Paraphrasing of chapter 3-Jonathan Livingstone Seagull (Group 3)

While Jonathan spread his wings in the air, gliding peacefully, over the cliffs, his eyes caught this young bird out there, brave and fast, practicing to fly, learning, following his passion. Soon, Jonathan learnt he was a new outcast, named Fletcher Gull, who was just like Jonathan, strong and revolutionary, who had big dreams to learn to fly. Jonathan had found his first student.

As they began with some practice lessons, Fletcher, too excited, was flying at his best speed, even faster than his instructor. He was all happy and speedy, in the sky, going higher and faster , sharing his happiness with Jonathan, flying with thrill and fun, dashing one hundred fifty miles per hour more than his tutor. Exploring the different styles of flying, he drew himself rashly in a sixteen point vertical slow roll try, while counting numbers to see how far he can count and go.

Fletcher, not able to control his happiness, he cried out loud ‘Look Jonathan, look, I am faster than the air, I am racing at the highest speed ,Now I think I can also fly like you, wow, I am loving this. I have reached the count of twelve, just three to go.’ But soon he realised he was losing control, he had to stop at fourteen when he experienced a huge crash.

After the worst whipstall he experienced, He fell down, smashing and rolling in the reverse direction, now much lower from Jonathan, he fell .Fletcher couldn’t handle his failure, he was furious of what just happened. Trying to come back to senses, he found himself a hundred feet below his tutor’s level, he lost all this confidence.

Fletcher, disappointed and ashamed of himself, asked Jonathan you leave him alone, and search for someone better, because he thought he was too dull and doltish to learn flying, in spite of trying so hard.

Jonathan, looking down at the poor bird, tried to encourage him. He showed him his mistakes. "You will have to make the first step, the pull up really strong and calm at the same time, you will have to try and make it hard but still and smooth as well. You won't achieve what you want unless you do that. You can’t just give up like that. You need to try, again and again, there are no limits for trying”

Flying down to his student’s level, he asked Fletcher to try again, along with Jonathan this time and advised him to be alert and try and concentrate on the pull-up to succeed in what he is doing. ‘You will be able to do it Fletch, come on, let us make it nice and simple.’ Advised Jonathan

Three months passed, and by then, he was a tutor of 6 outcasts, newbies and curious to know and learn flying, who were still very new to understand this concept of happy flying. They really didn't care to know the reason behind this flying, because it was easier for them to just practice lessons and follow their tutor rather to go into the depths. They followed their instructor and did their best in the lessons taught to them but never really asked him what exactly they are doing, what is the reason behind this practice.

While lying on the beach in the evening, Jonathan, being a great instructor, would always say encouraging things to his students. He would say, ‘We all are an unlimited idea of freedom, each of

us, is an idea of the great gull and to express our qualities, we need to learn this precise way of flying, nothing can stop us, sacrifice the things that is holding you back, that's the reason we are practicing these various methods of flying such as high speed and low speed and also aerobatics and …’blah blah blah... Because his students would be too tired and deep asleep by then, to listen to all his lectures. As and when they learnt something, they wanted to get more and more knowledge of it, their hunger grew with each class, because they loved the adventurous and fun lessons they used to practice. But the flight of ideas, what Jonathan was trying to teach them, was too high, the level, they could understand and believe, they just understood the practical way of flying with wind and feathers, and nobody really cared about the other way, not even Fletcher Lynd Gull.

Jonathan used to talk very spiritual which was too fictitious for his students to believe, his words use to turn to bedtime stories for the little birds. He used to say things like, “Your thoughts are what you see in the form of your body, everything in the world is the power of mind, it's your mind, not your body, whatever you do/think from your brain, reflects your body. Break the barriers of your brain and your body will follow it. Your body is nothing without your soul/your thoughts’’

After a month, Jonathan thought, It was the time to return to their original world, Jonathan thought, And when he informed his students to do so, he got a negative response. Henry Calvin gull, shouting, asked Jonathan whether why do they force themselves to go back when they are not ready to and not even accepted there! ‘We have become outcasts now,we have no interest in going back ‘said Henry.

Jonathan, turning and going towards east, to the direction of his home, where his fellow friends lived , replied "We are free to go where we wish and to be what we are".

Once you are an outcast, you can never return to your home land, this is what the law said and nobody ever thought of breaking the rules in a ten thousand years. This made the students furious, they were still not ready to go, the law didn’t permit them to go back, but Jonathan advised them to go. And by now, their leader had already left for his journey, had covered a mile across the ocean. If they waited for a while, their tutor shall be gone and reach their homeland alone.

Fletcher, taking his instructors side, tried to convince his folks to return there, by saying If they have already broken the barriers, being an outcast, they can now, easily take this risk; they will win, even if they have to fight.

