NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 3: Two Stories About Flying

The chapter "Two Stories About Flying" from NCERT Class 10 English is divided into two separate stories, each focusing on a unique flying experience. These stories help us understand themes of courage, fear, and trust.

Story 1: His First Flight by Liam O'Flaherty

This story revolves around a young seagull who is afraid of flying. Despite being capable, the seagull is overwhelmed by fear and distrusts his own wings. His family tries to encourage him to fly by leaving him alone on a ledge. They scold him, taunt him, and even refuse to bring him food, hoping that hunger will push him to make his first flight. However, the young seagull remains too scared.

Eventually, after a day of starvation, the seagull's mother appears with a piece of fish. The seagull is desperate to eat, but his mother does not give him the fish directly. Instead, she hovers close enough for him to reach only if he takes the plunge. Motivated by hunger, the seagull finally dives off the ledge. As soon as he leaps, his instincts take over, and he realizes that he is flying. His fear disappears, and he experiences the joy of flight. This story highlights how sometimes, the push we need comes from facing our fears head-on.

Story 2: The Black Aeroplane by Frederick Forsyth

The second story follows a pilot flying a plane from Paris to London. As he flies, the pilot dreams about spending time with his family on vacation. However, during the journey, he encounters dark clouds signaling an impending storm. Despite the danger, the pilot chooses not to turn back and continues flying, putting himself and others on the flight at great risk.

As he flies into the storm, the sky becomes pitch dark, and the pilot loses his way. Just when he feels completely lost, he sees another airplane in the sky. The mysterious plane appears out of nowhere and helps guide him out of the storm. Following the unknown pilot’s directions, the pilot safely lands the plane. To his surprise, once on the ground, he discovers that there was no other airplane flying in the storm, leaving him puzzled about who saved him.

This story touches on themes of trust and the mysterious nature of life. It leaves readers wondering about the identity of the mysterious pilot.

Lessons from the Stories

Both stories share a common theme of overcoming fear. In "His First Flight," the young seagull conquers his fear of flying by trusting his instincts. In "The Black Aeroplane," the pilot faces a dangerous situation but is saved by what seems like a miracle. Both stories teach us that courage and trust can guide us through difficult moments.

Important Themes and Morals

1. Courage in the Face of Fear: Both stories show that fear is natural, but courage is what helps us move forward. The young seagull and the pilot both face their fears and come out stronger.
2. Trust in One's Abilities: The seagull learns that his wings are strong enough, and the pilot learns to trust the guidance of a mysterious helper. Trusting in yourself and others can help you navigate through tough times.
3. The Power of Instincts: Both characters rely on their instincts to survive. Whether it’s the seagull’s leap of faith or the pilot following an unknown airplane, sometimes trusting your gut feeling can lead to success.

Why Are These Stories Important for Students?

These stories offer valuable life lessons that students can relate to. Whether it’s the fear of trying something new or facing a challenging situation, the stories encourage readers to have faith in their abilities and to be brave when confronted with difficulties.

NCERT Chapter 3 "Two Stories About Flying" brings forth two powerful stories about facing fear and having faith. Whether it’s a young seagull taking his first flight or a pilot navigating through a storm, the lessons learned are universal and relatable. These stories encourage us to face challenges with courage and trust, knowing that sometimes, help comes from unexpected places.

Two Stories About Flying Questions and Answers PDF

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 3: Two Stories About Flying Question Answers

Thinking about Text

Q1. Why was the young seagull afraid to fly? Do you think all young birds are afraid to make their first flight, or are some birds more timid than others? Do you think a human baby also finds it a challenge to take its first steps?
Answer: The young seagull was afraid to fly because it was its first flight. It is a well-known fact that doing something for the first time is challenging. Therefore, all young birds must be afraid to make their first flights. Similarly, a human baby would also find it a challenge to take its first step.

Q2. “The sight of the food maddened him.” What does this suggest? What compelled the young seagull to finally fly?
Answer: The young seagull was very hungry. It was this hunger that ultimately compelled it to fly. Its hunger only intensified when it saw its mother tearing at a piece of fish that lay at her feet. It cried to her, begging her to get some food. When its mother came towards it with food in her beak, it screamed with joy and anticipation. However, she stopped midway. It wondered why she did not come nearer. Not being able to resist or control its hunger any longer, it dived at the food in its mother’s beak. At that moment, his hunger overpowered his fear of the great expanse of sea beneath the cliff. Finally, this plunge was followed by the natural reaction of its body, i.e., to fly.

Q3. “They were beckoning to him, calling shrilly. “Why did the seagull’s father and mother threaten him and cajole him to fly?
Answer: The young seagull was afraid to fly. Even when it saw its brothers and sisters flying, and its parents helping and teaching them, it could not gather enough courage to make that first flight. That is why its father and mother were calling to it shrilly and scolding it. They threatened to let it starve on its ledge if it did not fly. They did so because they wanted it to leave its fear behind and learn to fly.

