NCERT Textbook: Two Stories about Flying | English Class 10 PDF Download

 Page 1


BEFORE YOU READ
Since the earliest times, humans have dreamt of conquering the
skies. Here are two stories about flying.
I. A young seagull is afraid to fly. How does he conquer his fear?
II. A pilot is lost in storm clouds. Does he arrive safe? Who helps
him?
I
His First Flight
THE young seagull was alone on his ledge. His two
brothers and his sister had already flown away the
day before. He had been afraid to fly with them.
Somehow when he had taken a little run forward to
the brink of the ledge and attempted to flap his
wings he became afraid. The great expanse of sea
stretched down beneath, and it was such a long
way down — miles down. He felt certain that his
wings would never support him; so he bent his head
and ran away back to the little hole under the ledge
where he slept at night. Even when each of his
brothers and his little sister, whose wings were far
shorter than his own, ran to the brink, flapped their
wings, and flew away, he failed to muster up courage
to take that plunge which appeared to him so
desperate. His father and mother had come around
ledge
a narrow horizontal
shelf projecting from
a wall or (here) a cliff
Reprint 2024-25
Page 2


BEFORE YOU READ
Since the earliest times, humans have dreamt of conquering the
skies. Here are two stories about flying.
I. A young seagull is afraid to fly. How does he conquer his fear?
II. A pilot is lost in storm clouds. Does he arrive safe? Who helps
him?
I
His First Flight
THE young seagull was alone on his ledge. His two
brothers and his sister had already flown away the
day before. He had been afraid to fly with them.
Somehow when he had taken a little run forward to
the brink of the ledge and attempted to flap his
wings he became afraid. The great expanse of sea
stretched down beneath, and it was such a long
way down — miles down. He felt certain that his
wings would never support him; so he bent his head
and ran away back to the little hole under the ledge
where he slept at night. Even when each of his
brothers and his little sister, whose wings were far
shorter than his own, ran to the brink, flapped their
wings, and flew away, he failed to muster up courage
to take that plunge which appeared to him so
desperate. His father and mother had come around
ledge
a narrow horizontal
shelf projecting from
a wall or (here) a cliff
Reprint 2024-25
calling to him shrilly, upbraiding him, threatening
to let him starve on his ledge unless he flew away.
But for the life of him he could not move.
That was twenty-four hours ago. Since then
nobody had come near him. The day before, all day
long, he had watched his parents flying about with
his brothers and sister, perfecting them in the art
of flight, teaching them how to skim the waves and
how to dive for fish. He had, in fact, seen his older
brother catch his first herring and devour it,
standing on a rock, while his parents circled around
raising a proud cackle. And all the morning the
whole family had walked about on the big plateau
midway down the opposite cliff taunting him with
his cowardice.
The sun was now ascending the sky, blazing on
his ledge that faced the south. He felt the heat
because he had not eaten since the previous nightfall.
He stepped slowly out to the brink of the ledge,
and standing on one leg with the other leg hidden
under his wing, he closed one eye, then the other,
herring
a soft-finned sea fish
(to) skim
to move lightly just
above a surface
(here, the sea)
upbraiding
scolding
33
Two Stories about Flying
Reprint 2024-25
Page 3


BEFORE YOU READ
Since the earliest times, humans have dreamt of conquering the
skies. Here are two stories about flying.
I. A young seagull is afraid to fly. How does he conquer his fear?
II. A pilot is lost in storm clouds. Does he arrive safe? Who helps
him?
I
His First Flight
THE young seagull was alone on his ledge. His two
brothers and his sister had already flown away the
day before. He had been afraid to fly with them.
Somehow when he had taken a little run forward to
the brink of the ledge and attempted to flap his
wings he became afraid. The great expanse of sea
stretched down beneath, and it was such a long
way down — miles down. He felt certain that his
wings would never support him; so he bent his head
and ran away back to the little hole under the ledge
where he slept at night. Even when each of his
brothers and his little sister, whose wings were far
shorter than his own, ran to the brink, flapped their
wings, and flew away, he failed to muster up courage
to take that plunge which appeared to him so
desperate. His father and mother had come around
ledge
a narrow horizontal
shelf projecting from
a wall or (here) a cliff
Reprint 2024-25
calling to him shrilly, upbraiding him, threatening
to let him starve on his ledge unless he flew away.
