His First Flight || Class 9 || Lesson 8 || All Unit || Text || Hindi Translation || Word Meaning || Solution || Extra Question ||

Class 9

Lesson 8

His First Flight

The author and the text : 

Liam O'Flaherty

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 which symbolizes the nervousness and experience before doing something new, is regarded as one of his most famous works.

The following text, an abridged version of this short story, is about a young seagull and his experience of learning how to fly. 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.

(लियाम ओ'फ्लेहर्टी (1896 - 1984) एक महत्वपूर्ण आयरिश उपन्यासकार और लघु कथाकार और आयरिश साहित्यिक पुनर्जागरण में एक प्रमुख व्यक्ति थे। उनकी सबसे प्रसिद्ध पुस्तकों में द इनफॉर्मर, रिटर्न ऑफ द ब्रूट, हाउस ऑफ गोल्ड आदि शामिल हैं। उनकी पहली उड़ान, एक छोटी कहानी जो कुछ नया करने से पहले घबराहट और अनुभव का प्रतीक है, को उनके सबसे प्रसिद्ध कार्यों में से एक माना जाता है।

निम्नलिखित पाठ, इस लघु कहानी का संक्षिप्त संस्करण, एक युवा सीगल और उड़ना सीखने के उसके अनुभव के बारे में है। कहानी इस बात पर केंद्रित है कि युवा सीगल की तरह, किसी भी महत्वपूर्ण चीज़ को हासिल करने से पहले डर पर कैसे विजय प्राप्त की जानी चाहिए, जिसे उड़ने के लिए बहादुर होना पड़ता है।)

Text:

The Young seagull was alone on his ledge. His two brothers and his sister had already flown away the day before. He had been afraid to fly with them. When he had run forward to the brink of the ledge he became afraid. The great expense of the sea stretched down beneath, and it was miles down. He felt certain that his wings would never support him. So he bent his head and ran away back to the little hole where he sleepy at night. His father and mother had come around calling to him shrilly. But for the life of him he could not move. 

     That was twenty-four hours ago. Since then nobody had come near him. The day before, he had watched his parents flying about with his brothers and sister. They were teaching them the art of flight and how to dive for fish. he had seen his elder brother catch his first herring, while his parents circled around proudly.

     The sun was now ascending the sky, blazing warmly on his ledge that faced the south. he felt the heat because he had no eaten since the previous nightfall. Now there was not a single scrap food left in the straw nest. His little grey body trotted back and forth on the ledge. He was trying to find some means of reaching his parents without having to fly. But on each side of him the ledge ended in a sheer fall, within the sea beneath. He could surely reach them without flying if he could only move northwards along the cliff. But then on what could he walk? There was no ledge, and he was not a fly.

     He stepped slowly out to the brink of the ledge. He stood on one leg with the other leg hidden under his wing. Closing one eye and then the other, he pretended to be falling asleep. Still his parents took on notice of him. He saw his two brothers and his sister lying on the plateau. They were dozing, with their heads sunk into their wings. His father was preening his feathers on his white back. Only his mother was looking at him. She was standing on a little high hump on the plateau, eating a piece of fish. The sight of the food maddened him.

     "Ge, ga, ga," he cried, begging her to bring him some food. "Gaw-ool-ah," she screamed back. He kept calling, and after a minute or so, he uttered a joyful scream. His mother had picked up a piece of fish and was flying across to him with it. But when she was just opposite to him, she halted, her wings motionless. The piece of fish in her beak was almost within reach of his beak. He waited a moment in surprise, wondering why she did not come nearer. And then, maddened by hinger, he dived at the fish.

     With a loud scream he fell outwards and downwards into space. Then terror seized him and his heart stood still. But it only lasted a moment. The next moment he felt his wings spread outwards. The wind rushed against his breast feathers, then under the stomach and against his wings. He could feel the tips of his wings cutting through the air. He was not falling headlong now. He was soaring gradually downwards and outwards. He was no longer afraid. Then he flapped his wings once and he soared upwards. He uttered a joyous scream and flapped them again. He soared higher. His mother flew past him, her wings making a loud noise. he answered her with another scream. Then his father flew over him, screaming. Then he saw his two brothers and his sisters flying around him. 

     He saw a vast green sea beneath him, and he turned his beak sideways and crowed amusedly. His parents and his brothers and sister had landed on this green floor in front of him. They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly. He dropped his legs to stand on the green sea.

     His feet sank into the sea, and them his belly touched it and he sank no further. He was floating on it. And around him his family was screaming, praising him.

     He had made his first flight.

