Read the following passage carefully and answer the question given below it Certain words/phrases have been printed in bold to help you locate them while answering some of the questions
Once a king saw some young boys pelting stones on a snake. He prevented the boys from killing the snake. Thus he saved its life.The snake, which was the King of the Snake World, thanked him and favoured him with a supernatural gift by which he could understand the language of any animal. But he warned him that that divulgence of the secret would cost him his life.
One day, when the King was sitting in his garden and enjoying breakfast, a small portion of the sweet fell on the ground.Soon he heard an ant shouting, “My God”, what a big wagon-ful of sweet has fallen and there is none to consume it.Ah ! I can enjoy all, now.”Hearing this, the King smiled and chuckled.The queen, who was sitting next to him,was curious to note the changing countenance of the King.She asked him to tell her the reason for the smile. But the King kept silence,she attacked his self-respect by calling him a “liar” and muttered that all his expressions of endearment like-You are dearer to me than my very life”.-were nothing but a pack of lies.The King, however,could not bear the attacks on his self-respect and eventually conceded to divulge the secret on the following day in the royal,garden; and made up his mind to sacrifice his life.
A donkey overheard the King’s resolve and decided to save him,because the King was righteous.So, he picked up one of his friends-the goat and they both decided to save the King.
Next day, when the King and his retinues were on the way to the royal park,the donkey and the goat stood conversing on one side of the path.The King overheard the goat saying to the donkey, “You are a fool but not as big a fool as in the king. “Having heard so, the King was curious to know as to why was he being called a “bigger fool”. So, he said to the goat. “Pray, then tell me what to do as I am now committed to tell her on her back”.
When the King reached the garden he said to the queen “I am now ready to tell you the secret on the condition that you are willing to receive one hundred lashes in return”.The queen considered the condition a joke and nodded in agreement.The King then waved at one of his guards to lash her with all his power.And no sooner than she received two lashes she wailed and shouted “No ! No ! Stop, do not lash me ! I don’t want to know the secret now”.
The King then said scornfully, “You wanted to know the secret at the cost of my life, but now you don’t want to know because you have to save your skin.You deserve a few more lashes.”But before he could order his man to give her a few more lashes, the King’s trustworthy minister intervened and requested him to forgive her.Thus the queen was not lashed further, yet she received the same honour and dignity.
Which of the following words can be used to describe the queen ?
(A)Loyal
(B)Selfish
(C)Prying
Prying means poking into one's affairs. Selfish means doing things only for self. The passage says that the queen unnecessarily angered the king by intruding into his affairs. Also, she is mentioned to be selfish as she got rid off lashes inorder to replace the king's secret sustain her queenship. Hence, C.
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