Chapter 3: Two Stories about Flying
📘 Chapter Summary (Easy English)
Story 1: His First Flight
This is the story of a young seagull (a sea bird) who was afraid to fly. His parents, brothers, and sister had already learned to fly. But he was scared. He thought he would fall into the sea and die. His parents scolded him and refused to give him food to make him fly.
One day, his mother came close with a piece of fish. When he tried to catch it, he jumped off the ledge and fell. But soon, he felt the air under his wings and began to fly. He was very happy. Now, he could fly like the others. It was his first flight, and his family was very proud of him.
Story 2: The Black Aeroplane
This is a story of a pilot flying a
plane at night from France to England. The weather was clear, and he was excited to reach home for breakfast. Suddenly, he saw black storm clouds. He didn’t want to turn back, so he flew into the storm.
Inside the storm, all the instruments stopped working — the compass and the radio fa
iled. He was lost. Suddenly, he saw another black aeroplane flying next to him. The mysterious pilot guided him out of the storm safely. After landing, he asked about the other plane. But the control room said no other plane was flying that night.
So, who was the pilot of the black plane? No one knows — maybe a mystery or a miracle.
📙 अध्याय का सारांश (सरल हिंदी में)
कहानी 1: उसका पहला उड़ान
यह कहानी एक नन्हे सीगल (पक्षी) की है जिसे उड़ने से डर लगता था। उसके माता-पिता और भाई-बहन उड़ना सीख चुके थे, लेकिन वह डरता था कि कहीं गिर न जाए। उसके माता-पिता उसे उड़ने के लिए डांटते थे और खाना नहीं दे रहे थे।
एक दिन उसकी माँ मछली का टुकड़ा लेकर उसके पास आई। जैसे ही वह मछली पकड़ने के लिए कूदा, वह हवा में गिरा। लेकिन धीरे-धीरे उसे अपने पंखों के नीचे हवा महसूस हुई और वह उड़ने लगा। अब वह उड़ सकता था, और उसका परिवार बहुत खुश हुआ।
कहानी 2: काला हवाई जहाज़
यह कहानी एक पायलट की है जो रात को फ्रांस से इंग्लैंड जा रहा था। मौसम साफ था, और वह जल्दी घर पहुँचकर नाश्ता करना चाहता था। अचानक उसने काले तूफानी बादल देखे। वह पीछे नहीं मुड़ना चाहता था, इसलिए सीधा तूफान में चला गया।
तूफान में उसके सभी यंत्र काम करना बंद कर चुके थे। वह रास्ता भटक गया। तभी उसने एक और काले हवाई जहाज़ को देखा जो उसे रास्ता दिखा रहा था। वह उस विमान के पीछे-पीछे उड़ता रहा और सुरक्षित उतर गया।
जब उसने कंट्रोल रूम में उस विमान के बारे में पूछा, तो बताया गया कि कोई दूसरा विमान उस रात उड़ नहीं रहा था। तो फिर वह कौन था जो उसकी मदद करने आया?
📗 Difficult Word Meanings
| Word | Meaning (English) | अर्थ (हिंदी में) |
|---|---|---|
| Ledge | A narrow shelf on a cliff | चट्टान की संकरी किनारी |
| Upbraiding | Scolding | डांटना |
| Derisively | Mockingly | मज़ाक उड़ाते हुए |
| Preening | Cleaning or arranging feathers | पंखों को संवारना |
| Skim | Move lightly over a surface | सतह के ऊपर से सरकना |
| Soar | Fly high | ऊँचाई में उड़ना |
| Curveting | Leaping like a horse | घोड़े जैसी छलांग मारना |
| Compass | Device showing direction | दिशा सूचक यंत्र |
| Radar | Device to detect aircraft | विमान का पता लगाने की मशीन |
| Storm clouds | Very dark clouds that bring storms | तूफानी बादल |
| Mysterious | Strange or unknown | रहस्यमय |
Story 1: His First Flight
1. 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 would fall into the sea.
Do you think all young birds are afraid to make their first flight, or are some birds more timid than others?
Answer:
Yes, some birds may be more scared than others. Like humans, each bird is different. Some are brave, some are timid.
Do you think a human baby also finds it a challenge to take its first steps?
Answer:
Yes, human babies also feel scared when they try to walk for the first time. But they learn slowly, just like the seagull.
2. “The sight of the food maddened him.” What does this suggest? What compelled the young seagull to finally fly?
Answer:
This means the seagull was very hungry. When he saw the food, he could not control himself. He jumped to get it and started flying without knowing. Hunger made him fly.
