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His First Flight: WBBSE Class 9 English (Second) notes
Get summaries, questions, answers, solutions, notes, extras, PDF and guide of Class 9 English textbook, chapter 8 His First Flight by —Liam O’Flaherty which is part of the syllabus of students studying under West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE). These solutions, however, should only be treated as references and can be modified/changed.
If you notice any errors in the notes, please mention them in the comments
Summary
The story “His First Flight” by Liam O’Flaherty tells about a young seagull who learns to overcome his fear and fly for the first time. The seagull is alone on a ledge, watching his siblings who have already flown away. He is scared to take the leap because he doubts his ability to use his wings. Despite his parents’ attempts to encourage him by calling out, he remains motionless, paralyzed by fear.
Over time, hunger begins to bother him, as there is no food left in the nest. He watches his siblings being taught to dive for fish by their parents, and he sees them catching their meals. The sight of his mother eating a fish intensifies his hunger. When she flies toward him with a piece of fish but stops just out of reach, he grows desperate. Maddened by hunger, he dives forward to grab the food.
As he plunges, he initially feels terror, but soon realizes that his wings have opened instinctively. The air supports him, and he starts gliding instead of falling. His fear disappears as he begins to fly, and he feels joy and exhilaration. Encouraged by his family, he flaps his wings and soars higher.
Finally, the young seagull lands on the sea, discovering that it supports him like a solid surface. His family gathers around him, celebrating his success. The story ends with the seagull gaining confidence and experiencing the thrill of his first flight.
The narrative uses the seagull’s flight as a metaphor for overcoming fear and taking the first step into the unknown. It reflects the universal experience of facing challenges and finding courage.
Textbook solutions
Exercise 1
Tick the correct answer from the given alternatives:
1. At night the seagull slept in a little
A. nest
B. hole
C. turret
D. burrow
Answer: B. hole
2. The ledge faced the
A. north
B. south
C. east
D. west
Answer: B. south
3. The colour of the seagull’s body was
A. red
B. black
C. blue
D. grey
Answer: D. grey
4. The two brothers and sisters of the seagull were lying on the
A. plain
B. plateau
C. valley
D. hill
Answer: B. plateau
5. The mother seagull had picked up a piece of
A. meat
B. insect
C. fish
D. straw
Answer: C. fish
Exercise 2
Answer the following questions within fifteen words:
(a) What was the first catch of the seagull’s older brother?
Answer: A herring.
(b) Why did the seagull feel the heat?
Answer: Because he had not eaten since the previous nightfall.
(c) Why did the seagull dive at the fish?
Answer: Because he was maddened by hunger.
(d) What happened when the seagull soared upwards?
Answer: He flapped his wings, soared higher, and uttered a joyous scream.
Exercise 3
Answer the following questions within twenty-five words:
(a) Why was the seagull afraid when he ran forward to the brink of the ledge?
Answer: The seagull was afraid because he felt certain that his wings would never support him and he would fall into the great expanse of the sea.
(b) What were the seagull’s two brothers and sister doing on the plateau?
Answer: The seagull’s two brothers and sister were lying on the plateau, dozing with their heads sunk into their wings.
(c) What happened after the seagull’s feet sank into the sea?
Answer: After the seagull’s feet sank into the sea, his belly touched the water, but he sank no further and found himself floating on it.
Exercise 4
Change the parts of speech of the given words in the chart:
| Noun | Verb | Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|---|---|
| beauty | |||
| dangerously | |||
| care | |||
| strongly |
Answer:
| Noun | Verb | Adjective | Adverb |
|---|---|---|---|
| beauty | beautify | beautiful | beautifully |
| danger | endanger | dangerous | dangerously |
| care | care | careful | carefully |
| strength | strengthen | strong | strongly |
Exercise 5
Rewrite the sentences changing the form of the underlined words as directed:
1. He is known for his honesty. (change into adjective form)
Answer: He is known for being honest.
2. She spoke with kindness. (change into adverb form)
Answer: She spoke kindly.
3. The sun shone brightly. (change into noun form)
Answer: The brightness of the sun shone.
4. She gave a wise judgment. (change into verb form)
Answer: She judged wisely.
Exercise 6
Write a paragraph within 100 words on the water cycle, using the following flow-chart:
water evaporates from water bodies—rises as vapour—gets heavier—condenses, forms clouds—falls to earth as rain
Answer: Water from various bodies like rivers, lakes, and oceans evaporates due to the sun’s heat. This water rises into the atmosphere as vapour. As the vapour ascends, it cools down and condenses to form clouds. Over time, the condensed vapour becomes heavier and cannot stay suspended in the air. It then falls back to the earth in the form of rain, completing the water cycle. This continuous process helps sustain life on Earth by replenishing water sources and maintaining the ecosystem balance.
Exercise 7
Write a summary of the following passage within 100 words:
Communication is part of our everyday life. We greet one another, smile or frown, depending on our moods. Animals too, communicate. Just like us, interaction among animals can be both verbal and non-verbal. Singing is one way in which birds can interact with one another. Male blackbirds often use their melodious songs to catch the attention of other blackbirds. These songs are usually rich in notes, encoding various kinds of messages. Songs are also used to keep off other birds from their territory, usually a place where they dwell. Large mammals in the oceans sing too, according to adventurous sailors. Enormous whales groan and grunt while smaller dolphins and porpoises whistle and click. These sounds are surprisingly received by other mates as far as several hundred kilometers away. Besides singing, body language also forms a large part of animals’ communication mode. Dominant hyenas exhibit their power by raising the fur hackles on their necks and shoulders, while the submissive ones normally surrender to the powerful parties by crouching their head low and curling their lips a little, revealing their teeth in a friendly smile. Insects such as wasps armed with poisonous bites or stings usually have brightly painted bodies to remind other predators of their power.