But for the life of him he could not move.
That was twenty-four hours ago. Since then
nobody had come near him. The day before, all day
long, he had watched his parents flying about with
his brothers and sister, perfecting them in the art
of flight, teaching them how to skim the waves and
how to dive for fish. He had, in fact, seen his older
brother catch his first herring and devour it,
standing on a rock, while his parents circled around
raising a proud cackle. And all the morning the
whole family had walked about on the big plateau
midway down the opposite cliff taunting him with
his cowardice.
The sun was now ascending the sky, blazing on
his ledge that faced the south. He felt the heat
because he had not eaten since the previous nightfall.
He stepped slowly out to the brink of the ledge,
and standing on one leg with the other leg hidden
under his wing, he closed one eye, then the other,
herring
a soft-finned sea fish
(to) skim
to move lightly just
above a surface
(here, the sea)
upbraiding
scolding
33
Two Stories about Flying
Reprint 2024-25
34
First Flight
and pretended to be falling asleep. Still they took
no notice of him. He saw his two brothers and his
sister lying on the plateau dozing with their heads
sunk into their necks. His father was preening the
feathers on his white back. Only his mother was
looking at him. She was standing on a little high
hump on the plateau, her white breast thrust
forward. Now and again, she tore at a piece of fish
that lay at her feet and then scrapped each side of
her beak on the rock. The sight of the food maddened
him. How he loved to tear food that way, scrapping
his beak now and again to whet it.
“Ga, ga, ga,” he cried begging her to bring him
some food. “Gaw-col-ah,” she screamed back
derisively. But he kept calling plaintively, and
after a minute or so he uttered a joyful scream.
His mother had picked up a piece of the fish and
was flying across to him with it. He leaned out
(to) whet
to sharpen
derisively
in a manner
showing someone
that she/he is stupid
preening
making an effort to
maintain feathers
Reprint 2024-25
Page 4


BEFORE YOU READ
Since the earliest times, humans have dreamt of conquering the
skies. Here are two stories about flying.
I. A young seagull is afraid to fly. How does he conquer his fear?
II. A pilot is lost in storm clouds. Does he arrive safe? Who helps
him?
I
His First Flight
THE young seagull was alone on his ledge. His two
brothers and his sister had already flown away the
day before. He had been afraid to fly with them.
Somehow when he had taken a little run forward to
the brink of the ledge and attempted to flap his
wings he became afraid. The great expanse of sea
stretched down beneath, and it was such a long
way down — miles down. He felt certain that his
wings would never support him; so he bent his head
and ran away back to the little hole under the ledge
where he slept at night. Even when each of his
brothers and his little sister, whose wings were far
shorter than his own, ran to the brink, flapped their
wings, and flew away, he failed to muster up courage
to take that plunge which appeared to him so
desperate. His father and mother had come around
ledge
a narrow horizontal
shelf projecting from
a wall or (here) a cliff
Reprint 2024-25
calling to him shrilly, upbraiding him, threatening
to let him starve on his ledge unless he flew away.
But for the life of him he could not move.
That was twenty-four hours ago. Since then
nobody had come near him. The day before, all day
long, he had watched his parents flying about with
his brothers and sister, perfecting them in the art
of flight, teaching them how to skim the waves and
how to dive for fish. He had, in fact, seen his older
brother catch his first herring and devour it,
standing on a rock, while his parents circled around
raising a proud cackle. And all the morning the
whole family had walked about on the big plateau
midway down the opposite cliff taunting him with
his cowardice.
The sun was now ascending the sky, blazing on
his ledge that faced the south. He felt the heat
because he had not eaten since the previous nightfall.
He stepped slowly out to the brink of the ledge,
and standing on one leg with the other leg hidden
under his wing, he closed one eye, then the other,
herring
a soft-finned sea fish
(to) skim
to move lightly just
above a surface
(here, the sea)
upbraiding
scolding
33
Two Stories about Flying
Reprint 2024-25
34
First Flight
and pretended to be falling asleep. Still they took
no notice of him. He saw his two brothers and his
sister lying on the plateau dozing with their heads
sunk into their necks. His father was preening the
feathers on his white back. Only his mother was
looking at him. She was standing on a little high
hump on the plateau, her white breast thrust
forward. Now and again, she tore at a piece of fish
that lay at her feet and then scrapped each side of
her beak on the rock. The sight of the food maddened
him. How he loved to tear food that way, scrapping
his beak now and again to whet it.
