Chapter 3: Two Stories about Flying
Part I: His First Flight (By Liam O'Flaherty)
Introduction
"His First Flight" is a poignant tale about a young seagull's struggle to overcome his fear of flying. It beautifully illustrates the importance of courage, self-belief, and the support of family in achieving one's goals.
Story Summary
The story revolves around a young seagull who is afraid to fly. His two brothers and sister have already made their first flights, but he lacks the courage to follow them. He feels that his wings are too short and would not support him over the vast sea. His parents and siblings try to encourage him, even taunting and scolding him, threatening to let him starve if he doesn't fly. Yet, he remains rooted to his ledge, watching his family enjoy their flights and catching fish.
He is filled with envy and hunger. His mother, seeing his plight, devises a plan. She flies towards him with a piece of fish in her beak, but stops just within his reach. Maddened by hunger, the young seagull can no longer resist. He dives at the fish, and in that desperate moment, his fear is overcome by the instinct to fly. His wings spread out, and he finds himself soaring. He flaps his wings, screaming with joy, and soon he is flying, diving, and soaring with his family, having conquered his fear and made his first successful flight.
Main Characters
- The Young Seagull: The protagonist, initially timid and fearful of flying, but eventually overcomes his fear.
- The Seagull's Mother: The wise and clever mother who uses hunger as a catalyst to make her son fly.
- The Seagull's Father and Siblings: They try to encourage and even scold the young seagull to make him take his first flight.
Key Themes
- Overcoming Fear: The central theme, demonstrating how one can conquer their deepest fears with determination.
- Importance of Family Support: The role of the family in pushing and motivating an individual to achieve their potential.
- Self-Reliance and Confidence: The realization that one must trust their own abilities to succeed.
- Hunger as a Motivator: How basic instincts can sometimes override fear.
Part II: The Black Aeroplane (By Frederick Forsyth)
Introduction
"The Black Aeroplane" is a gripping story of mystery and suspense, where a pilot faces a life-threatening storm and is mysteriously guided to safety by an unknown helper.
Story Summary
The narrator, a pilot, is flying his old Dakota aeroplane at night, from Paris to London. He dreams of enjoying a "big English breakfast" with his family. The sky is clear, and everything is going smoothly until he encounters enormous storm clouds, which look like black mountains. He knows he cannot fly over them or around them due to limited fuel.
He decides to take the risk and flies straight into the storm. Inside the clouds, it becomes pitch black, and all his instruments – the compass, the radio – stop working. He is lost and helpless, his plane jumping and twisting in the air. Just as he loses hope, he sees another black aeroplane with no lights on its wings. The pilot in the mysterious plane waves to him, signaling him to follow.
The narrator blindly follows the black aeroplane for about half an hour, constantly worrying about his dwindling fuel. Finally, the mysterious plane leads him out of the storm, and he sees the lights of the runway. He lands safely and, eager to thank his rescuer, goes to the control tower to inquire about the other aeroplane. To his astonishment, the woman at the control centre tells him that there was no other plane in the sky that night besides his own, due to the storm.
The narrator is left wondering who the mysterious pilot was who saved his life, concluding that it was an inexplicable, perhaps miraculous, intervention.
Main Characters
- The Narrator (Pilot): The protagonist, an experienced pilot flying his old Dakota, who encounters a mysterious storm and helper.
- The Mysterious Pilot: The unknown pilot of the black aeroplane who guides the narrator to safety. His identity remains a mystery.
- The Woman in the Control Centre: The person who confirms that no other plane was flying that night, adding to the mystery.
Key Themes
- Mystery and the Supernatural: The unexplained appearance and disappearance of the black aeroplane.
- Courage and Decision Making under Pressure: The pilot's choice to enter the storm and his subsequent reliance on an unknown guide.
- The Power of Faith and Hope: How the pilot held onto hope in a desperate situation.
