His First Flight | CBSE Class 10 English Notes
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What is "His First Flight" about?
"His First Flight" is the first of the "Two Stories about Flying" and tells of a young seagull who is too frightened to fly from his cliff ledge while his brothers and sister have already flown off.
The story follows one long, hot day as fear, pride and hunger and his mother's behaviour finally push him towards his first flight.
The narrative is told in the third person, closely following the young seagull's thoughts and feelings as he watches his family and struggles with his own cowardice.
It opens the day after his siblings have flown and builds slowly through heat, hunger and taunting towards the moment his mother brings him a piece of fish.
The setting is a narrow cliff ledge facing the sea, with a plateau on the opposite cliff where the rest of the family rests and feeds.
The sea stretches "miles down" beneath him, which is part of why he is so afraid. Family relationships, courage and the pull of instinct over fear are at the centre of the story.
What happens in the story, part by part?
Part 1: Left behind on the ledge
The young seagull is alone on his ledge. His two brothers and his sister had flown away the day before, but he had been "afraid to fly with them." When he ran to the brink and tried to flap his wings, fear overcame him because the sea "stretched down beneath" him for "miles down." He felt certain his wings "would never support him," so he ran back to the little hole under the ledge where he slept.
Even though his siblings had far shorter wings than his own, they had all managed to fly, yet he could not bring himself to make the same "plunge." His parents came and called to him shrilly, scolding ("upbraiding") him and threatening to let him starve on the ledge, but he still could not move.
Part 2: Watching the family learn to fly
That was twenty-four hours before the present moment of the story, and nobody had come near him since.
All the previous day he had watched his parents flying about with his brothers and sister, "perfecting them in the art of flight" and teaching them to skim the waves and dive for fish.
He had seen his older brother catch his first herring and eat it on a rock while their parents circled, "raising a proud cackle." All that morning the family had walked about on the plateau on the opposite cliff, taunting him with his cowardice.
Part 3: Heat, hunger and pretended sleep
The sun climbed higher and blazed on his south-facing ledge. He felt the heat badly because he had not eaten since the night before.
He stepped to the brink, stood on one leg with the other hidden under his wing, closed first one eye and then the other, and pretended to be falling asleep, hoping someone would notice him.
Still, the family took no notice. His two brothers and his sister lay dozing on the plateau with their heads sunk into their necks, and his father was preening the feathers on his white back.
Part 4: The mother brings food
Only his mother was watching him, standing on a hump on the plateau with her white breast thrust forward, tearing at a piece of fish at her feet and sharpening ("whetting") her beak on the rock between bites.
The sight of the food maddened the hungry young seagull, who longed to tear food the same way. He cried "Ga, ga, ga," begging her for food, and she screamed back "Gaw-col-ah" derisively, mocking rather than feeding him.
He kept calling plaintively, and after a minute uttered a joyful scream, for his mother had picked up a piece of fish and was flying across to him with it.
As she arrived, he leaned out towards her and the piece of food, at which point the extract ends.
Who are the characters?
The young seagull
He is the central character, left alone on the ledge because he is "afraid to fly." His fear is physical and immediate: he feels "certain" his wings cannot hold him once he looks down at the sea stretching "miles down." Hunger and the sight of food eventually matter more to him than his fear, and he calls out "plaintively" and then with a "joyful scream" when his mother finally approaches with fish.
His behaviour shows a mixture of cowardice, longing and growing desperation across the day described in the story.
The mother seagull
The mother is the only family member who keeps watching her son while the others ignore him. She stands on the plateau with her "white breast thrust forward," eating fish and sharpening her beak.
When he begs for food she first answers "derisively" with "Gaw-col-ah," refusing him outright, but she then picks up a piece of fish and flies towards him with it, showing that beneath the mocking tone she has not abandoned him.
The father seagull
The father appears mainly as part of the family group that had earlier come "calling to him shrilly," "upbraiding" him and threatening to let him starve unless he flew.
In the present scene he is seen "preening the feathers on his white back," occupied with himself rather than with his frightened son, which adds to the son's sense of being ignored.
The brothers and sister
The two brothers and the sister had "far shorter" wings than the young seagull but still managed to fly away the day before, which makes his continued fear seem harder to excuse.
The text says the whole family had spent the morning taunting him "with his cowardice," and in the present scene the siblings are seen "dozing" on the plateau, heads "sunk into their necks," taking no notice of him.
What themes does the story explore?
Fear and the struggle to overcome it
The story's central theme is the young seagull's fear of flying. His fear is described physically: he becomes afraid as soon as he looks at the "great expanse of sea" below, and he feels "certain" his wings will fail him.
