SUMMARY

The short story "His First Flight" by Irish author Liam O' Flaherty is about a family
of seagulls. They can all fly except the youngest male, who has tried several times but to no
avail. The story is a metaphorical representation of a human's need to be independent and
confident but still appreciative and understanding of friends and family.

This story highlights the importance of independence and self-belief, as well as

the need to remain involved in family life.
"To dominate the fear" is the central idea of this story. Flaherty is a great Irish
novelist, essayist, and short-story writer. He is a keen observer and interested in sealife. He spent much time on sea-shore and studied the life of seagulls quite closely.
Once a young seagull was standing alone on a rock in the sea, he was afraid of
flying. His parents taught his sister and two brothers how to fly and dive for fish into
the sea. They strove their level best to teach the young seagull to fly but in vain.
One day his parents thought a plan to teach his flying. All the members of his
family flew away to another rock and left him alone. They did not give him anything to
eat. Twenty-four hours passed. The young seagull walked to the edge of the rock. He
stood there on one leg and closed his eyes. Now he was very hungry. He saw his
mother tearing a piece of fish. He begged his mother to give him food. The mother of
the seagull knew that it was the time to hit upon the nail. She decided to exploit the
hunger of the young seagull for his betterment. She took a piece of fish in her beak
and came flying over him. When she reached over him, she became motionless in the
air. She did not get down on the rock. She wanted to give the young seagull an
incentive to fly. The young seagull bent forward and jumped at the fish. But his mother
flew upward. So he lost his balance and flew down from the rock into the space. He
becomes much frightened. But to save his life he began to flap his wings. As soon as
he flapped his wings, he started to fly. In this way, he learnt how to fly.

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW. SELECT AN OPTION.

Multiple Choice Questions
1. His First Flight has been written by
Floyed Dell
James Thurber
Liam O Flaherty
Katherine Mansfield
2. His parents took no------------- of him
look
notice
attention

care
3. The young seagull was
Sick
Happy
Alone
Sad
4. His father was--------------- his feathers on his back
preening
scratching
rubbing
turning
5. The young seagull had.
Two brothers and one sister
two sister and one brother
two brothers and two sisters
three sisters
6. The sight of the food------------- him.
flared
pleased
frightened
maddened
7. The young seagull was certain that his wings would never him
support
import
convey
carry
8. BAnd then maddened by hunger, he --------- at the fish.
jumped
pounced
leapt
dived
9. He felt the heat because he had not eaten since the previous
nightfall
day
noon
week
10. Then a --------------- terror seized him.

frightening
monstrous
big
stately
11. He even----------------- at the dried pieces of mackerels tail
chew
gnawed
cut
bite
12. He could feel the ------------ of his wings cutting through the air
ends
tips
peak
sound
13. Now there was not a single -------------- of food left.
scrap
scrape
piece
loaf
14. The young seagull felt a bit.
dizzy
dozing
headache
angry
15. And between him and his parents there was a deep, wide
valley
sea
chasm
lake
16. The young seagull turned his beak sideways and ------------ amusedly
tittered
cackle
roared
crowed

WORKSHEET
1. This activity could be used as an open book test
BEFORE FLIGHT
1.
2.
3.
4.

Young seagull
His father
His mother
His siblings

2. Complete the sentences by choosing an appropriate option from the choices given below:
1. The young seagull was alone on his ledge because________________________________.
a) he had no family of his own
b) he had not made his nest
c) his parents, brothers and sister had flown away except him as he was afraid to fly
d) he was too young to start flying
2. In order to encourage the young seagull to fly, his parents _________________________.
a) scolded him and threatened to let him starve unless he flew
b) showed him how to fly
c) came around and persuaded him to fly
d) yelled at him
3. But he kept calling plaintively.
In the above line 'plaintively' means__________________
a) cheerfully
b) sadly
c) joyfully
d) nostalgically
4. But when she was opposite to him, she halted her wings motionless
Mother of the seagull halted because_________________________________________.
a) she wanted to take rest as she had been flying for long
b) she wanted to fly back
c) she wanted to offer the piece of fish she was carrying to the seagull's brother
d) she wanted the young seagull to make an effort to fly himself
5. Before his first flight the young seagull was very ________________________.
a) nervous
b) afraid
c) happy
d) excited
Answers:
My first solo stage performance ( speaking, singing, acting etc)

My first journey alone (by train / bus / air)

3. COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1. That was twenty-four hours ago. Since then nobody had come near him. The day before, all
daylong, he had watched his parents flying about with his brothers and sister, perfecting them
in the artof flight, teaching them how to skim the waves and how to dive for fish. He had, in
fact, seen hisolder brother catch his first hering and devour it, standing on a rock, while his
parents circled aroundraising a proud cackle.
Questions :a) Where was the seagull staying?
b) What was the attitude of the seagulls parents towards him?
c) Why couldnt the seagull fly about like his brothers and sister?
d) Trace a word from the passage which means moving lightly just above the surface of sea.
2. He waited a moment in surprise, wondering why she did not come nearer, and then
maddened byhunger, he dived at the fish. With a loud scream he fell outwards and downwards
into space. Then amonstrous terror seized him and his heart stood still. He could hear nothing.
But it only lasted aminute. The next moment he felt his wings spread outwards.
Questions :a) How had the seagull been feeling?
b) Why didnt his mother come near him with food?
c) What happened when the seagull dived at fish?
d) Trace a phrase from the passage which means - to be very frightened.

4. LONG ANSWER TYPE

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?
Answer: The young seagull was afraid of falling and hurting itself. Any animal or bird,
including humans is afraid to take first steps or first flight.
Actually this is not a simple act of flying or walking. This is about growing independent, about
taking a giant leap towards maturity. As the process of learning anything is difficult so we are
apprehensive while taking the proverbial first steps in life. You must have observed a kid crying
on his first day to school. As the kid is going to face the harsh outside world, there will not be
the protective environment of its parents. So, consciously or subconsciously the kid is having
fear about challenges which lie ahead.
Once you will graduate from school and will enter the college, you will feel nervousness and
anxiety during initial days of college. But tackling that nervousness is worth it as it will give
you enough confidence to enter the adult world.
2. The sight of the food maddened him. What does this suggest? What compelled
the young seagull to finally fly?

Answer: This episode can be an important lesson to develop self dependence. We human
beings get the protection of our near and dear ones almost through out our lives. Even if
somebody becomes adult his/her parents remain protective about him/her. It sounds good but
more often than not this possessive behaviour hampers our mental development.
Had seagulls parents continued to feed him, he wont have tried to fly. But the hunger along
with sight of tasty fish compelled him to fly and reach for the sky.
3. They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly. Why did the seagulls father and
mother threaten him and cajole him to fly?
Answer: You can compare the situation with the way your parents cajole and sometimes
pressurize you to focus on your study. Excess of either love or pressure will not do well for you.
You will be spoiled or you can become stubborn.
So a mix of carrot and stick always give the desired results. Probably seagulls parents have
learnt this lesson through their experience. That is why they are following the carrot and stick
policy.
4. Have you ever had a similar experience, where your parents encouraged you to
do something that you were too scared to try?
Answer Tips: There can be variety of examples, like learning to ride a bicycle, or getting
goose-bumps on a ferry wheel, or the apprehension while traveling alone for the first time.
You can try recalling how nervous you felt. What suggestions were given to you and how you
overcame your fear to succeed in difficult acts which seem simple for you at present.
Answer following questions in about 40 words.
Q1) How did the young seagulls parents treat him initially when he did not fly?
Ans1) Initially when the young seagull afraid to fly his parents called to him shrilly. They
scolding him and threatened to let him starve. The whole family taunted him coward.
Q2) What did young seagull do to attract his mothers attention?
Ans2) Young seagull was alone as his whole family had flown away. He was hungry and tried to
attract the attention of his mother. He stood on the brink of the ledge, on one leg with other
leg hidden under his wing. He closed one eye and pretended to be falling asleep.
Q3) What trick did the young seagulls mother play to make him fly from his ledge?
Ans3) The young seagulls mother was much worried about the young seagull who could not
mustered courage to fly along with his broth and sister. She played a trick to overcome this
problem. She tore a piece of fish and fly towards young seagull. She reached close to him and
halted just in front of him. The sight of food made him mad. He dived to catch the food and fell
down. In the way he struggled and learnt to fly.

