TWO STORIES ABOUT FLYING
~Summary~
-by Liam O’ Flaherty & Frederick Forsyth
STORY- I His First Flight
This story is about a family of seagulls. There was a young child in the family who was unable to fly even after several tries. The story highlights the importance of family and friends in one's life. It also gives the message that one needs to believe in self to overcome all the hurdles of own life.
The Seagull Family
The seagull family consists of six seagulls-mother, father, three sons and one daughter. All of them except the youngest son are expert in flying high. His parents have tried several times to teach him how to fly but he is scared to do that and does not want to try anymore. He relies on the food that his parents bring back from their flights.
Young Seagull's Fear of Flying
The youngest son is afraid of flying as he thinks that if he flies, his wings would not support him and he would fall down in the sea below and drown. Even his parents have rebuked him. They even threatened him if he didn't fly, he would die of hunger, but he does not try.
Parents Leave Young Seagull Alone
After so many failed attempts, his parents leave him alone on the rock without food. They even taunt him for his cowardice. The young seagull looks at his brothers and sister enjoying swimming, diving in the sea water for fish to feed themselves, but no one comes near him to offer food.
Hunger and Heat Increase
As the time passes, the young seagull could not tolerate the hunger and the heat. He moves closer to the ledge and pretends to fall asleep but nobody takes notice of him.
His brothers and sister have already had hearty breakfast and father seems busy in admiring and cleaning the feathers on his back. The mother looks at him and tries to tempt him with pieces of fish. His begging and crying does not affect her.
Young Seagull Dives for Food
The young seagull was very hungry. He was surprised enough at his mother's ignorance of his pitiful condition. Thus, he dives for food. He begins to fall down with a scream as soon as he dives.
Flight Begins
The young seagull begins to fall in the sea. He is afraid of drowning, so he tries to spread his wings outwards and begins flying. He feels a little dizzy but all his fear vanished (disappeared). He soars slowly downwards and upwards. He could finally fly on his own.
Joy of Flight and Reunion of Family
The seagull becomes so happy and soars higher calling 'ga, ga, ga'. It was really a joyous moment for the whole family; his brothers and sister along with his parents come near to encourage and cheer him. The young seagull successfully made his first flight.
STORY- II The Black Aeroplane
The Trip to England
The narrator was flying his aeroplane at night over France to England. He was eager to meet his family. He was dreaming of his holiday. The stars were shining in the clear sky. Even the city-Paris could be seen down below. He called Paris Control to get instructed about the way. He was instructed to turn 12 degrees West.
Fear of Storm
Everything was going well before he saw the storm clouds and Paris was about 150 kilometres behind him. It was natural for the narrator to panic. He knew that it was not possible to fly up and over those storm clouds. He was confused for a moment.
A Risky but Brave Decision of the Author
As everything was fearful at the moment, the narrator decided to risk and flew into the storm, but everything went out of control. The compass as well as other instruments stopped working. He was unable to see outside the plane as the plane was jumping and twisting in the air. He tried to contact Paris Control but couldn't. He was lost in the storm.
A Black Aeroplane Appeared
Suddenly, the narrator saw another black aeroplane in the storm by his side without lights on its wings. It seemed strange to him but he was glad to see another person in the storm.
The pilot of another plane waved at him and signalled to follow so he did that because he did not have other option except it.
A Safe Landing
The narrator flew for half an hour which was quite strange to him as he had fuel only for five or ten minutes. He felt fearful but suddenly he saw two bright lines in front of him. It was a runway. He was able to land safely which gave him a sigh of relief. It was just like a miracle for him.
The Greatest Surprise
The narrator came out from his plane to thank the pilot of the black aeroplane but he was shocked to see no one there. He went to Control Tower and asked the woman about the place and the black aeroplane. Hearing his words the woman laughed and said that there was no other aeroplane except his. It was a big surprise to the narrator. He was dumb founded as he had no explanation for the miracle.
Conclusion of Two Stories About Flying
In the chapter – Two Stories About Flying, there are two stories that teach us that inner strength and determination is necessary to overcome fear. Having the courage to face tough situations helps us to overcome complex situations in our lives.