The narrative traces how fear and hunger, and his mother's actions eventually pull against one another inside him.
Hunger and instinct
Hunger drives much of the young seagull's behaviour in this part of the story. He has "not eaten since the previous nightfall," and the sight of his mother tearing fish "maddened him." His cries of "Ga, ga, ga" show hunger becoming stronger than his fear, pushing him towards the brink of the ledge again.
Family encouragement, mockery and tough love
The parents use a mixture of scolding, mockery and withholding of food to push the young seagull towards flying, "threatening to let him starve on his ledge unless he flew away." The mother's "derisive" reply to his begging shows this toughness, yet she is also the only one still watching him and the one who eventually brings him fish.
Growing up and first independence
The wider situation of the story, a young bird left behind while his siblings have already achieved their "first flight," expresses the theme of growing up.
His older brother catching "his first herring" and being greeted with a "proud cackle" from the parents shows what independence and achievement look like for this family, against which the young seagull's continued fear stands out.
What are the key quotations from the story?
"He felt certain that his wings would never support him."
Narration describing the young seagull's fear of flying.
"The great expanse of sea stretched down beneath, and it was such a long way down — miles down."
Narration showing why the ledge felt dangerously high to him.
"Ga, ga, ga," he cried begging her to bring him some food.
The young seagull calling to his mother once hunger overcomes him.
"Gaw-col-ah," she screamed back derisively.
The mother's mocking reply when he first begs for food.
"Only his mother was looking at him."
Narration showing she alone keeps watching while the rest of the family ignores him.
His mother had picked up a piece of the fish and was flying across to him with it.
Narration at the point where the mother finally brings him food.
What narrative and literary devices does the writer use?
The story is written in close third-person narration, staying inside the young seagull's feelings so that the reader shares his fear and hunger directly, as in the line that he felt "certain" his wings would fail him.
The writer uses visual detail to build the setting: the ledge "facing the south," the sun "ascending the sky," and the mother's "white breast thrust forward" on the plateau opposite. These details make the cliff scene feel immediate and physical.
Sound is used through words such as "Ga, ga, ga" and "Gaw-col-ah," representing the actual calls of the birds, which lets the reader hear the exchange between mother and son rather than simply being told about it.
The writer also uses contrast repeatedly: the siblings' "far shorter" wings against the young seagull's longer ones, the busy, confident family against his frozen stillness, and the mother's harsh "derisive" scream against her final act of bringing him food. These contrasts sharpen the tension of the narrative.
How does the setting of the ledge and cliff shape the story?
The story's setting, a narrow ledge on one cliff facing a plateau on the opposite cliff, keeps the young seagull physically isolated from the rest of his family even though he can see and hear them.
This distance lets the writer show his fear and hunger without other birds being able to help him directly.
The sea "stretched down beneath" the ledge, described as "miles down," is the main obstacle in the young seagull's mind.
The height is not simply stated as a fact; it is described through his own frightened perception of "such a long way down," which makes his fear understandable to the reader.
The sun "blazing on his ledge that faced the south" adds a second pressure beyond fear: physical discomfort and hunger, since he had "not eaten since the previous nightfall." The setting therefore works on him from two directions at once, through the threat of the fall and through the heat and hunger that push him towards risking it.
The plateau opposite, where the rest of the family rests, feeds and teaches the younger birds, works as a visible model of what flight allows: food, companionship and skill. Watching this from his ledge, unable to join in, makes the young seagull's isolation more painful.
Why does hunger drive the young seagull's actions?
Hunger becomes as important as fear in this part of the story. The text states plainly that he "felt the heat because he had not eaten since the previous nightfall," connecting his physical discomfort directly to the passage of time since his last meal.
His reaction to watching his mother eat is described strongly: "the sight of the food maddened him." This is a stronger word than simple hunger and shows how desperate he has become after a day and night without food, following a day in which he had already watched his older brother catch and eat a herring.
Hunger pushes him to act even while still afraid: he steps to the brink of the ledge, performs a pretence of sleep to attract attention, and finally calls out "Ga, ga, ga" begging for food.
These actions, not fully confident flight, are his first steps towards overcoming his fear, driven more by his stomach than by courage.
His mother's mocking reply, "Gaw-col-ah," does not stop him, and he keeps "calling plaintively." The persistence shown here, hunger overriding an initial refusal, sets up the final movement of the extract, where his mother relents and flies towards him with fish.
How does the writer build suspense and tension?
The writer delays action for most of the extract, keeping the young seagull fixed on his ledge while describing in detail what everyone else is doing. This contrast between his stillness and his family's activity builds tension about whether and how he will finally move.
