him. How he loved to tear food that way, scraping his beak now and again to whet it! He uttered a low cackle. His mother cackled too, and looked at him.
10th - - ‘Ga, ga, ga,’ he cried, begging her to bring him over some food. ‘Gawl-ool-ah,’ she screamed back mockingly. But he kept calling plaintively , and after a minute or so, he uttered a joyful scream. His mother had picked up a piece of fish and was flying across to him with it.
He leaned out eagerly, tapping the rock with his feet, trying to get nearer to her as she flew across. But when she was just opposite to him, abreast of the ledge, she halted, her legs hanging limp, her wings motionless, the piece of fish in her beak almost within reach of his beak. He waited a moment in surprise, wondering why she did not come nearer, and then maddened by hunger, he dived at the fish. With a loud scream, he fell outwards and downwards into space.
His mother had swooped upwards. As he passed beneath her, he heard the swish of her wings. Then a monstrous terror seized him and his heart stood still. He could hear nothing.
But it only lasted a moment. The next moment, he felt his wings spread outwards. The wind rushed against his breast feathers, then under his stomach and against his wings. He could feel the tips of his wings cutting through the air.
e. What did the young bird do to seek the attention of his parents? f. What made the young seagull go mad?
g. Why did the young bird utter a joyful scream? h. Did the mother bird offer any food to the young bird?
He was not falling headlong now. He was soaring gradually, downwards and outwards. He was no longer afraid. He just felt a bit dizzy.
Then, he flapped his wings once and he soared upwards. He uttered a delightful scream and flapped them again. He soared higher. He raised his breast and banked against the wind.