About the chapter: The story is about a young seagull who is a friend of flying while his two brothers and sister had already learned flying. His fear and hesitation discouraged him from attempting to learn the art of flying. The author gives a message that no one attains success instantly. Repeated trials and errors coupled with courage leads to success. The story also highlights the parental guidance and natural instincts to be learnt and realised. The loving parents had to become harsh towards this timid seagull to force him to try and fly.
Summary of ‘His first Flight
The young seagull is afraid of his first flight and is let alone on the ledge
The story starts with the young seagull left alone on his ledge. His two brothers and a sister had already flown away. When he wanted to fly, he could not do so. He was very much afraid of flying. Therefore, he failed to gather up the courage to fly. He was really very sad. His father and mother came near him. They called him to fly. They even rebuked him. They threatened that if you did not fly, he would die of hunger there. But he could not even move.
It was almost 20 hours ago since no one had come near him. He had watched his parents, brothers and sister flying. His parents had been perfecting his brothers and sister how to dive for fish on their own. They called him to fly. But he could not.
The young seagull faces heat and hunger
the sun was rising in the sky. He felt the heat because he had not eaten since the previous nightfall. The seagull closed his eyes standing on one leg. He had the other leg hidden under his wing. He pretended to sleep. But his parents didn’t look at him.
Mother reaches the young seagull with food
However, his mother was looking at him. He (the seagull) saw her tear at piece of fish at her feet. He gave out a sound to get it. His mother replied in a sound and looked at him. His mother picked a piece of the fish . She flew across to him with it. He (the seagull) leaned out tapping the rock with his feet. His mother flew across trying to get nearer to him. The sight of food made him mad as he was very hungry but he could not get at it.
The mother dodges and the seagull dives for food
The seagull waited a moment in surprise. He wondered why his mother did not come nearer. He was so mad with anger that he dived at the face. He fell outwards with a scream and downwards into space. His mother had swooped upwards. As she passed beneath her, he heard the swish of her wings.
His first flight begins
Then a great fear caught him. His heart stood still. He could hear nothing. But it only lasted a movement. The next moment he felt his wings spread outwards. He felt the wind rushed against his breast feathers. Then it rushed under his stomach, and against his wings. He was not falling headlong now. He was soaring slowly downwards and upwards. He was no longer afraid. He could fly on his own.
The joy of flight
The Seagull gave out a joyous scream. He soared higher calling ‘ga, ga, ga ‘. His mother gave out ‘gaw-col-ah’. Then his father flew over him screaming. Then he saw his brothers and sister flying around him. They were roaring and diving.
Flying over near the sea
Then I completely forgot that he had not always been able to fly. He commended himself to dive and soar. He was near the sea now, flying straight over it. He saw vast green sea beneath him . His parents and his brothers and sister had landed on this green surface of water ahead of him. They were calling him to do the same thing.
The seagull lands on the surface of the sea water
He dropped his legs to stand on the green sea. But his legs sank into it. He cried with fear. He tried to rise again flapping his wings. But he was tired and weak with hunger. He could not rise. His feet sank into the green sea. His belly touched it. He sank no further. He was floating on it. Around him was his family, crying and praising him. They were offering him scraps of dog-fish. He had made his first flight successfully.
