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 story highlights a typical selfish human nature we are all familiar with. Identify it from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → Heartless and foolish exploitation of nature
Exploitation is the use of something for one's own benefit without care for the harm it causes. The tree stands for nature. Man takes its fruit, then its branches, then its trunk, till only a stump is left, and gives nothing in return. This is heartless, because the tree's kindness is never returned, and foolish, because by using up the tree man destroys the very thing that kept giving to him, and in the end he is left helpless.
Example: The exploitation of forests for timber has left the hills bare.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 1: Compassion and benevolence — Incorrect. Wrong link: Compassion is pity and concern for the suffering of others, and benevolence is kindness and the wish to do good. These are qualities of the tree, not selfish human qualities.
Example: The old king was known for his benevolence towards the poor.
Option 2: Conservation of forests — Incorrect. Contradicted: Conservation means protecting something from damage or loss. The story shows the opposite: a tree used up completely.
Example: The villagers started a drive for the conservation of water.
Option 3: Mindless greed to possess more and more wealth — Incorrect. Not mentioned: the boy asks for what he needs at each stage (food, a house, a ship to work on); he is never shown piling up wealth. What the story shows is how he keeps using the tree, which stands for nature.