Answer:
1. tone: sad.
Words that help to set the tone: "crutch without an owner", "die".
Step-by-step explanation:
The text shown above narrates the possible death of a child, who had his whole life ahead of him and who was very loved by his family. The revelation of a possible death imposes sadness on the reader who can imagine how this child had a lost future and when it was devastating for all who loved him.
Within literature, the tone is the feeling that the author wishes to convey to the reader through words and the narrated situation.