Question 1.
Why was the seagull afraid to fly?
Answer:
The seagull was afraid to fly because below him was the vast sea and he thought his wings would never support him and he would fall into the sea and die.
Question 2.
What did the parents do to motivate the young bird when it failed to muster up enough courage to fly?
Answer:
They came around calling to him loudly. They scolded him and even threatened to starve him.
Question 3.
How did the parents support and encourage the young seagull’s brothers and sister?
Answer:
They flew about wilfi them, trying to perfect them in the art of fiight. They taught them how to skim the waves and how to dive for fish.
except by flying to them.
Question 4.
Cite an instance which shows the pathetic condition of the young bird.
Answer:
When the sun was shining hot, the young bird felt the heat all the more because he had not eaten anything since yesterday night. He searched everywhere but not a scrap of food was found. He even gnawed at the dried pieces of eggshell, from which he and his brothers and sister were hatched. It was like eating a part of himself.
Question 5.
How did the bird try to reach its parents without having to fly?
Answer:
He trotted back and forth from one end of the ledge to the other, trying to find some means of reaching his parents without flying. But on each side of him the ledge ended in a sheer fall of a precipice with the sea under. There was a deep, wide crack between hi.m and his parents.
Question 6.
Why could the seagull not succeed in its attempt?
Answer:
The seagull could not succeed in its attempt because there was nothing to walk on that would bring him to his parents. A deep, wide crack separated him from his parents and there was no way for him to reach them except by flying to them.
Question 7.
Do you think that the young seagull’s parents were cruel?
Answer:
No, I don’t think so. They were not cruel, but they were wise.
Question 8.
Can you justify the attitude of the parents?
Answer:
The parents were right in what they did. They wanted to teach him the importance of confidence and self¬reliance. One can’t depend on his parents all his life for his livelihood. He should learn to find food for himself once he reaches a certain stage of his life. We see the mother hen pecking and driving away her chicks once they are grown.
Question 9.
Your parents sometimes behave in the same manner. They may seem cruel and unrelenting. Does it mean that they do not love you?
Answer:
The parents sometimes behave in this cruel and unrelenting manner to make you self-reliant. It doesn’t mean they do not love you. It means they love you and that is why they train you to be independent and self-reliant. If they treat you as a helpless baby all the time, you will remain a helpless baby. So it is their love that forces them to be seemingly cruel and unrelenting at times.
Question 10.
What prompted the young seagull to fly finally?
Answer:
It was his hunger that prompted the young seagull to fly finally. He was very hungry and the mother would not give him the fish she had brought with her. She wanted him to fly to her to get it.
Question 11.
Why was the young bird terrified? How did it overcome its fear?
Answer:
The young bird dived at the fish his mother was carrying. When he dived he fell outwards and downwards into space. The wind rushed against his breast feathers and his stomach and wings. He could feel the tips of his wings cutting through the air. He was not falling how. He was soaring. He thus overcame his fear.
Question 12.
How did the family support the seagull?
Answer:
The mother flew past him, making joyful sounds. His father flew over him, screaming with joy. His two brothers and sister were flying around him, soaring and diving. In this way the family supported him.
Question 13.
Why could not the young seagull stand on the green sea?
Answer:
The young seagull could not stand on the green sea because the legs would go down the water. But when his belly touched the water, he did not sink further.
Question 14.
Do you think the bird’s parents loved him? Why?
Answer:
Of course, the bird’s parents loved him. They wanted to teach him howto be courageous and self-confident. The mother even came with a piece of fish to tempt him to attempt the flight. And when finally he flew, all the family members showed their joy by flying with him-and making happy noises.
No comments
Post a Comment