A QUESTION FOR DEBATE

Q1) Some people are slow learner. How should we behave with them?
A very big problem that every school faces, i.e. the difficulty to deal with the slow learners. The
teachers have their big headache over these children. Handle them in homework & class work,

understanding the topic, etc are the areas concerned with the slow learners. We try to advise
them or we try to get result by hook or crook through putting negative enforcement by
punishing them. It is estimated that due to that problem many slow learners or dropout
students are being termed as weak students & thrown out of the school. But that is not the
solution. The result of the action of the throwing out the child out of the school paves the way
to create a dark spot in the life of the victim child. Then, where are the solutions? If the
teachers will give time to think over those children, definitely the solution comes in their hand.
It is also the proof in history that many slow learners have become qualified themselves as the
scientists & writers in their life. So, why not we experiment with these slow learners who are
with us? Have we thought over it? Have we tried to understand the life of a slow learner? The
following discussion may help the teachers to improve the skill of the slow learners.
Q2) What are the qualities that make a good leader?
Qualities of a good leader and his leading is

role model for his followers. He must

posses some key personal leadership traits that are mandatory to be a leaderHe must have a
clear vision for his people, situations and circumstances he wishes to change. He be a firm
believer in his cause and must believe that his dream will be realized in time.
Churchill reputably said, "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also
what it takes to sit down and listen." The true leader is willing to do both as the situation
requires. He must exhibit calm confidence in all situations. A leader must set an inspirational
example to lead his people and constantly motivate the group he is leading. He needs to to
understand the group he is leading. If he does not know his people well, he is following the
wind.
A leader not only identifies his group's problems but articulates their message clearly
and, in turn, gains a response from them in the form of their ardent support for him. He should
not be fickle. He must know who he is, and what he stand for and must defend his cause with
resolve.
He should assign critical leadership roles to the group. One of the key attributes of a
great leader is that he is a decision-maker even the picture is incomplete. He will follow his
instincts and experience and will make timely decision.
Martin Luther King Jr. said "Forgiveness is not an occasional act, it is a permanent
attitude." Since the ultimate objective of a leader is to serve his people with love and kindness,
he cannot serve them with any grudge or revenge-driven ideas. He must be forgiving.
A leader is great only when he is great in humility. He gets his grace and wisdom by
being humble and down to earth. A true leader is willing to undertake a struggle and persist at
it. He does not give up hope and effort in the face of failure or defeat, but keeps trying till he
meets victory.
He must be vigilant at all times. He should be able to identify negative tendencies in the
people he works with and in his opposition camp.

He must not be inpatient and hasty in his actions and decisions. Patience is imperative
to achieve success. To be compassionate is one of the core qualities of a true leader. He can
sympathize with his follower only when he has love and compassion for them.
He is never afraid to admit to his mistakes. Rather, he learns from past mistakes and
emerges as stronger and more powerful leader. He is a person of great characters and integrity
and he guards these qualities.
Q3) Great leaders are not born but they are made
I agree with it!!!
They are not born or gifted.T hey are trained for it!!!
When we were born the only things that we bring to this world is happiness. We give happiness
for those who are waiting for us, waiting for our birth!! Leadership doesn't come together when
we were born, but we trained it as times goes by. Even though our father is a great successful
person, it doesn't mean that we can inherit those abilities, unless we are taught to be one of
them then we can be a great leader. A great leader is something that we can learn. Learn to be
successful. Learn to be respect by everyone.
Learn to be love by everyone. Learn how to be responsible to everyone and learn everything to
become a great leader.

POEM
'IF' - RUDYARD KIPLING
The central idea of the poem IF by RUDYARD KIPLING is that success comes from selfcontrol and a true sense of the values of things. In extremes lies danger. A man must not lose
heart because of doubts or opposition, yet he must do his best to see the grounds for both. He
must not be deceived into thinking either triumph or disaster final; he must use each wisely-and push on. If is a didactic poem, a work meant to give instruction. If gives an instruction
in cultivating several specific traits of a good leader. Kipling offers this instruction not through
listing specific characteristics, but by providing concrete illustrations of the complex actions a
man should or should not take which would reflect these characteristics. In all things he must
hold on to his strength of character, morals, and to his values, and not be swayed by others. If
he succeeds in doing this he will own the world, and even better, for his personal reward he
will attain the full stature of manhood.

COMPREHENSION PRACTICE
1. Check all the statements that are true, according to the poem.

a. You should always be calm.

b. You should neither lie nor hate.
c. Always look your best and speak in a very wise manner.
d. Its all right to dream but act on reality.
e. Realize that you will have both good and bad in your life.
f. Even if someone hurts you badly, get up and start over.
g. When you feel stressed, take some time off.
h. Adopt the ways of people in higher social positions.
i. If you follow these rules, youll be a success in life.
2. Check all the statements that are true by inference.
j. If you lost all your money in a stock market crash, you would remain calm.
k. If people hated you, you would hate them in return.
l. If you faced triumph or if you faced disaster, you would deal with the situation.
m. If you lost everything, you could never start over.
n. If you lost your strength, you would regain it.
o. If you associated with bad people, you would adopt their bad habits.
p. If you could follow this advice, you would be a strong and excellent man.

