In the story 'His First Flight' by Liam O'Flaherty (Class 10 NCERT First Flight, Chapter 3), the young seagull is alone and afraid on the ledge of a cliff. His brothers and sister have already flown away. The young seagull is terrified of flapping his wings and jumping into the wide, vast sea of air. His experience during his first flight is one of fear, hesitation, hunger-driven impulse, and finally the exhilarating joy of flying — overcoming his fear through the will to survive.
Story: 'His First Flight' by Liam O'Flaherty — NCERT Class 10 First Flight, Chapter 3.
The young seagull is alone on a ledge, afraid to fly — family has already left.
He was left alone for 24 hours without food to force him to fly.
His mother lures him with a piece of fish — he leaps to grab it and instinctively spreads his wings.
Theme: overcoming fear through necessity; courage to take the first step.
The seagull's experience: fear → hesitation → hunger-driven leap → the joy of flying.
At the end, the seagull floats on the sea alongside his family, fear completely gone.
Liam O'Flaherty (1896–1984) — Irish author.
Beginning — Fear and Isolation: • The young seagull is alone on his ledge, too afraid to fly • His family (parents and siblings) are on a ledge across the sea, calling to him • He had been on the ledge for 24 hours with nothing to eat • He sees his brothers and sister flying effortlessly but cannot bring himself to jump • His fear: the expanse of water/air seemed too vast; he was afraid his wings would not support him
The family's attempts: • His parents called, threatened, begged, and even scolded him to fly • His brothers and sister jeered at him (called him names) • His father had even threatened to let him starve on the ledge • Nothing worked — the seagull could not overcome his fear
The mother's trick: • His mother tore a piece of fish and flew toward him with it • She came close but stopped, hovering a short distance away — tantalizingly close, just out of reach • The young seagull, mad with hunger, leaned forward to grab the fish • He fell off the ledge — and instinctively screamed with terror
The first flight: • As he fell, he automatically spread his wings • The wind rushed under his wings, supporting him — he was flying! • His fear vanished immediately as he felt the air beneath his wings • He soared upward, swept over the sea, and called back to his family • His family flew around him, screaming with delight • He landed on the sea surface alongside his family, who praised him • At the end, the young seagull was floating on the sea, with his feet sinking into the water — and he was not afraid anymore
Main theme: Overcoming fear through courage and necessity
Key ideas from 'His First Flight':
Fear can paralyse even when one has the ability • The young seagull had wings — the same wings as his family — but fear stopped him from using them • Many times, we fail not because of lack of ability but because of fear of trying
Hunger (necessity) can force action • It was the desperate hunger and the sight of food that made the seagull leap • The will to survive overcame the fear of the unknown
Once you start, the fear disappears • The moment the seagull spread his wings and felt the air, his terror vanished • The anticipation of danger is often worse than the experience itself
Family support • Despite the family's taunting, they were there to celebrate when the seagull succeeded • Sometimes tough love (leaving the young seagull alone, refusing to feed him) is what forces growth
About the author: • Liam O'Flaherty (1896–1984) — Irish author known for short stories and novels • 'His First Flight' is one of his best-known short stories — simple language, powerful theme
Q: Why was the young seagull afraid to fly? A: The young seagull was afraid because the expanse of sea and sky seemed too vast. He feared that his wings would not support him and he would fall. Unlike his siblings, he could not overcome this fear and refused to flap his wings and take the leap.
Q: How did the mother help the young seagull fly? A: The mother tore a piece of fish and flew toward the young seagull, stopping just out of reach. The seagull, mad with hunger (he had not eaten for 24 hours), leaned forward to grab the fish and fell from the ledge. As he fell, he instinctively spread his wings and discovered he could fly.
Q: What happened when the seagull landed on the sea at the end? A: The seagull landed on the sea's surface alongside his family. His feet sank into the water and he tried to land on them, but they sank. His family screamed with joy. He was no longer afraid — he had successfully completed his first flight and overcome his fear.
Q: What is the central message of 'His First Flight'? A: The story teaches that courage is not the absence of fear but acting despite fear. The seagull had the ability all along — he just needed to overcome his fear. The story also shows that necessity (hunger) can be a powerful motivator to take the first step toward something we are afraid of.
The young seagull was terrified and alone on the ledge, refusing to fly for 24 hours. When his mother lured him with a piece of fish just out of reach, he leaned forward in hunger and fell from the ledge. As he fell, he instinctively spread his wings and felt the air rush beneath them — he was flying. His fear vanished immediately. He soared, joined his family, and landed on the sea — his first flight was a complete success. His experience was a journey from paralysing fear to the exhilarating joy of flying.
The young seagull was afraid because the vast expanse of sea and air below seemed impossible to cross. He feared his wings would not support him. Unlike his brothers and sister who had already flown, he could not bring himself to flap his wings and leap from the ledge, even when his family called, threatened, and begged him.
The seagull overcame his fear through hunger and his mother's trick. After 24 hours without food, his mother flew close with a piece of fish but stopped just out of reach. Mad with hunger, the seagull leaned forward to grab it and fell. The instinct of survival made him spread his wings — and as soon as the air rushed under them, his fear disappeared and he was flying.
The main theme is overcoming fear — specifically the fear of the unknown and failure. The story shows that: (1) fear can paralyse even those who have the ability; (2) necessity (hunger) can force us to take the first step; (3) once we start, the fear often disappears; (4) the anticipation of danger is often worse than the experience itself. The story encourages young readers to face their fears and take the first leap.
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