Fletcher however managed to convince his folks .So, they travelled together, like a perfect flock flying in a double diamond shape, 8 of them, their wing tips overlapping each other.Travelling at a speed of hundred and thirty five miles an hour, they almost reached the main council beach, in an arrangement of the leader, Jonathan, in the front, fletcher towards his right side and Henry Calvin trying to stay on his left, coping up with the speed. The flock rolled towards the right side against the wind, preparing for the landing.

Eight thousand gull heads, leaving their daily hustle bustle, were now staring up in the sky, surprised, watching their attackers coming towards them. All of the birds, 8 of them, flew super-fast in circles and landed strikingly on the ground one by one. This practice had become a habit for them now, and so, Jonathan began his critique of flight. The flock was shocked to see them return and were not ready to accept the outcast birds. They believed, if the birds are once termed outcast they can never ever come back to their home land. Moreover, they were too shocked to understand how the birds

learnt to fly so well.

Outcasts were given the worst treatment in their homeland. Even if a normal bird spoke to an outcast, he would be banished. Even the gull just looking at an outcast would break the rules of the council. If someone speaks in favour of an outcast, he must be ignored, Were the rules.

Jonathan ignored all the things happening around, all the people backing off, he just continued with what he had, continued to teach the students who were interested.

While practicing on the council beach, he used to push his students and encourage them to try and do as much as they could. Till the maximum limit they reach, to do their best. He would encourage birds like Martin William seagull, to prove what they said they can do. If he said he knows low speed flying, he got to prove it. Show it. Do it.

Trying to escape his tutor's anger, Poor little Martin seagull, nervously tried what the tutor asked him to do and unknowingly, proved himself, and became a pro in his specialty (low speed flying). He himself couldn't believe his eyes. He could now do all the tricks and turns, still in the air, not flapping his wings a single time, he mastered the flying from land to Sky and back again.

Every student now had their own speciality at which they were succeeding to the top most level. Just like Martin, Charles Roland Gull also had his own way of flying. He loved heights. He would fly up and up higher, to twenty four thousand feet, in the extreme cold, would turn blue but with bliss in his eyes, would come down, and promise himself to go higher and higher in the coming days.

The aerobatics specialist, none other than Fletcher Seagull, could now do tasks like a sixteen point vertical slow roll and triple cartwheels, he would roll and dance in the air beautifully, in the blue fly, with his feathers reflecting white sunlight on the beach, from where there were so many sneaky eyes watching the beautiful circus master.

These students could succeed in their practice because of the amazing master of all, Jonathan who would be there with each and every student, through thick and thin, guiding them in every possible way, he too, living his passion. Whether it was night or day, good weather or bad, he was there with his beloved students always.

As usual, after a long day of hard-core practice, Grandpa Jonathan used to share his thoughts, stories, ideas, to his children who would listen to him, trying to understand as much as they could. Some things used to hit them, some high level ideas they couldn’t understand, but they tried and tried to learn every word their tutor spoke.

And obviously, kindness attracts everyone. So there were some gulls, which used to mask and come, form a hidden group behind Jonathan’s students, he used to come to listen to Jonathan, in the night, hearing everything secretively and vanishing before the light comes, too proud or scared to get caught.

It was Terrence Lowell Gull, who took the risk (after a whole month had passed after Jonathan's return ) of going and speaking his mind out, to the crowd, that he too, wants to join the other group, wants to learn flying. To which, he was obviously, criticized and given the tag of the outcast. And a new student was added to Jonathan’s flock.

So, there was yet another one, dragging his weak left wing, he came, Running and crying and with all the drama, collapsing on Jonathan's feet, begging him to teach him flying, to be one of them. This was Kirk Maynard Gull.

At which Jonathan, always smiling and encouraging told him to join them, fly and be free, be one of them.But he wasn't fortunate enough to do that he said, his left wing was too weak for him to move and fly. "You can't give up, Nothing can stop you, you are free, you have to try", is what Jonathan always used to say. Obeying his master, Kirk Maynard Gull, tried and spread his wings in the air, took a flight into the dark sky, slowly, high in the air now, so excited that he woke up all his new friends, shouted with happiness, “oh my god, I can fly too.” He exclaimed.

What Maynard had achieved was really shocking for the gulls (who were not outcast). Thousands of gulls gathered near the seashore, to get involved in the activity. By now, their astonishment was too much to care for what if someone's sees them standing out there, to listen to the lessons of Jonathan. Everyone, curious and surprised, wanted to hear, each word the leader spoke, whether it was the smallest thought he shared, like how important it is for a gull to fly, which depicts freedom, which is the inborn and most important factor of their existence. He always used to ignore the things disturbing his freedom whether it is a law, ritual or tradition or whatever and used to give the same advice to his fellow students.

