Read the passage and answer the following questions.
There is a lovely story of a tree and a little boy who used to play in its shade. They had become friends. One day, the boy sat leaning against the trunk of the tree, crying. He was hungry. "Eat my fruit" said the kind tree bending down one of its branches. The boy ate the fruit and was happy. The boy grew up. One day, he sat under the tree with an anxious look on his face. "What is the matter?" asked the tree. "I am going to marry and I want a house to live in," said the young man. "Cut down my branches and build your house." said the tree. The young man built a house with the branches of the tree. The young man became a sailor. One day, he sat under the tree with a worried look. "What is the matter?" asked the tree. "My captain is a cruel fellow. I want a ship of my own." said the sailor. "Cut down my trunk and build a ship." The sailor lost his ship and returned home as a helpless old man. On a cold winter's day, he stood where the tree once was, leaning on his stick and trembling with cold. "Make a fire of me, and warm yourself' said the stump of the tree. The stump of the unselfish tree burnt in the fire, softly humming a tune.
The two protagonists of the story are _____.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → One of them is demanding and greedy, the other always generous, sensitive and supportive
The two main characters are the boy and the tree. The boy keeps asking for more at every stage of his life: fruit, then branches for a house, then the trunk for a ship, and finally the stump for a fire. He gives nothing back. The tree, on the other hand, notices his sadness every time ("What is the matter?") and gives whatever he needs, till only a stump is left. So one is demanding and greedy, and the other generous, sensitive and supportive.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Both innocent and naive — Incorrect. Contradicted: Naive means lacking experience and too ready to believe others. The boy is not innocent in his behaviour; he takes everything the tree has without a thought for it.
Example: It was naive of him to trust a stranger with his money.
Option 2: One is intelligent and the other a fool — Incorrect. Wrong focus: the story is about selfishness and selflessness, not about cleverness. The tree's giving is kindness, not foolishness.
Option 3: Both cunning and selfish — Incorrect. Contradicted: the tree is the very opposite of selfish; the passage calls it "the kind tree" and "the unselfish tree".