The young seagull came to the brink of the ledge. He stood there on one leg with the other leg hidden under his wing. He closed his one eye, then the other, and pretended to be falling asleep. He did so because he wanted to know whether they were interested in him or not but he observed that his family was not noticing him. He saw his brothers and sister lying on the plateau (elevated plain). They were dozing (sleeping). His father was preening the feathers on his white back. Only his mother was looking at him. Now and then, she tore a piece of fish that lay at her feet. Then she scrapped each side of the back on the rock.