Two Stories About Flying

The young seagull was afraid to fly because he thought that his wings would not support him. Yes, it is natural that doing something for the first time is a bit challenging and fearful. All young birds must be afraid to make their first flights. Similarly, a human baby is also afraid of taking the first step and finds it challenging.

The young seagull was very hungry. It was this hunger that ultimately compelled it to fly. Its hunger intensified when it saw its mother tearing at a piece of fish. When she stopped midway with food in her beak, he could not resist any longer and dived at the food. At that moment, his hunger overpowered his fear, and his wings spread outwards naturally.

The seagull’s parents had tried everything but he was reluctant to fly due to fear. They threatened to let him starve on the ledge if he did not fly. They did so because they wanted him to leave his fear behind, learn the art of flying, and become independent like his siblings.

The risk was to fly the old Dakota aeroplane through the huge, black storm clouds. The narrator took the risk because he was keen to reach home and spend his holiday with his family. He did not want to miss the chance of having a good English breakfast with them.

As the pilot entered the storm, his plane started jumping and twisting in the air. He could not see anything outside as it was pitch black. His compass, radio, and other instruments suddenly stopped working. He was lost in the storm with very little fuel left, which was a terrifying experience.

He was not sorry because he had just survived a horrific experience and was happy to be safe. The woman looked at him strangely because he asked about the “other pilot” in the black aeroplane who helped him. According to her radar, no other aeroplanes were flying that night; his was the only one.

No, ‘dyin’ does not naturally rhyme with ‘lion’. The poet uses “poetic license” to change the pronunciation so they rhyme.

• Asian Lion: A large, tawny beast that roars while you are dying of fear.
• Bengal Tiger: A beast with black stripes on a yellow ground that eats you.

The correct spellings are ‘leapt’ and ‘leap’. The poet spells them incorrectly to maintain the rhythm of the poem and to rhyme with ‘leopard’. This adds a humorous touch to the poem.

Bearhug: A tight, strong embrace (bears hug their prey to crush them).
Crocodile Tears: Fake sorrow (crocodiles are said to weep while eating prey).
Hyenas: Known for their “laugh” (a sound they make while hunting).

The poet wants the boy to learn the meaning of loss on his own. He does not offer money because a new ball is worthless in this context; it cannot replace the memories attached to the lost ball. He wants the boy to learn the lesson of responsibility.

It means the world is full of materialistic things where people judge you by what you own. In such a world, losing something is inevitable, and one must learn to cope with it.

He is learning the epistemology of loss—understanding what it means to lose something and how to stand up again. He is realizing that loss is a part of life and that money cannot buy back memories or lost time.