Small physical details add to the suspense: standing on one leg, closing one eye and then the other, pretending to sleep. These are the actions of a bird trying, and failing, to be noticed, and the writer lets the reader feel his growing desperation through them.
The mother's two very different responses, first the "derisive" scream of refusal and then the decision to fly across with fish, create a short but sharp turn in the story's tension. The reader is left uncertain, after the first refusal, whether she will feed him at all.
The extract ends at the moment the young seagull "leaned out" towards his approaching mother and the food, a point of high tension that is not resolved within this extract, leaving the reader expecting further action beyond this point.
What does the story suggest about fear, instinct and courage?
The story presents fear as something the young seagull cannot simply reason away. Even though his siblings, with "far shorter" wings, had managed to fly, he still could not "muster up courage to take that plunge" himself, showing that fear does not always respond to logical comparison with others.
Instinct and bodily need, particularly hunger, are shown pushing against this fear. The description of him being "maddened" by the sight of food, and his persistent, "plaintive" calling even after being mocked, suggest that physical drives can move a frightened creature towards action before conscious courage does.
The family's mixture of threats, mockery and quiet watching, especially the mother continuing to look at him when everyone else ignores him, suggests that in this story courage is encouraged through pressure as well as care, rather than through comfort alone.
What are the answers to key comprehension questions on this extract?
Why had the young seagull's brothers and sister already flown, while he had not? His brothers and sister had flown the day before despite having "far shorter" wings than his own.
He had tried to flap his wings at the brink but "became afraid" once he saw the sea stretching far below, and so he ran back to his hole instead of flying.
What had his parents threatened him with? His parents came "calling to him shrilly," scolding ("upbraiding") him, and "threatening to let him starve on his ledge" unless he flew away, but even this did not make him move at that time.
How did the family treat him the next morning? The whole family walked about on the plateau on the opposite cliff "taunting him with his cowardice" all morning, while his parents also taught his siblings to skim waves and dive for fish, and his older brother caught and ate his first herring.
Why did he finally step to the brink of the ledge again? He stepped out mainly because of the heat of the sun and because he had "not eaten since the previous nightfall." He also tried pretending to sleep, hoping to be noticed, though this did not work at first.
How did his mother behave towards him, and how did the extract end? His mother was the only one still watching him; she first refused his begging with a "derisive" scream, "Gaw-col-ah," but after he kept calling "plaintively" she picked up a piece of fish and flew across to him, at which point he leaned out towards her and the food.
Glossary
- Ledge — a narrow horizontal shelf projecting from a wall or, here, a cliff.
- Herring — a soft-finned sea fish that the older brother catches and devours on a rock.
- Skim — to move lightly just above a surface, here the sea.
- Upbraiding — scolding, as his parents did when they came calling to him shrilly on the ledge.
- Whet — to sharpen, as the mother does to her beak by scrapping it on the rock.
- Derisively — in a manner showing someone that she or he is thought to be stupid.
- Preening — making an effort to maintain feathers, as his father does on his white back.
- Plateau — a flat, raised area of land or rock.
- Cackle — a loud, harsh cry, here made by the parent birds.
- Plunge — a sudden jump or dive, here into flight over the sea.
- Muster — to gather together, here used of gathering courage.
- Dozing — sleeping lightly, as the brothers and sister do on the plateau with heads sunk into their necks.
- Shrilly — in a high, sharp-sounding voice, as the parents call out when upbraiding him.
- Expanse — a wide, open area, here of the sea.
Common errors and misconceptions
- Misconception: The young seagull's wings were shorter than his siblings', which is why he could not fly. Correct: The text states his siblings had "far shorter" wings than his own, yet they flew first.
- Misconception: His parents ignored him completely on the day the story is set. Correct: Only his mother was watching him; the father and siblings were occupied elsewhere.
- Misconception: His mother fed him as soon as he begged. Correct: She first replied "derisively" with "Gaw-col-ah," refusing him, and only later flew across with fish.
- Misconception: The story given ends with him successfully flying. Correct: The extract ends with him leaning out as his mother approaches with food; his flight is not described in this portion of the text.
- Misconception: He had not eaten for several days. Correct: He had "not eaten since the previous nightfall," meaning roughly a day, not several days.
- Misconception: The whole family taunted him only once. Correct: The text says the family taunted him "with his cowardice" over the course of "all the morning."
- Misconception: His older brother's first herring was caught on the same day as the story's present scene. Correct: This happened "the day before," as part of the earlier flying lesson.
Exam-style questions with model answers
Q1. Why had the young seagull not flown away with his brothers and sister the day before? [2 marks]
- He had tried to run to the brink and flap his wings but "became afraid" once he saw the sea far below.
- He felt certain his wings would not support him, so he ran back to his hole instead of flying.