- Human Instinct vs. Rationality: The pilot follows his instinct to trust the mysterious plane despite the illogical circumstances.
Textbook Questions and Answers
I. Oral Comprehension Check (Page 34 - Part I)
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Why was the young seagull afraid to fly?
The young seagull was afraid to fly because it was his first flight, and he feared that his wings would not support him. He felt the great expanse of sea beneath him and was terrified of falling.
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"The sight of the food maddened him." What does this suggest? What compelled the young seagull to finally fly?
This suggests that the young seagull was extremely hungry and the sight of food made him desperate. What compelled him to finally fly was his mother's clever tactic: she flew towards him with a piece of fish but stopped just short, maddening him with hunger until he plunged at the food, thus making his first flight.
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"They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly." Why did the seagull's father and mother threaten him and cajole him to fly?
The seagull's father and mother threatened and cajoled him to fly because they wanted him to overcome his fear and become independent. They knew he wouldn't learn to fly unless he was pushed to do so, and they wanted him to be able to find his own food and survive.
II. Oral Comprehension Check (Page 38 - Part II)
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"I'll take the risk." What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it?
The risk is flying the old Dakota aeroplane straight into the massive, black storm clouds. The narrator takes it because he wants to get home to England for breakfast with his family and doesn't have enough fuel to fly around the storm.
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Describe the narrator's experience as he flew the aeroplane into the storm.
As he flew into the storm, the narrator's plane began to jump and twist. It became completely black outside, and he could see nothing. His compass stopped working, then the radio, leaving him lost and without contact. He felt utterly helpless and terrified.
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Why did the narrator suddenly see a black aeroplane near him in the storm? What was its purpose?
The narrator suddenly saw a black aeroplane near him because he was lost and in a life-threatening situation. Its purpose was to guide him out of the storm and to safety when all his instruments had failed. Its appearance was mysterious and unexplained.
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What do you think happened next? Did the narrator reach home safely? Discuss this with your partner.
Yes, the narrator reached home safely. The mysterious black aeroplane guided him through the storm, and he saw the runway lights, allowing him to land. His safe landing was a miraculous escape from a very dangerous situation.
III. Thinking about the Text (Page 39)
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"I'll take the risk." What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it?
This question is repeated from Oral Comprehension Check, demonstrating its importance. The risk is flying the old Dakota into the huge storm clouds despite knowing it's dangerous and he might get lost. He takes it because he is eager to get home and have a "good big English breakfast," and he doesn't want to turn back to Paris.
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Describe the narrator's experience as he flew the aeroplane into the storm.
This question is repeated from Oral Comprehension Check. As the narrator entered the storm, his plane started to jump and twist violently. It was completely dark, and he lost all visibility. His compass spun and became dead, and his radio also went dead. He was lost in the storm with very little fuel left, feeling immense fear and helplessness.
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Why do you think the narrator's mother (in Part I) and the pilot's mysterious guide (in Part II) were both essential for the young seagull and the pilot, respectively, to overcome their fear/trouble?
Both the mother seagull and the mysterious pilot served as crucial external catalysts. The mother seagull's presence and the strategic use of food provided the necessary push for the young seagull to overcome his innate fear and take the plunge. For the pilot, the mysterious guide appeared when he was completely helpless and lost, providing a beacon of hope and a path to safety when all his instruments failed. In both cases, the external help enabled the protagonists to find their inner strength and overcome their critical situations.
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Have you ever been alone or away from home during a thunderstorm? Narrate your experience in a paragraph.
[This is an open-ended question for students to answer based on their personal experience. A sample answer could be: "Yes, I was once caught in a sudden thunderstorm while walking back from tuition. The sky turned dark, strong winds started blowing, and then heavy rain and lightning followed. I was quite scared, especially when the streetlights flickered. I quickly found shelter under a bus stop shed and waited there, shivering, until the rain subsided and my parents came to pick me up. It felt like an eternity, and I was relieved to finally be safe at home."]
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