His students, curious and a little scared ,used to ask him how can they set aside the law of the flock if it's disturbing their goal, to which he used to explain them the most true law of life , is the law of freedom ,there is no law fair enough, if it doesn't lead to freedom.The little newbies in Jonathan's class thought their teacher is someone who is god gifted to fly, he has special powers, he is not like the rest, and that is the reason he flies like a professional. They didn't believe they can do that and asked him how he can even expect them to fly like himself.

“Look At fletcher, Lowell, Charles, you have a lot of examples and idles who were just like you some time ago. No one is god gifted. You need to practice and know your hidden talents and work to achieve it. You just need to realise your abilities. Just like they did, now they know what they are.” explained Jonathan.

Every day, the crowd grew larger and larger, to listen to Jonathan, to practice, learn, explore flying. One fine morning after a huge speed practice, Fletcher informed Jonathan about what was happening in the flock. “They tell us we are nobody to do all this, to break our barriers unless we are not the son of the great gull. We are long ahead of our time, this revolution should happen after a ten thousand years

ago not now, this is not the correct time.”To which Jonathan asked him if he, fletcher himself, thought They are ahead of time. He made him realize is it really important to care about what they think about you, good or bad? After thinking for a while, he answered and told him that what they have achieved is timeless, they are being futuristic, and that's something they should be proud of, they are ahead then most of the gulls out there, he gained confidence in what he is doing.

To which Jonathan proudly agreed.A week passed by and one fine day, The new little teacher, Fletcher, was explaining the characteristics of high level flying to his juniors.

While he was demonstrating, diving down from the seven thousand feet, he saw a young bird( who was probably on his first flight) coming from the opposite direction, in his way, calling out his mother. To avoid a collision with the bird and save him, fletcher turning hard towards the left, crashed into the granite cliff while he was approximately flying two hundred miles per hour.

It was a terrible experience that just happened, his vision went black, he hit the rock so hard, he was too shocked to realize he entered into a new world. He felt terribly guilty and sorry he couldn't control and hurt himself so bad. He crashed, forgot everything, suddenly remembered the first day he met Jonathan Livingston Seagull.

He remembered how Jonathan used to encourage him, used to tell him how he has to tackle with flying, his problems and limitations and obstacles. He said there will be a time, later, when you will have to deal with the worst situations, and fletcher thought, this is it. The time has come for him to die. He saw Jonathan. He cried his Masters name. The master was proud to see him. I am also known as the son of great gull you see, said Jonathan. Fletcher, Still shocked and confused, asked him, whether he was dead, he thought he was, he couldn't remember anything.

"How can you be dead if you are talking to me? Come on fletcher, come to senses, you have now crossed a different stage at flying; you have overcome your level of consciousness. You have reached somewhere, where you can stay and practice on a higher scale, you have to make the choice now, you learn a high level practice by staying here or go back to your mother land. They thought you won't be able to do it but you have made everyone surprised and proud of you, by clearing this level of flying.”Fletcher insisted on going back to this motherland , to his flock, where he had just begin with teaching the new group, where he wanted some more time, to be with them to teach them. Jonathan was happy to hear that. He agreed with fletcher and made him remember the words Jonathan used to say to them on the beach at night, when no one really understood the meaning meaning the beautiful words "Your body is nothing more than your thought, it's in the mind, it's the mind, not the body "That's when Fletcher realized where he was and what he had achieved now, the spiritualism hit him as well, now.He realized it was all in his unconscious mind, in his dream.

Fletcher, now trying to come to his senses, moved his body, slowly opened his eyes to see hundreds

of his gulls starting at him, shouting , talking, looking at him in surprise and bliss. "It's a miracle you see, the dead has come alive, he went through it, he has succeeded" is what he heard. "This is because of our Great gull, the angel, Jonathan, he has come to life by the touch of our God " was another voice among the four thousand gulls.

Some of them never agreed to this." No he is a Devil, Jonathan, a devil which has come to destroy us all, he hasn't done anything, this is just his luck, a devil can't do such things" shouting one of the haters. Jonathan, coming from across the crowd, firm and fast, eyes wide and beak strong asked Fletcher whether it will be okay for him if they leave now. To which fletcher said he won't have much problem leaving.

When they were half a mile away, Jonathan, now confused with what happened there, why they couldn't still believe Jonathan, why they considered him the devil now, asked Fletcher why was it so difficult to convince a bird to fly and be free, how they should change their life by just hard work and practice , to add meaning to their lives, why is it so difficult to make them realize what is right and what wrong.

But fletcher was still not over the incident that just happened. He was too lost. But now, trying the realize the change of moments, he again asked Jonathan what really happened and what was the reason they left. He wanted to know how did they get there and how Jonathan did all this.To which Jonathan replied as always , just one word, Practice.

The flock had forgotten their mistakes by the next morning, had forgotten what stupid things they did and said to the master. But fletcher did not. He asked Jonathan, what he had told them a long time ago, that what is love, love towards your motherland , and the flock so much that one should return to it, to let them learn what one has learnt.

