His First Flight by Liam O’ Flaherty 10

 Class 10 First Flight chapter – 

“His First Flight” by Liam O’ Flaherty 

 Word Meanings (Paragraph-wise important words)

• Ledge – narrow shelf on a cliff

• Brink – edge

• Hunger – strong need for food

• Plunged – dived quickly

• Maddened – made wild/crazy

• Devour – eat hungrily

• Hesitate – pause, delay due to fear

• Exhausted – very tired

• Shreeked – cried loudly

• Soaring – flying high in the air

• Swooped – moved quickly downwards through the air

• Cackling – laughing in a noisy way

• Preening – cleaning feathers with beak

• Tapping – hitting lightly again and again

 Summary (Simple English)

The story is about a young seagull who was afraid to fly. His two brothers and sister could fly, but he was scared. He lived on a ledge and often saw his family flying and enjoying. His parents encouraged him, but he refused due to fear. One day, he was very hungry. His mother brought a piece of fish and stopped near him. When he stretched to get the food, he lost balance and fell. Out of fear, he flapped his wings — and to his surprise, he was flying! He felt confident and happy as he joined his family in the air.

NCERT Textbook Questions & Answers

Thinking About the Text

Q1. 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? Give reasons for your answer.

• The young seagull was afraid to fly because he thought his wings would not support him. He was afraid of falling into the sea.

• Yes, all young birds feel fear before their first flight. Like humans learning something new, some are more timid, but encouragement and practice remove fear.

Q2. “The sight of the food maddened him. What does this suggest? What compelled the young seagull to finally fly?”

• The young seagull was extremely hungry. The sight of food made him wild with desire.

• His hunger compelled him to fly. To get food from his mother, he dived, and in the process, he discovered he could fly.

Q3. “They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly. He dropped.”
(a) Who were calling the seagull?
(b) Why did he drop?

• (a) His family (parents, brothers, and sister) were calling him.

• (b) He dropped because while trying to reach for the fish in his mother’s beak, he fell off the ledge.

Q4. Describe the young seagull’s emotions when he made his first flight.

• At first, he felt terror and fear. But soon he realized his wings were supporting him. Then he felt joy, confidence, and pride. He was excited and happy as he soared and glided with his family.

Q5. “His First Flight” is a story of overcoming fear. Explain.

• The young seagull had the ability to fly but fear stopped him. Hunger and encouragement from his family pushed him to try. Once he overcame his fear, he succeeded. The story shows that courage and self-confidence help us to overcome fears.