Q2. What does the word "upbraiding" mean, and in what context is it used in the story? [2 marks]
- "Upbraiding" means scolding.
- It is used to describe how his parents came calling to him shrilly and scolding him for refusing to fly.
Q3. Describe what the young seagull's family was doing on the morning before he stepped to the brink of the ledge again. [3 marks]
- The day before, his parents had flown about with his brothers and sister, teaching them to skim waves and dive for fish.
- His older brother had caught and eaten his first herring while the parents circled, raising a proud cackle.
- All that morning, the whole family had walked about on the opposite plateau, taunting the young seagull with his cowardice.
Q4. How does the text show that the young seagull was both hot and hungry as the sun rose? [3 marks]
- The sun was "ascending the sky," blazing on his south-facing ledge, making him feel the heat strongly.
- He had "not eaten since the previous nightfall," so he was hungry as well as hot.
- The sight of his mother tearing at fish "maddened him," showing how strong his hunger had become.
Q5. What does the young seagull notice his mother doing with the piece of fish, and how does he react to it? [4 marks]
- He sees his mother standing on a hump on the plateau, tearing at a piece of fish lying at her feet.
- She scraps each side of her beak on the rock, as if sharpening it, between bites.
- The sight of the food "maddened him," since he longed to tear food the same way.
- He cries "Ga, ga, ga," begging her to bring him some food.
Q6. Trace, with details from the text, how the young seagull's mother behaves towards him on his ledge, and what this suggests about her character. [5 marks]
- While the rest of the family ignores him, "only his mother was looking at him," showing she alone keeps watch.
- She stands on the plateau with her "white breast thrust forward," calmly eating fish in full view of him.
- When he begs "Ga, ga, ga," she first screams back "Gaw-col-ah" derisively, refusing him outright.
- Despite this refusal, he keeps calling plaintively rather than giving up.
- She then picks up a piece of fish and flies across to him with it, showing that her harshness does not mean she has abandoned him.
Q7. Why had the whole family earlier threatened the young seagull, and how had he responded to these threats? [4 marks]
- His parents had come calling to him shrilly and upbraiding, or scolding, him for not flying.
- They threatened to let him starve on his ledge unless he flew away.
- Despite these threats, the text says "for the life of him he could not move."
- His fear of the "great expanse of sea" stretching "miles down" kept him from acting even under this pressure.
Q8. Explain, with reference to the passage, why the situation on the ledge is painful for the young seagull. [6 marks]
- He is physically isolated on his ledge while the rest of his family is active on the opposite plateau.
- He is afraid, feeling certain that his wings will not support him over the sea far below.
- He is hungry, having "not eaten since the previous nightfall," while he watches his mother eating fish nearby.
- He is mocked, since the whole family taunted him with his cowardice all morning.
- Even his attempt to attract attention by pretending to sleep is ignored by everyone except his mother.
- When he finally begs for food, his mother first answers derisively, adding a further small rejection before she relents.
Key takeaways
- The young seagull is left alone on his ledge after being too afraid to fly with his siblings the day before.
- His fear comes from looking at the sea stretching "miles down" beneath the ledge.
- His parents had earlier scolded and threatened him with starvation, without success.
- All morning, the family taunted him with his cowardice while teaching the younger birds to fish.
- Heat and hunger, since he had not eaten since the previous night, finally push him into action.
- His mother alone keeps watching him and first refuses, then agrees, to bring him food.
- The extract ends as his mother flies to him with a piece of fish and he leans out towards her.
- The story builds its tension through contrast between the young seagull's stillness and his family's activity.
Test yourself
Why did the young seagull run back to his hole instead of flying with his siblings?
He became afraid once he saw the sea stretching "miles down" beneath the ledge and felt certain his wings would not support him.
What had his siblings' wings been like compared to his own?
His brothers' and sister's wings were "far shorter" than his, yet they had still managed to fly away the day before.
What did his parents threaten to do if he did not fly?
They threatened to let him starve on his ledge, besides scolding him by calling to him shrilly.
What had his older brother achieved the day before?
His older brother had caught and eaten his first herring while their parents circled, raising a proud cackle.
Why did he pretend to be falling asleep on the ledge?
He seemed to be hoping someone in his family would notice him, but the family took no notice of this pretence.
What was his mother doing with the fish on the plateau?
She was tearing at a piece of fish lying at her feet and scrapping each side of her beak on the rock to sharpen it.
How did his mother first respond when he begged for food?
She screamed back "Gaw-col-ah" derisively, refusing to feed him at once despite his calling "Ga, ga, ga."
How does the given extract of the story end?
It ends as his mother flies across to him with a piece of fish and he leans out towards her and the food.