He asked Jonathan how can he be so kind and generous to love the flock that hates him, that even tried to kill him! How can he stand such hatred by still loving and caring for them!

Jonathan had best answers to every questions asked to him. This time he told him, "Do you think I really love the hatred they show me? No I don't, no one can love negative things. But you have to look at the other way, the positive side of it, there is something good in everyone, you have to have the eyes to see it and show it to them as well, make people realize the good in themselves. It is really fun once you get the practice of it, and the happiness you get from it, is unexplainable.’’

“I have an example. Once there were this young, brave, revolutionary bird out there, named Fletcher Lynd Seagull, who risked his life and became an outcast, to learn to fly, because he was too determined reach his goals. He started there, alone, in the far off cliffs, started his journey in hell, and look at him now, making his own heaven and also teaching, being a leader for this fellow students to guide them to achieve their goals.”

"I am no leader! You are the leader. I haven't reached that far yet. I am just a normal seagull, whereas you are the God of the flock, you are the real leader they need." said fletcher. To which Jonathan replied" You know what you are, you just have to be confident enough to find yourself, to learn about yourself and see how things turn up good. You will be a great leader, an inspiration for the flock, I think I should leave you leave now. I think it's time for me to go and for you to be independent. "" You can't leave Jonathan, I am obviously not as good as you. They need you." Cried Fletcher .

"Now you know the trick, you know you can do it. And I think I should go to hundreds of other birds out there who need me, who are on the stage, where you were once! Who has just started and need some support to grow!" said Jonathan.

"Now you are your own Leader, Fletch, go, explore, believe in yourself and you will get what you desire. "he said Jonathan lifted his body in the air, spread his wings, and began to gleam In the air, becoming clear and transparent, he couldn't stop himself from speaking his last words to his dear student, “I am just a normal gull who likes flying, Fletcher, don't let them spread stupid rumors about me being the great God, do you hear me? And don't ever believe in those(not so confident) eyes of yours, they will just show you obstruction and limitations. Remember there is no limit to anything you wish to achieve, you have to give your best in what you do. Look with your mind, your ideas and you will already know what you are and what you can be.

Fletcher, listening to him carefully, couldn't believe his eyes, within no time, the gleaming stopped and poof, Jonathan was gone. Gone forever.

Fletcher stayed there, for a while, trying to accept everything what just happened, and then, he tried to get up and forced himself into the sky just to see, a new flock of students, waiting for him, earnestly wishing to learn their first lessons. And he started as an instructor , just like Jonathan.

Fletcher, trying to recover himself, began with a lecture "I will start with an introduction to flying and understanding yourself, which is the most important thing. You all need to understand what is the real meaning of a seagull, a seagull is an unlimited idea of freedom, there is an image of the great gull and your own body, from wing tip to wing tip is nothing but your thought itself.’’This was a little tricky and spiritual for them to understand what he meant now. Just like it was, for fletcher when he was too, a student.

It was the same days repeating itself, for Fletcher, but the difference was, then he was just another bird in the crowd of Jonathan’s students and now, he is the leader of the crowd.He got the expected response from the flock he was addressing to, that was a question marked face. The young gulls couldn't understand or believe that this is what they need to learn, for what they need to achieve.

Fletcher decided to start over again, this time, in a normal way to explain. "Okay guys, let's begin, with level flight.”After Saying so, he realized how difficult it would have been for Jonathan (which he thought of as a friend now, more than his tutor)to deal with this, to make students realize what's in the tutors mind,

and how amazingly he made it through all of it. He remembered his friend in every step he took. No limits, Jonathan? He asked. He remembered how Jonathan had again and again repeated himself to break all the limits and explore the world, be free and alive! He gained confidence now. He thought there will be a time, soon, that he appears in Jonathan's Beach and show him what he has now learnt, more and more about flying!While he was trying to show his students how serious and intense is his expression, he couldn't do that because he looked at his students and saw their inner self, tried looking at their true selfs, who they really were, and he loved what he could see in each one of them. He loved the satisfaction he got from it.

And again, he remembered. No limits, Jonathan? With spark in his eyes and determination in his soul, he began, began a new life, which was all about finding himself, exploring teaching and of course learning.

A Poem on chapter 2 –Jonathan Livingston Seagull

EXPLORE New place, New life; Everything here is so bright!.His hard work, His patience;Led him somewhere he could easily fit in.. Right mentors, Right students;Taught him, how to be prudent. . Learnt perseverance, Learnt perfection;His life was changing direction. . Gone mentor, Gone the craze;Made him remember his old days. . It’s time, he thought, It’s time to go;Back home, to rescue some more. .Still young, Still unbound;There, his first student, he found.

Comic Strip –A Scene From Chapter 1

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