The Black Aeroplane By Fredrick Forsyth

Thinking about the Text

 Q1. “I’ll take the ” What is the risk? Why does the narrator take it?
Answer: The risk was to fly through the black storm clouds. The narrator took the risk because he wanted to reach Paris to celebrate Christmas with his family.

Q2. Describe the narrator’s experience as he flew the aeroplane into the
Answer: As he flew into the storm, everything went black. It was impossible to see anything outside the plane. It jumped and twisted in the air. When he looked at his compass, he saw that it was turning round and round. It was dead. Along with it, the other instruments, including the radio, were also dead. Suddenly, he saw another aeroplane. Its pilot waved at him, asking him to follow. He was glad to find a helper. He was using his last fuel tank and there was only enough fuel to fly five or ten minutes. Then, the other pilot started to go down and he followed. He suddenly came out of the clouds and saw the runway, on which he then landed his plane safely.

Q3. Why does the narrator say, “I landed and was not sorry to walk away from the old Dakota…”?
Answer: He was delighted to land safely out of dark stormy clouds, therefore, he was not sorry to walk away for his plane. He felt bad, when he was no able to thank his guide, his mentor who saved him from frightening situations, but he was so happy after landing that he didn’t feel sorry for not being able to thank the guide pilot.

Q4. What made the woman in the control centre look at the narrator strangely?
Answer: The women in the control room was surprised when the narrator asked about the other aeroplane and its pilot. She said that there was no aeroplane seen on the radar.

Q5. Who do you think helped the narrator to reach safely? Discuss this among yourselves and give reasons for your
Answer: Probably, it was the narrator’s own self that helped him through the storm. There was no other plane in the storm as the woman at the control centre could see only his plane on the radar. Also, no other plane was flying that night. In his fear, he might have been hallucinating. He was a good pilot, and it might have been his own self that came to his help.

Thinking about the Language:

 Q1. Try to guess the meanings of the word ‘black’ in the sentences given below. Check the meanings in the dictionary and find out whether you have guessed right.

1. Go and have a bath; your hands and face are absolutely black _______________.
2. The taxi-driver gave Ratan a black look as he crossed the road when the traffic light was______
3. The bombardment of Hiroshima is one of the blackest crimes against_______________

4. Very few people enjoy Harold Pinter’s black_________________
5. Sometimes shopkeepers store essential goods to create false scarcity and then sell these

in black._________________

6. Villagers had beaten the criminal black and______________________

Answer

1. The meaning of ‘black’ in this sentence is that the face and hands are dark with dust and
2. Here, ‘black’ refers to an angry
3. Here, ‘blackest’ refers to the darkest and cruellest crime against
4. Here, ‘black’ refers to dark and gloomy
5. The meaning of ‘black’ in this sentence is that the shopkeepers sell the described goods ‘at a higher price’.
6. Here, ‘black’ means that the criminal suffered excessive beating at the hands of the

Q2. Match the phrases given under Column A with their meanings given under Column B:

3. We know that the word ‘fly’ (of birds/insects) means to move through air using Tick the words which have the same or nearly the same meaning.

 Answer:

The words which have the same or nearly the same meaning as ‘fly’ are as follows: swoop, flit, float, dart, soar, hover, sail skim, glide, flutter

Two Stories About Flying Questions and Answers PDF

If you're looking for the "Two Stories about Flying" PDF Download Link, it's a great resource to help you easily access the complete text of this NCERT Class 10 English chapter. Both stories, "His First Flight" and "The Black Aeroplane," offer valuable lessons on overcoming fear and trusting yourself. With the PDF, you can read the chapter anytime and revise the important themes and morals at your convenience. It's perfect for students who want to study offline or need a quick reference.

Download Two Stories about Flying Questions and Answers PDF

NCERT Solutions for Class 10 English Chapter 3: Two Stories About Flying  Important Questions

Q1: What is the main theme of "His First Flight"?
Answer: The main theme is overcoming fear and learning to trust your abilities.

Q2: Why was the seagull afraid of flying?
Answer: The seagull was afraid because he didn’t trust his wings and feared falling.

Q3: What happens in "The Black Aeroplane"?
Answer: A pilot gets lost in a storm but is guided to safety by a mysterious airplane that later disappears.

Q4: What lesson does "His First Flight" teach us?
Answer: It teaches us that sometimes, facing our fears is the only way to move forward and grow.

Q5: Who helped the pilot in "The Black Aeroplane"?
Answer: The story leaves the identity of the mysterious helper open to interpretation, creating a sense of wonder.