Two Stories About Flying NCERT Solutions Class 10 PDF Download 2026

Ans: The young seagull was afraid to fly because he lacked self-confidence. He looked down at the vast expanse of the sea and felt certain that his wings would never support him. Yes, it is natural for all young birds to be somewhat afraid to make their first flight, as it requires a leap of faith. However, some birds, like this young seagull, are more timid and hesitant than others, taking longer to overcome their fear.

Ans: This suggests that the young seagull was extremely hungry, having not eaten for 24 hours. The intense hunger overpowered his fear of flying. When his mother flew towards him with a piece of fish but halted just out of reach, his unbearable hunger compelled him to dive at the food. This desperate action caused him to fall outwards and downwards into space, forcing his wings to open instinctively, which resulted in his first flight.

Ans: The parents threatened to let him starve on his ledge and cajoled him because they knew he had to become independent. Flying is a fundamental survival skill for a bird. If they continued to feed him on the ledge, he would never overcome his fear or learn to fend for himself. Their tough love was necessary for his growth.

Ans: The risk was flying the old Dakota DS 088 aeroplane straight into the huge, dark storm clouds instead of turning back to Paris. The narrator took this immense risk because he was eager to get home to England, spend the holiday with his family, and enjoy a good English breakfast.

Ans: As the narrator entered the storm clouds, everything suddenly went pitch black. It was impossible to see anything outside. The old aeroplane jumped and twisted in the rough air. When he checked his compass, it was turning round and round—it was dead. The other instruments failed, and he could not contact Paris Control on the radio. He was completely lost and terrified until he saw another black aeroplane flying next to him.

Ans: The woman looked at him strangely because he asked about "the other pilot" who had guided him through the storm. According to her radar, the weather was so bad that no other planes were flying that night. His Dakota was the only plane visible on the radar, making his question sound absurd.

Ans: When the young seagull successfully made his first flight and landed on the green sea, his family was overjoyed. They flew around him, praising him, screaming joyously, and offered him scraps of dog-fish as a reward.

Ans: The young seagull stood on one leg with the other hidden under his wing, closed one eye, then the other, and pretended to be falling asleep. He did this to gain the sympathy and attention of his family, but they initially ignored him.

Ans: His mother was standing on a high plateau, tearing a piece of fish that lay at her feet. She would scrape her beak on the rock to sharpen it, a sight that maddened the hungry seagull.

Ans: The pilot was happy because he was flying over a sleeping countryside on a clear, starry night. He was dreaming of his holiday and looking forward to being with his family in England for breakfast.

Ans: The pilot checked his fuel and realized he was on his last tank. He only had enough fuel to fly for another five or ten minutes, which deeply terrified him as he followed the strange plane.

Ans: The pilot of the black aeroplane turned his face, lifted one hand, and waved, signaling the narrator to follow him. He then turned his aeroplane slowly to the north, right in front of the Dakota, making it easier for the narrator to follow him like an obedient child.

Ans: It is true that fear acts as a massive barrier to learning. The young seagull had fully developed wings, just like his siblings who had already flown away. However, he lacked self-confidence. His mind convinced him that his wings would fail him and he would drown in the vast sea below. This psychological fear paralyzed him, making him stay on the ledge even when he was starving. It was only when an external force (extreme hunger and the mother's trick) pushed him beyond his comfort zone that his natural instincts took over, and he realized he could fly perfectly well.

Ans: The mother seagull understood that her child needed a strong push to overcome his fear. She picked up a piece of fish and flew across to him. However, instead of feeding him, she halted her wings just opposite to him, keeping the fish just out of his reach. The young seagull, maddened by 24 hours of hunger, could not control himself. He lunged at the fish, falling off the ledge. This clever trick forced him into the air, triggering his natural instinct to spread his wings and fly.

Ans: When the narrator flew his old Dakota into the storm clouds, everything went completely black. The plane jumped and twisted violently in the air. He looked at his compass and found it spinning uncontrollably; it was dead. He tried the radio to contact Paris Control, but it was dead too. Lost and running low on fuel, he panicked. Suddenly, he saw another aeroplane with no lights on its wings. Its pilot waved at him to follow. Like an obedient child, the narrator followed the mysterious black aeroplane through the terrifying storm until he finally saw the runway lights and landed safely.

Ans: It is highly probable that the black aeroplane was a figment of the narrator's own imagination. He was highly stressed, lost in a massive storm, and his instruments had failed. In such a life-or-death situation, his subconscious mind took over to help him survive. It projected the image of another pilot guiding him. The fact that the woman at the control center confirmed there were no other planes on the radar strongly supports the theory that the "helper" was the narrator's own inner courage, skill, and survival instinct manifesting as an external savior.

Ans: The young seagull's fear was internal and psychological; he was afraid of his own capabilities and imagined dangers (falling). In contrast, the pilot's fear was situational and external; he faced a real, physical threat (a massive storm, failed instruments, low fuel). Both, however, required a leap of faith to survive—the seagull had to jump into the void, and the pilot had to trust a mysterious stranger.

Ans: The young seagull screamed with fright because it was his first time landing on water. When his legs sank into the sea, he thought he was going to drown. However, his belly soon touched the water, and he realized he was floating safely.

Ans: The pilot felt glad to walk away because the old Dakota had just been through a terrifying, near-death experience in the storm. Stepping out of it meant he had finally survived the ordeal and was safely on the ground.

Ans: He was looking forward to a relaxing holiday with his family and eating a heavy, traditional English breakfast at home in the morning.

Ans: It shows that parents sometimes have to be harsh for the betterment of their children. By starving the young seagull and ignoring his pleas, the parents forced him out of his comfort zone, ultimately teaching him the essential life skill of flying and survival.