Answer: Communication is essential in daily life and exists among animals as well. Birds sing to interact, attract mates, or mark territories. For example, male blackbirds use melodious songs to convey messages, while whales, dolphins, and porpoises communicate through groans, grunts, whistles, and clicks. These sounds travel far distances. Body language also plays a vital role; dominant animals like hyenas raise fur to show power, and submissive ones bow their heads and smile. Brightly colored insects like wasps use their appearance to warn predators. Communication among animals is diverse, involving sounds, body signals, and even visual cues.
Extras
Additional MCQs
1. What was the first catch of the young seagull’s older brother?
A. A crab
B. A herring
C. A fish
D. An insect
Answer: B. A herring
2. How many siblings did the young seagull have?
A. One
B. Two
C. Three
D. Four
Answer: C. Three
3. How long had it been since the young seagull’s family left him alone?
A. 12 hours
B. 24 hours
C. 36 hours
D. 48 hours
Answer: B. 24 hours
4. What was the young seagull afraid of when he approached the ledge?
A. Falling into the sea
B. Hunger
C. Being left alone
D. His parents
Answer: A. Falling into the sea
5. Which direction did the ledge face?
A. North
B. South
C. East
D. West
Answer: B. South
6. What colour was the young seagull’s body?
A. White
B. Grey
C. Blue
D. Black
Answer: B. Grey
7. What did the young seagull’s mother hold in her beak to tempt him?
A. Straw
B. Insect
C. Fish
D. Meat
Answer: C. Fish
8. What happened when the young seagull dived at the fish?
A. He fell into the sea
B. He learned to fly
C. His parents scolded him
D. He caught the fish
Answer: B. He learned to fly
9. What was the young seagull’s reaction after he started flying?
A. He screamed with joy
B. He felt terrified
C. He cried for help
D. He returned to the ledge
Answer: A. He screamed with joy
10. What did the young seagull do when he landed on the sea?
A. He sank completely
B. He floated on the water
C. He swam to the shore
D. He called for help
Answer: B. He floated on the water
11. Where did the young seagull sleep at night?
A. In a nest
B. In a hole
C. On the ledge
D. On the plateau
Answer: B. In a hole
12. What did the young seagull’s father do while on the plateau?
A. Flew around
B. Preened his feathers
C. Brought food to the ledge
D. Called the young seagull
Answer: B. Preened his feathers
13. What sight maddened the young seagull?
A. His siblings flying
B. His mother eating a piece of fish
C. The vast sea below
D. His empty nest
Answer: B. His mother eating a piece of fish
14. What did the young seagull do to pretend he didn’t care?
A. Closed his eyes and pretended to sleep
B. Walked back to his hole
C. Stared at the sea
D. Called out loudly
Answer: A. Closed his eyes and pretended to sleep
15. What did the young seagull’s family do after his first flight?
A. Left him alone again
B. Praised and encouraged him
C. Fed him immediately
D. Flew far away
Answer: B. Praised and encouraged him
Additional questions and answers
1. Where was the young seagull?
Answer: He was alone on the ledge.
2. Why didn’t he fly with his siblings?
Answer: He was afraid.
3. What did he see below the ledge?
Answer: He saw the vast sea.
4. How long was he alone?
Answer: For twenty-four hours.
5. What did his brother catch?
Answer: A herring.
6. Why was the young seagull afraid to fly?
Answer: The young seagull was afraid to fly because he thought his wings would not support him, and he feared falling into the vast sea below the ledge.
7. What were his parents teaching his siblings?
Answer: His parents were teaching his siblings how to fly and dive for fish, helping them to learn survival skills essential for life.
8. How did the young seagull try to get food?
Answer: The young seagull trotted back and forth on the ledge and cried out loudly to his parents, pretending to fall asleep and begging for food.
9. How did the young seagull start flying?
Answer: Maddened by hunger, he dived for the fish his mother brought, falling off the ledge. He felt his wings spread out and discovered he could fly.
10. How did the family react to his flight?
Answer: His family screamed with joy and praised him as he soared and eventually landed safely on the sea.
11. What was the young seagull’s initial reaction to flying, and how did it change?
Answer: The young seagull was initially terrified of flying, convinced his wings would not support him. However, when hunger forced him to dive for food, he discovered his wings could spread and support him. His fear disappeared as he felt the wind rushing against him and realized he could fly. This newfound confidence brought him joy as he soared higher and higher.
12. What role did hunger play in the young seagull’s first flight?
Answer: Hunger was the primary motivator for the young seagull’s first flight. He had not eaten since the previous night and was desperate for food. When his mother flew close to him with a piece of fish but stopped just out of reach, his intense hunger drove him to dive for the fish. This desperate act led him to overcome his fear and discover his ability to fly.
13. Describe the seagull’s first landing on the sea.
Answer: After successfully flying, the young seagull saw his family land on the green sea below and beckon him to join them. He dropped his legs, expecting to stand, but his feet sank into the water. His belly touched the surface, and he discovered he could float. This experience was thrilling, and his family screamed with joy, celebrating his success.