POEM QUESTIONS
1.What does this poem remind you of in your life? :

This poem reminds me of when I was a small boy how it was difficult to start to grow up.
It makes me remember what a change it was to do things on my own, and it took me a very
long time to be independent and start to mature. It also makes me think about how much
farther I have to develop in order to completely grow up.
This poem reminds me of when i was younger in life and everything was still new to me.
It reminds me of learning new things and experiencing things for the first time. It brings back
memories and yet makes me wonder what the future holds.
2.What feelings does the poem awaken in you? How do your feelings connect with those of the
poet?
This poem awakens a variety of feelings within me such as inspiration and the feeling of
happiness. It also made a deep connection with me because some of the situations it describes
or talks about are experiences of mine also. I think some of the feelings I was feeling were also
the feelings of the poet, they even connect to those of the poet because they are the same or
close. My feelings of what you must know and be able to do to be a grownup connect to his
and we share the same ideals and principles. This connects us in some inexplicable way that
makes is seem as though there are too few words in the English language to describe such a
link.
3.What is the poem about? Consider speaker, symbols, comparisons, contrasts and conflicts.
The poem is about growing up. It talks about how the poet can tell his son to grow up.
He also explains what a real man is. If you can do this with that happening is what most of the
lines are like. The conflict is a boy that cannot grow up and is going through many difficulties.
He does not know how feel, act, or be.
This poem is about becoming mature and becoming and adult. The writer is putting his
own experiences into this and tells about the high and low ends and the conflicts you will face,
like not giving in even though everyone else has. It compares and contrasts the right and
wrong decisions that one person can make in their journey to adulthood.
4.What are the poetic form, figurative language and poetic structure?
It has some rhyming. But not in every line. Between lines it describes how to become a
man. It also has much figurative language and can be clear as water. Also the poetic structure
is a stanza piece. It has four stanzas and each one rhymes. Each stanza has a little repetition.
This keeps the reader engaged and reading.
e. What feelings does the poem awaken in you? How do your feelings connect with those of the
poet?
This poem awakens a variety of feelings within me such as inspiration and the feeling of
happiness. It also made a deep connection with me because some of the situations it describes
or talks about are experiences of mine also. I think some of the feelings I was feeling were also
the feelings of the poet, they even connect to those of the poet because they are the same or
close. My feelings of what you must know and be able to do to be a grownup connect to his

and we share the same ideals and principles. This connects us in some inexplicable way that
makes is seem as though there are too few words in the English language to describe such a
link. Amongst the most famous poems written in the English language is Rudyard Kipling's ever
popular piece "if." It seems to have entered into the public's general consciousness in ways
that other poems have not come close to. The timeless appeal of the passing down of
knowledge and wisdom from father to son is immediately recognized and appreciated by an
audience all too familiar with the joys and pitfalls of parenthood. The poem is touching in its
sincerity and is full of humility and warmth which has been appreciated by millions since it was
first written in 1895.

WORKSHEET
READ CAREFULLY AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS GIVEN AT THE END OF THE PASSAGE:
We live in challenging times, when even the most successful among us may occasionally
become overwhelmed by problems relating to money, family, parenting, illness, stress, or any
of the innumerable challenges we all face from time to time. People from all walks of life have
faced and eventually overcome every sort of problem. And not only overcome great odds and
just survive, but have thrived.
Did you know that Barrack Obama had suffered a crushing defeat in elections just 8 years
before being elected president? Or that Albert Einstein couldnt find a teaching job? Or that
billionaire Ross Perot got this start by borrowing $1,000 from his wife? These are just a few of
the examples of the many humble beginnings that eventually led to stunning success.
Here is one such profile - divided into 3 sections; The Fall, The Rise and The Comeback,
describing how he found his way from tragedy to triumph. The conclusion features an insightful
analysis of the ways that you can apply the lesson to your own life.
What do these comebacks prove? That no matter what your problem or background, where
youre from or the mistakes youve made, its possible to stage a comeback, even when things
seem hopeless. Half the battle is realizing that it can be done; the other half is the specific
strategy you need to employ. By giving 100 very diverse examples of great comebacks, we
prove that a comeback is always possible, and provide many specific examples how you can
move from tragedy to triumph.

QUESTION
How will you face such challenges and deal with the defeats and drawbacks in your life?
Compare this passage with the poem IF and write down the similarity of the idea between
both in 20 to 25 lines.