Two Stories about Flying

Given: The story describes a young seagull who is unable to make his first flight despite his family having already flown.

Answer:
The young seagull was afraid to fly because he felt that his wings would never support him in the air. Whenever he ran towards the edge of the ledge and looked down at the vast, deep sea far below, he became terrified. The great expanse of the ocean and the fear of falling made him retreat in fear.

It is quite natural for young birds to be afraid of their first flight, as it is an entirely new experience. However, some birds may be bolder by nature while others are more timid — just as individual personalities differ among humans.

Similarly, a human baby does find it a challenge to take its first steps. The baby has to overcome the fear of falling, balance its body, and coordinate its limbs — all for the very first time. In both cases, the first attempt requires courage and the overcoming of an instinctive fear.

Given: The young seagull had been starving for twenty-four hours. His mother held a piece of fish in her beak and flew close to him but did not give it to him.

Answer:
The phrase "the sight of the food maddened him" suggests that the young seagull was so desperately hungry that the sight of food drove him beyond the limits of his self-control. His hunger overpowered his fear.

What ultimately compelled him to fly was his extreme hunger combined with his mother's deliberate act of temptation. When his mother flew close to him with a piece of fish but did not give it to him, the seagull could no longer resist. He dived at the fish with a loud scream, and in doing so, he fell off the ledge. As he fell downward, his wings spread out automatically, and he found himself flying. Thus, hunger and the lure of food conquered his fear and compelled him to make his first flight.

Given: The young seagull's parents, brothers, and sister had all flown away, leaving him alone on the ledge. They called to him from the plateau below.

Answer:
The seagull's father and mother threatened and cajoled him to fly because they knew that flying was an essential life skill — without it, the young seagull could not survive. He could not hunt for food, escape predators, or live the life of a seagull if he remained on the ledge forever.

They were acting out of parental concern and love. By threatening him (even pretending to leave him to starve) and by calling out to him encouragingly, they were trying to push him out of his comfort zone so that he would discover his own ability. They understood that the only way he would overcome his fear was by actually attempting to fly. Their actions were a form of tough love meant to ensure his survival and independence.

Note: This is a personal/discussion-based question. A model answer is provided below.

Sample Answer:
Yes, I had a similar experience when I was learning to ride a bicycle. I was very scared of falling and kept refusing to try without the support of training wheels. My father, however, encouraged me patiently. He held the bicycle from behind and ran alongside me, assuring me that he would not let go. Gradually, he loosened his grip, and before I realised it, I was riding on my own. When I looked back and saw him standing far behind, I was both thrilled and proud. His encouragement helped me overcome my fear and discover a skill I still enjoy today.

*(Students should share their own personal experiences in pairs or groups.)*

Note: This is a reflective/discussion-based question linked to Question 4. A model answer is provided.

Sample Answer:
In the case of a bird, flying is indeed a natural, instinctive act, and it is almost certain that the bird will succeed once it attempts it. However, in human endeavours such as learning to ride a bicycle or swim, success is not guaranteed. One may fall, get hurt, or fail multiple times before succeeding.

Yet, it is extremely important to try, regardless of the possibility of failure. The attempt itself builds confidence, teaches us to handle setbacks, and develops perseverance. Even if we do not succeed immediately, the effort is never wasted — we learn from each failure. As the seagull's story shows, the willingness to take the leap is the first and most important step toward success.

Given: The narrator is flying his old Dakota aeroplane from France to England. He sees a huge storm cloud ahead.

The Risk:
The risk is that of flying straight into the massive, dark storm clouds instead of turning back to Paris. Flying into such clouds in an old Dakota aeroplane — without proper visibility, with instruments that could fail, and with the danger of losing control — was extremely dangerous and could have been fatal.

Why he takes it:
The narrator takes the risk because he is eager to reach England. He is thinking of his family — his children, a warm bed, and a good English breakfast. He is so close to home that he does not want to turn back. His longing to be home overrides his caution, and so he decides to fly through the storm despite the danger.

Given: The narrator flew his Dakota aeroplane into a large storm cloud over France while heading to England.

Description of the experience:
As soon as the narrator entered the storm clouds, everything turned suddenly and completely black. He could see nothing outside the aeroplane. The old Dakota began to be tossed about violently — it jumped and twisted in the storm. The compass and other instruments stopped working, so he had no idea which direction he was flying in. He was lost inside the clouds with no radio contact and no navigational aids.

Just when he was in complete despair, he saw the lights of another aeroplane inside the clouds. The pilot of that mysterious black aeroplane signalled him to follow. The narrator followed the strange pilot through the dark clouds for about half an hour. Finally, the black aeroplane led him out of the storm, and he found himself flying over a runway where he landed safely.

The experience was terrifying, disorienting, and miraculous all at once.