Hindi Translation:

यंग सीगल अपनी कगार पर अकेला था। उसके दो भाई और उसकी बहन एक दिन पहले ही उड़ गए थे। वह उनके साथ उड़ने से डरता था। जब वह कगार के किनारे तक आगे दौड़ा तो वह डर गया। समुद्र का विशाल बहाव नीचे तक फैला हुआ था, और वह मीलों नीचे था। उसे यकीन था कि उसके पंख कभी उसका साथ नहीं देंगे। इसलिए उसने अपना सिर झुकाया और वापस उस छोटे से छेद की ओर भाग गया जहाँ वह रात को सोता था। उसके पिता और माँ उसे जोर से पुकारते हुए आये थे। लेकिन अपने जीवन के लिए वह हिल नहीं सका।

     वह चौबीस घंटे पहले की बात है. तब से कोई भी उसके पास नहीं आया। एक दिन पहले, उसने अपने माता-पिता को अपने भाइयों और बहन के साथ उड़ते हुए देखा था। वे उन्हें उड़ने की कला और मछली के लिए गोता लगाना सिखा रहे थे। उसने अपने बड़े भाई को पहली हेरिंग पकड़ते देखा था, जबकि उसके माता-पिता गर्व से उसके चारों ओर घूम रहे थे।

     सूर्य अब आकाश में चढ़ रहा था, दक्षिण की ओर मुख किये हुए अपने कगार पर गर्माहट बिखेर रहा था। उसे गर्मी महसूस हुई क्योंकि पिछली रात से उसने कुछ नहीं खाया था। अब भूसे के घोंसले में एक भी टुकड़ा भोजन नहीं बचा था। उसका छोटा भूरा शरीर कगार पर आगे-पीछे घूम रहा था। वह बिना उड़ान भरे अपने माता-पिता तक पहुंचने का कोई साधन ढूंढने की कोशिश कर रहा था। लेकिन उसके दोनों ओर का किनारा नीचे समुद्र के भीतर, एक सरासर गिरावट में समाप्त हो गया। यदि वह केवल चट्टान के साथ उत्तर की ओर बढ़ सकता तो वह निश्चित रूप से बिना उड़ान भरे उन तक पहुंच सकता था। लेकिन फिर वह किस सहारे चल सकता था? वहाँ कोई कगार नहीं था, और वह कोई मक्खी नहीं था।

     वह धीरे-धीरे कगार के किनारे तक निकल गया। वह एक पैर पर खड़ा था और दूसरा पैर अपने पंख के नीचे छिपाकर। एक आंख और फिर दूसरी बंद करके उसने सोने का नाटक किया। फिर भी उसके माता-पिता ने उस पर ध्यान दिया। उसने देखा कि उसके दो भाई और उसकी बहन पठार पर पड़े हुए हैं। वे ऊँघ रहे थे, उनके सिर उनके पंखों में धँसे हुए थे। उसके पिता उसकी सफ़ेद पीठ पर अपने पंख लगा रहे थे। बस उसकी माँ ही उसे देख रही थी. वह पठार पर एक छोटे से ऊँचे कूबड़ पर खड़ी होकर मछली का एक टुकड़ा खा रही थी। भोजन को देखकर वह पागल हो गया।

     "गे, गा, गा," वह चिल्लाया, उससे कुछ खाना लाने के लिए विनती की। "गौ-ऊल-आह," वह वापस चिल्लाई। वह पुकारता रहा, और एक-दो मिनट के बाद, उसने एक खुशी भरी चीख निकाली। उसकी माँ ने मछली का एक टुकड़ा उठाया था और उसे लेकर उसकी ओर उड़ रही थी। लेकिन जब वह उसके बिल्कुल विपरीत थी, तो वह रुक गई, उसके पंख गतिहीन हो गए। उसकी चोंच में मछली का टुकड़ा लगभग उसकी चोंच की पहुंच के भीतर था। वह आश्चर्य में एक पल इंतजार करता रहा, सोचता रहा कि वह करीब क्यों नहीं आई। और फिर, हिंगर से परेशान होकर, उसने मछली पर गोता लगाया।

