Question

Read the excerpt from "the magpies." rebecca shook her head. both girls leaned down to look in the grass at their feet. they didn’t notice a magpie flying across the yard carrying the very hair clip they were looking for. the bird finally landed in the nest next to its mate and dropped the clip into the nest.

How does this part of the story create humor?
a) The reader knows the characters will never find their possessions.
b) The characters remain unaware of why they are losing their possessions.
c) The reader anticipates learning why the characters are losing their possessions.
d) The reader learns that the characters have conflicting ideas about what’s happening.

Answer 1

The humor in the excerpt arises because the characters are unaware of the magpie stealing their possessions, creating dramatic irony that engages the reader. Therefore, the correct option is b) The characters remain unaware of why they are losing their possessions.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the excerpt from "the magpies," the part of the story that contributes to the humor is that the characters remain unaware of why they are losing their possessions, which is choice (b). This situation is humorous because, as readers, we are privy to the fact that the magpie is stealing items like the hair clip to build its nest, while the characters are oblivious to the theft.

This dramatic irony creates a sense of amusement as we picture the girls looking for the very item that is plainly being carried away by the bird. The situation is further heightened by possible expectations that eventually the truth may dawn on the characters, adding to the anticipation and humor.