“Ga, ga, ga,” he cried begging her to bring him
some food. “Gaw-col-ah,” she screamed back
derisively. But he kept calling plaintively, and
after a minute or so he uttered a joyful scream.
His mother had picked up a piece of the fish and
was flying across to him with it. He leaned out
(to) whet
to sharpen
derisively
in a manner
showing someone
that she/he is stupid
preening
making an effort to
maintain feathers
Reprint 2024-25
35
Two Stories about Flying
eagerly, tapping the rock with his feet, trying to
get nearer to her as she flew across. But when
she was just opposite to him, she halted, her
wings motionless, the piece of fish in her beak
almost within reach of his beak. He waited a
moment in surprise, wondering why she did not
come nearer, and then, maddened by hunger, he
dived at the fish. With a loud scream he fell
outwards and downwards into space. Then a
monstrous terror seized him and his heart stood
still. He could hear nothing. But it only lasted a
minute. The next moment he felt his wings spread
outwards. The wind rushed against his breast
feathers, then under his stomach, and against his
wings. He could feel the tips of his wings cutting
through the air. He was not falling headlong now.
He was soaring gradually downwards and outwards.
He was no longer afraid. He just felt a bit dizzy.
Then he flapped his wings once and he soared
upwards. “Ga, ga, ga, Ga, ga, ga, Gaw-col-ah,” his
mother swooped past him, her wings making a
loud noise. He answered her with another scream.
Then his father flew over him screaming. He saw
his two brothers and his sister flying around him
curveting and banking and soaring and diving.
Then he completely forgot that he had not always
been able to fly, and commended himself to dive
and soar and curve, shrieking shrilly.
He was near the sea now, flying straight over
it, facing straight out over the ocean. He saw a
vast green sea beneath him, with little ridges
moving over it and he turned his beak sideways
and cawed amusedly.
His parents and his brothers and sister had
landed on this green flooring ahead of him. They
were beckoning to him, calling shrilly. He dropped
his legs to stand on the green sea. His legs sank
into it. He screamed with fright and attempted to
rise again flapping his wings. But he was tired and
weak with hunger and he could not rise, exhausted
dizzy
an uncomfortable
feeling of spinning
around and losing
one’s balance
curveting
leaping like a horse
banking
flying with one wing
higher than the other
Reprint 2024-25
Page 5


BEFORE YOU READ
Since the earliest times, humans have dreamt of conquering the
skies. Here are two stories about flying.
I. A young seagull is afraid to fly. How does he conquer his fear?
II. A pilot is lost in storm clouds. Does he arrive safe? Who helps
him?
I
His First Flight
THE young seagull was alone on his ledge. His two
brothers and his sister had already flown away the
day before. He had been afraid to fly with them.
Somehow when he had taken a little run forward to
the brink of the ledge and attempted to flap his
wings he became afraid. The great expanse of sea
stretched down beneath, and it was such a long
way down — miles down. He felt certain that his
wings would never support him; so he bent his head
and ran away back to the little hole under the ledge
where he slept at night. Even when each of his
brothers and his little sister, whose wings were far
shorter than his own, ran to the brink, flapped their
wings, and flew away, he failed to muster up courage
to take that plunge which appeared to him so
desperate. His father and mother had come around
ledge
a narrow horizontal
shelf projecting from
a wall or (here) a cliff
Reprint 2024-25
calling to him shrilly, upbraiding him, threatening
to let him starve on his ledge unless he flew away.
But for the life of him he could not move.
That was twenty-four hours ago. Since then
nobody had come near him. The day before, all day
long, he had watched his parents flying about with
his brothers and sister, perfecting them in the art
of flight, teaching them how to skim the waves and
how to dive for fish. He had, in fact, seen his older
brother catch his first herring and devour it,
standing on a rock, while his parents circled around
raising a proud cackle. And all the morning the
whole family had walked about on the big plateau
midway down the opposite cliff taunting him with
his cowardice.
The sun was now ascending the sky, blazing on
his ledge that faced the south. He felt the heat
because he had not eaten since the previous nightfall.