     एक तेज़ चीख के साथ वह बाहर और नीचे अंतरिक्ष में गिर गया। तब भय ने उसे पकड़ लिया और उसका हृदय ठिठक गया। लेकिन यह केवल एक क्षण तक चला। अगले ही पल उसे महसूस हुआ कि उसके पंख बाहर की ओर फैले हुए हैं। हवा उसके सीने के पंखों पर, फिर पेट के नीचे और पंखों पर दौड़ी। वह अपने पंखों की नोकों को हवा से काटता हुआ महसूस कर सकता था। अब वह सिर के बल नहीं गिर रहा था. वह धीरे-धीरे नीचे और बाहर की ओर उड़ रहा था। उसे अब कोई डर नहीं था. फिर उसने एक बार अपने पंख फड़फड़ाये और वह ऊपर की ओर उड़ गया। उसने एक ख़ुशी भरी चीख निकाली और उन्हें फिर से फड़फड़ाया। वह और ऊँचा उड़ गया। उसकी माँ तेज़ आवाज़ करते हुए उसके पास से उड़ी। उसने उसे दूसरी चीख के साथ उत्तर दिया। तभी उसके पिता चिल्लाते हुए उसके ऊपर से उड़ गए। तभी उसने अपने दोनों भाइयों और बहनों को अपने चारों ओर उड़ते हुए देखा।

     उसने अपने नीचे एक विशाल हरा समुद्र देखा, और उसने अपनी चोंच को बगल में घुमाया और मनोरंजनपूर्वक काँव-काँव करने लगा। उसके सामने इस हरे फर्श पर उसके माता-पिता और उसके भाई-बहन उतरे थे। वे उसे इशारे से बुला रहे थे, जोर-जोर से पुकार रहे थे। उसने हरे समुद्र पर खड़े होने के लिए अपने पैर नीचे कर दिए।

     उसके पैर समुद्र में डूब गए, और उसका पेट उससे छू गया और वह फिर नहीं डूबा। वह उस पर तैर रहा था. और उसके चारों ओर उसका परिवार चिल्ला रहा था, उसकी प्रशंसा कर रहा था।

     उन्होंने अपनी पहली उड़ान भरी थी|

Textual Questions:

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

(2) The ledge faced the

(a) north ✔

(b) south

(c) east

(d) west

(3) The colour of the seagull's body was

(a) red

(b) black

(c) blue

(d) grey ✔

(4) The two brothers and sisters of the seagull were lying on the

(a) plain

(b) plateau ✔

(c) valley

(d) hill

(5) The mother seagull had picked up a piece of

(a) meat

(b) insect

(c) fish ✔

(d) straw

Exercise 2

Answer the following questions within fifteen words:

(a) What was the first catch of the seagull's older brother?

Ans:- Herring was the first catch of the young seagull’s older brother.

(b) Why did the seagull feel the heat?

Ans:- The young seagull felt hot because the sun was now ascending the sky, blazing on his ledge and he had not eaten since the previous nightfall.

(c) Why did the seagull dive at the fish?

Ans:- Maddened by hunger, the seagull dived at the fish.

(d) What happened when the seagull soared upwards?

Ans:- The seagull flapped his wings once and soared upwards.

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?

Ans:- The seagull felt certain that his wings would never support him to fly.

(b) What were the seagull’s two brothers and sister doing on the plateau?

Ans:- They were dozing, with their heads sunk into their wings.

(c) What happened after the seagull's feet sank into the sea?

Ans:- His feet sank into the sea, and then his belly touched it and he was floating on it. And around him his family was screaming, praising him.

Grammar in Use:

Exercise 4

Change the parts of speech of the given words in the chart:

Noun	Verb	Adjective	Adverb
Beauty	beautify	Beautiful	beautifully
danger	endanger	dangerous	dangerously
carefulness	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)

Ans:- He is honest that is known.

 (2) She spoke with kindness. (change into adverb form)

Ans:- She spoke kindly.

(3) The sun shone brightly. (change into noun form)

Ans:- The sun shone with brightness.

(4) She gave a wise judgment. (change into verb form)

Ans:- She judged wisely.

Composition: 

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,

[water evaporates from water bodies - rises as vapour - gerts heavier - condenses, forms clouds – falls to earth as rain]

Ans:-

the water cycle

     Water cycle is an important process in nature. It goes through some process. To begin with, water is evaporated from water bodies like rivers, lakes, etc. Then it rises as vapour. Then the water gets heavier. It then condenses and forms clouds. After this, the cloud becomes cool. The clouds fall on the earth in the form of rain.

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 friendly smile. Insects such as wasps armed with poisonous bites or stings usually have brightly painted bodies to remind other predators of their power.

Ans:- 

     Communication plays a key role in everyone’s lives, be it humans or animals or birds. The way humans communicate through certain words or gestures, animals too do the same thing. They also use both verbal and non-verbal ways to communicate with each other. Singing is one way in which birds can interact. While some birds like male blackbirds use their melodious songs. According to some sailors, large mammals in the oceans sing too. Enormous whales groan and grunt while smaller dolphins and porpoises whistle and click. Body language has an important place in animals’ communication. Even insects bite as a form of communication.