3. “They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly.” Why did the seagull’s father and mother threaten him and cajole him to fly?
Answer:
The seagull’s parents wanted him to learn how to fly. They were worried about him. So, they shouted, scolded, and even tried to tempt him with food to make him fly.
4. Have you ever had a similar experience, where your parents encouraged you to do something that you were too scared to try?
Answer:
Yes, when I was learning to ride a bicycle, I was very scared. But my parents told me I could do it. They held the cycle and gave me courage. Finally, I learned to ride it.
5. In the case of a bird flying, it seems a natural act, and a foregone conclusion that it should succeed. In the examples you have given, was your success guaranteed, or was it important for you to try, regardless of a possibility of failure?
Answer:
No, success was not guaranteed. But it was important to try. If I had not tried to ride the cycle, I would never have learned. Trying is the first step to success.
🗣️ Page 5: Speaking
Choose any one topic and prepare a simple presentation:
1. Progression of Models of Airplanes
Airplanes have changed a lot. In the beginning, they were small, made of wood and cloth. The Wright brothers made the first airplane. Today, we have big airplanes like Boeing and Airbus. Some even fly without pilots (drones).
2. Progression of Models of Motorcars
Cars were slow and open in the beginning. They used steam or petrol. Now we have electric cars, fast cars, and even self-driving cars. Old cars had no roofs; now cars are smart and safe.
3. Birds and Their Wing Span
Wing span means the distance from one wingtip to the other. Small birds like sparrows have small wings. Big birds like eagles and albatrosses have long wing spans to help them fly high and far.
4. Migratory Birds — Tracing Their Flights
Some birds travel long distances during certain seasons. For example, the Siberian Crane comes to India in winter. Birds migrate for food and better weather. Scientists use GPS tags to track their flight.
✍️ Page 5: Writing
Write a short composition on your first time learning a skill:
My First Bicycle Ride (Funny Experience)
When I first tried to ride a bicycle, I thought it was easy. I sat on it proudly, but forgot how to balance. Boom! I fell right into a bush. My brother laughed so much that he fell down too. The next day, I tried again — this time I hit a parked scooter. After many crashes and scratches, I finally learned. Now, I ride like a hero!
🤔 Page 9: Thinking About the Text (The Black Aeroplane)
1. “I’ll take the risk.” What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it?
Answer:
The risk is flying into the storm clouds. The narrator takes the risk because he wants to reach home quickly and enjoy breakfast with his family.
2. Describe the narrator’s experience inside the storm.
Answer:
Inside the storm, everything was dark. The plane shook a lot. The compass and radio stopped working. The pilot was lost and scared.
3. Why does he say “I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota…”?
Answer:
He says this because he was very tired and scared. After a dangerous flight, he was happy to be safe on the ground.
4. What made the woman in the control centre look at the narrator strangely?
Answer:
She looked at him strangely because there was no other plane in the sky. His was the only one seen on the radar.
5. Who do you think helped the narrator?
Answer:
Maybe it was a ghost pilot, an angel, or just his imagination. But someone guided him safely. It is a mystery.
🧠 Page 9-10: Thinking About Language
I. Meanings of “Black” in these sentences:
- Go and have a bath; your hands and face are absolutely black.
→ Very dirty - The taxi-driver gave Ratan a black look.
→ An angry look - The bombardment of Hiroshima is one of the blackest crimes.
→ A very bad/cruel act - Very few people enjoy Harold Pinter’s black comedy.
→ Dark or serious jokes about sad things - Shopkeepers sell these in black.
→ Illegally, without tax or records - Villagers had beaten the criminal black and blue.
→ Beaten badly
II. Match the phrases:
| A | B |
|---|---|
| 1. Fly a flag | Display a flag on a long pole |
| 2. Fly into rage | Become suddenly very angry |
| 3. Fly along | Move quickly/suddenly |
| 4. Fly high | Be successful |
| 5. Fly the coop | Escape from a place |
III. Tick words that mean the same or nearly same as fly:
✅ swoop, flit, flutter, ascend, skim, dart, hover, glide, descend, soar, shoot, spring, sail, flap
❌ paddle, float, ride, sink, stay, fall (These don’t mean “fly”)
✍️ Page 10: Writing
Describe your experience in a thunderstorm:
A Night I Can’t Forget
One night, I was home alone and a thunderstorm started. The lights went off. Loud thunder scared me. I sat in bed with a torch and hugged my pillow. I even started talking to myself to stay brave! After an hour, the storm stopped and the lights came back. I felt like a hero — but I didn’t sleep alone for the next few days!
Let me know if you’d like these answers in Hindi or formatted for a class notebook.