Answer: B. mocking.
The community thinks very little of Mari Djata because of his inability to walk. They treat him with "irony and scorn." Moreover, Sassouma Bérété tells Sundiata's mother that her son is unequal to Sassouma Bérété's own son. However, Sundiata is resilient and persistent. He asks a blacksmith for an iron rod, and with this, he is able to walk and show everyone how strong he really is.