About the Author:
Liam O’Flaherty (1896 – 1984) was a significant Irish novelist and short story writer and a major figure in the Irish literary renaissance. His most famous books include ‘The Informer’, ‘Return of the Brute’, ‘House of Gold’, etc. ‘His First Flight’, a short story that symbolizes the nervousness one experiences before doing something new, is regarded as one of his most famous works.
About the Text:
The following text, an abridged version of this short story, is about a young seagull and his experience of learning how to fly. It is a simple but lively story. Everyone on this earth must learn many a thing for the first time in life. Life is an adventure. Some can take it bravely, some cannot. The story focuses on how fear must be conquered before one may achieve anything of significance like the young seagull, who had to be brave in order to fly.
Important Questions and Answers:
1) Why did the seagull feel the heat?
Ans- The seagull felt the heat because he had not eaten since the previous nightfall.
2) What was the first catch of the seagull’s older brother?
Ans- The seagull’s older brother’s first catch was a herring.
3) Why did the seagull dive at the fish?
Ans- The seagull dived at the fish because he was mas with hunger.
4) Why was the young seagull unable to fly?
Ans- The young seagull feared that his wings would never support him.
5) Who were beckoning to the young seagull?
Ans- The young seagull’s parents and his brothers and sisters were beckoning to him.
6) What happened when the seagull soared upwards?
Ans- The seagull uttered a joyous scream and flapped the wings again.
7) Where did the young seagull sleep at night?
Ans- At night the young seagull slept in a little hole.
8) What did the young seagull pretend?
Ans- Closing eyes one after another the young seagull pretended to be falling asleep.
9) How much food was there in the young seagull’s nest?
Ans- there was not even a scrap of food in it.
10) Where were the brothers and sisters of the seagull lying?
Ans- Brothers and sisters of the young seagull were lying on a plateau.
Also read: “A DAY IN THE ZOO” by Gerald Durrell | Short Questions and Answers (S. A. Q.), class – 9
11) What were the parents teaching the young seagull’s brothers and sister?
Ans- The parents were teaching them the art of flight and how to dive for fish.
12) Why did the young seagull trot back and forth on the ledge?
Ans- Thus he tried to reach his parents without flying.
13) Why was the seagull afraid when he ran forward to the brink of the ledge?
Ans- When he ran forward to the brink of the ledge, he became afraid of falling into the sea below. He thought his wings would never support him.
14) What were the seagull’s two brothers and sister doing on the plateau?
Ans- The seagull’s two brothers and sister were lying on the plateau. They were dozing there, with their heads sunk into their wings.
15) Why was the young seagull alone on the ledge?
Ans- The young seagull was alone on the ledge because his parents, two brothers and sister had flown away the day before.
16) What happened after the seagull’s feet sank into the sea?
Ans- When the seagull’s feet sank into the sea, his belly touched the water but he sank no further. He was then floating on the sea.
17) What did the young seagull watch the day before?
Ans- The day before the young seagull watched his parents flying about with his brothers and sister. They were teaching them the art of flight and dive.
18) While looking at the young seagull what was his mother doing?
Ans- While looking at the young seagull, his mother was standing on a little high hump on the plateau, eating a piece of fish.
19) How did the young seagull stand after coming out slowly at the brink of the ledge?
Ans- Coming out slowly at the brink of the ledge the young seagull stood on one leg with the other leg hidden under his wing.
20) How did the young seagull land on the green sea?
Ans- The young seagull dropped his legs to stand on the green sea. His feet sank into it. His belly touched the water surface. He sank no more but floated.