differences between the tiger in 'A Tiger in the Zoo' and the dragon in 'The Tale of Custard the Dragon'.

CBSE 2026 · Set 31/2/1 · 3 marks

In 'Two Stories About Flying – Part I', how does the young seagull's hesitation reflect a universal human fear? How is it eventually overcome?

CBSE 2026 · Set 31/3/1 · 3 marks

In 'Two stories about Flying – Part II (Black Aeroplane)', what does the narrator's experience suggest about unexpected help and mystery?

CBSE 2026 · Set 31/1/1 · 1 mark

Though to distinguish beasts of prey / A novice might nonplus, / The Crocodile you always may / Tell from the Hyena thus: / Hyenas come with merry smiles; / But if they weep they're Crocodiles. / The true Chameleon is small, / A lizard sort of thing; / He hasn't any ears at all, / And not a single wing. / If there is nothing on the tree, / 'Tis the chameleon you see.

How does the poet describe the crocodile's tears? Choose the correct option:

genuine and heartfelt
joyful and sincere
false and deceptive
cold and indifferent

CBSE 2026 · Set 31/1/1 · 6 marks

How does the contrast between the pilot's fear in 'The Black Aeroplane' and Custard's initial cowardice in 'The Tale of Custard the Dragon' highlight that courage can be found in the most unexpected characters when circumstances demand it? Discuss with reference to the two.

CBSE 2026 · Set 31/3/1 · 1 mark

Though to distinguish beasts of prey A novice might nonplus, The Crocodile you always may Tell from the Hyena thus: Hyenas come with merry smiles; But if they weep they're Crocodiles. The true Chameleon is small, A lizard sort of thing; He hasn't any ears at all, And not a single wing. If there is nothing on the tree, 'Tis the chameleon you see.

How does the poet describe the crocodile's tears?

genuine and heartfelt
joyful and sincere
false and deceptive
cold and indifferent

CBSE 2026 · Set 31/1/1 · 6 marks

How does the method of the seagull's mother to teach her child to be independent contrast with Amanda's mother's constant nagging? Examine how this affects the emotional responses of the seagull and Amanda.

CBSE 2026 · Set 31/2/1 · 1 mark

OMEGA: Yes, sir. (She reads with great seriousness.) Mistress Mary, quite contrary. How does your garden grow? With cockle shells and silver bells And pretty maids all in a row. OOP: Ha, ha, ha. Imagine that. Pretty maids growing in a garden. THINK-TANK: (alarmed) Stop! This is no time for levity. Don't you realise the seriousness of this discovery? The Earthlings have discovered how to combine agriculture and mining. They can actually grow crops of rare metals such as silver. And cockle shells. They can grow high explosives, too. Noodle, contact our invasion fleet. NOODLE: They are ready to go down and take over Earth, sir.

What can we infer from the given statement, ''This is no time for levity''?

CBSE 2026 · Set 31/2/1 · 2 marks

Think-Tank thinks that Earthlings have reached a high level of civilisation. Why does he think so?

CBSE 2026 · Set 31/2/1 · 1 mark

Complete the sentence appropriately: The piece of information that Noodle provides to Think-Tank is ___________.

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