Given: After being guided safely through the storm by the mysterious black aeroplane, the narrator lands on a runway.

Answer:
The narrator says this because the flight had been an extremely frightening and harrowing experience. Flying through the violent storm in the old Dakota — with no working instruments, no visibility, no radio contact, and no sense of direction — had been terrifying. He had nearly lost his life.

He was greatly relieved to be safely on the ground. The old Dakota, though it had carried him through, was associated with the fear and danger of that night. He was simply glad to be alive and on solid ground, and felt no attachment to the aeroplane that had put him through such an ordeal. The statement reflects his immense relief at having survived.

Given: After landing safely, the narrator goes to the control centre and asks about the other aeroplane that had guided him.

Answer:
The woman in the control centre looked at the narrator strangely because he asked her about the other aeroplane — the black aeroplane that had guided him through the storm. However, according to the radar and all records at the control centre, there had been no other aeroplane in the sky that night. Only the narrator's Dakota had been flying in that area during the storm.

The woman was puzzled and surprised because the narrator was insisting on the existence of an aeroplane that, as far as all official records were concerned, simply did not exist. This made her look at him in a strange, bewildered manner.

Note: This is an open-ended, interpretive question. Multiple valid answers are possible.

Answer:
This question has no single definitive answer, and different readers may interpret it differently:

1. Supernatural/Spiritual explanation: Many readers believe that the mysterious pilot was a guardian angel or a supernatural force that appeared to save the narrator's life. The fact that the black aeroplane vanished without a trace and left no record on radar supports this view.

2. Psychological explanation: Some readers suggest that the narrator, in a state of extreme stress and fear, may have hallucinated the other aeroplane. His mind, desperate for help, may have created the illusion of a guide.

3. Unexplained mystery: The story deliberately leaves the question unanswered to create a sense of mystery and wonder.

My view: The most likely intended interpretation is that a mysterious, perhaps supernatural, force helped the narrator. The story is titled 'The Black Aeroplane' and the pilot is never identified, suggesting the author wants us to believe in the miraculous nature of the rescue. The narrator himself wonders, "Who was the pilot?" — leaving us with the same unanswered question.

Meaning of 'black' here: Dirty / covered with dirt or grime.

The sentence means that the person's hands and face are extremely dirty and need to be washed.

Meaning of 'black' here: Angry / full of hatred or disapproval.

A 'black look' means an angry, threatening, or disapproving stare. The taxi-driver was angry at Ratan for crossing the road when the signal was green (i.e., when vehicles had the right of way).

Meaning of 'black' here: Wicked / evil / morally the worst.

The sentence means that the atomic bombing of Hiroshima was one of the most terrible and morally reprehensible acts ever committed against human beings.

Meaning of 'black' here: Dark / dealing with unpleasant, morbid, or disturbing subjects in a humorous way.

'Black comedy' (also called dark comedy) refers to a style of humour that makes light of serious, painful, or taboo subjects such as death, war, or suffering.

Meaning of 'black' here: Illegally / on the black market.

'Selling in black' means selling goods illegally at prices higher than the officially fixed price, i.e., through the black market, which operates outside legal channels.

Meaning of 'black' here: The phrase 'black and blue' means covered with bruises.

The sentence means that the villagers had beaten the criminal so severely that his body was covered with bruises (which appear black and blue on the skin).

Matched answers:

| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. Fly a flag | Display a flag on a long pole |
| 2. Fly into rage | Become suddenly very angry |
| 3. Fly along | Move quickly/suddenly |
| 4. Fly high | Be successful |
| 5. Fly the coop | Escape from a place |

Brief explanations:
- Fly a flag — To hoist or display a flag on a flagpole.
- Fly into rage — To suddenly become very angry.
- Fly along — To move very quickly or swiftly.
- Fly high — To be very ambitious or successful.
- Fly the coop — To escape or leave a place (originally referring to a chicken escaping from its coop).

Words that have the same or nearly the same meaning as 'fly' (moving through air):

✓ swoop — to fly downward rapidly
✓ flit — to move lightly and quickly through the air
✓ flutter — to flap wings rapidly while flying
✓ float — to move gently through the air
✓ skim — to fly low and close to a surface
✓ dart — to move suddenly and quickly through the air
✓ hover — to remain suspended in the air in one place
✓ glide — to fly smoothly without flapping wings
✓ soar — to fly high up in the air
✓ sail — to move smoothly through the air
✓ flap — to move wings up and down to fly

Words that do NOT mean 'fly':
- paddle (to move through water)
- ascend (to go upward — not specifically flying)
- ride (to travel on something)
- sink (to go downward into liquid)
- descend (to go downward)
- shoot (to move fast, but not specifically through air using wings)
- spring (to jump)
- stay (to remain in one place)
- fall (to drop downward)