Read the following lines and answer the question that follows by choosing the correct option :
The signal was given, the pistol exploded
And so did the runners on hearing the sound
But the youngest among them stumbled and staggered
And he fell on his knees to the ground.
He gave out a cry of frustration and anguish
His dreams and his efforts dashed in the dirt
But as sure as I'm standing here telling the story
Now it's a strange one, but here's what occurred
The eight other athletes stopped in their tracks
The ones who had trained for so long to compete
One by one they turned round and came back to help him
And lifted the lad to his feet.
That's how the race ended, with nine gold medals
They came to the finish line holding hands still
And the banner above and nine smiling faces
Said more than these words ever will
Said more than these words ever will
The message of the poem is ________.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Cooperation and empathy
The eight runners felt the fallen boy's pain (empathy, the ability to share another person's feelings), stopped, lifted him up and crossed the finish line holding hands (cooperation, working together). The race ends "with nine gold medals", so the poem values helping one another above winning.
Example: A good nurse treats every patient with empathy.
Why the Other Options are Incorrect?
Option 2: Co-operation and competition — Incorrect. Contradicted: the runners gave up competing to help the boy; the poem does not praise competition.
Option 3: Friendship and Attention — Incorrect. Wrong focus: the runners are rivals in a race, not friends, and "attention" is not the point; their act is one of kindness and teamwork.
Option 4: How to win — Incorrect. Contradicted: nobody wins over the others; all nine finish together.