He stepped slowly out to the brink of the ledge,
and standing on one leg with the other leg hidden
under his wing, he closed one eye, then the other,
herring
a soft-finned sea fish
(to) skim
to move lightly just
above a surface
(here, the sea)
upbraiding
scolding
33
Two Stories about Flying
Reprint 2024-25
34
First Flight
and pretended to be falling asleep. Still they took
no notice of him. He saw his two brothers and his
sister lying on the plateau dozing with their heads
sunk into their necks. His father was preening the
feathers on his white back. Only his mother was
looking at him. She was standing on a little high
hump on the plateau, her white breast thrust
forward. Now and again, she tore at a piece of fish
that lay at her feet and then scrapped each side of
her beak on the rock. The sight of the food maddened
him. How he loved to tear food that way, scrapping
his beak now and again to whet it.
“Ga, ga, ga,” he cried begging her to bring him
some food. “Gaw-col-ah,” she screamed back
derisively. But he kept calling plaintively, and
after a minute or so he uttered a joyful scream.
His mother had picked up a piece of the fish and
was flying across to him with it. He leaned out
(to) whet
to sharpen
derisively
in a manner
showing someone
that she/he is stupid
preening
making an effort to
maintain feathers
Reprint 2024-25
35
Two Stories about Flying
eagerly, tapping the rock with his feet, trying to
get nearer to her as she flew across. But when
she was just opposite to him, she halted, her
wings motionless, the piece of fish in her beak
almost within reach of his beak. He waited a
moment in surprise, wondering why she did not
come nearer, and then, maddened by hunger, he
dived at the fish. With a loud scream he fell
outwards and downwards into space. Then a
monstrous terror seized him and his heart stood
still. He could hear nothing. But it only lasted a
minute. The next moment he felt his wings spread
outwards. The wind rushed against his breast
feathers, then under his stomach, and against his
wings. He could feel the tips of his wings cutting
through the air. He was not falling headlong now.
He was soaring gradually downwards and outwards.
He was no longer afraid. He just felt a bit dizzy.
Then he flapped his wings once and he soared
upwards. “Ga, ga, ga, Ga, ga, ga, Gaw-col-ah,” his
mother swooped past him, her wings making a
loud noise. He answered her with another scream.
Then his father flew over him screaming. He saw
his two brothers and his sister flying around him
curveting and banking and soaring and diving.
Then he completely forgot that he had not always
been able to fly, and commended himself to dive
and soar and curve, shrieking shrilly.
He was near the sea now, flying straight over
it, facing straight out over the ocean. He saw a
vast green sea beneath him, with little ridges
moving over it and he turned his beak sideways
and cawed amusedly.
His parents and his brothers and sister had
landed on this green flooring ahead of him. They
were beckoning to him, calling shrilly. He dropped
his legs to stand on the green sea. His legs sank
into it. He screamed with fright and attempted to
rise again flapping his wings. But he was tired and
weak with hunger and he could not rise, exhausted
dizzy
an uncomfortable
feeling of spinning
around and losing
one’s balance
curveting
leaping like a horse
banking
flying with one wing
higher than the other
Reprint 2024-25
36
First Flight
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?
2. “The sight of the food maddened him.” What does this suggest? What
compelled the young seagull to finally fly?
3. “They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly.” Why did the seagull’s father
and mother threaten him and cajole him to fly?
4. Have you ever had a similar experience, where your parents encouraged
you to do something that you were too scared to try? Discuss this in pairs
or groups.
5. In the case of a bird flying, it seems a natural act, and a foregone conclusion
that it should succeed. In the examples you have given in answer to the
previous question, was your success guaranteed, or was it important for
you to try, regardless of a possibility of failure?
We have just read about the first flight of a young seagull. Your teacher will
now divide the class into groups. Each group will work on one of the following
topics. Prepare a presentation with your group members and then present it
to the entire class.
• Progression of Models of Airplanes
• Progression of Models of Motorcars
• Birds and Their Wing Span
• Migratory Birds — Tracing Their Flights
Write a short composition on your initial attempts at learning a skill. You could
describe the challenges of learning to ride a bicycle or learning to swim. Make it
as humorous as possible.
by the strange exercise. His feet sank into the green
sea, and then his belly touched it and he sank no
farther. He was floating on it, and around him his
family was screaming, praising him and their beaks
were offering him scraps of dog-fish.
He had made his first flight.
Reprint 2024-25