Who was in charge of all deserts?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 3:

The correct option is 3:
The question "Who was in charge of all deserts?" is derived from Rudyard Kipling's famous short story, "How the Camel Got His Hump," which is often included in English language curricula. In this story, the world is new, and animals are beginning to work for Man. The Camel lives in the middle of the Howling Desert and refuses to work, repeatedly saying "Humph." The Horse, Dog, and Ox complain to Man about the Camel's idleness. Man, in turn, consults the supreme authority who oversees that desolate land. This authority is **The Djinn** (sometimes spelled Genie), the personification of all deserts and all magic. The Djinn's central role is to maintain order, balance, and responsibility within the vast, sandy wilderness under his domain. When Man brings the complaint about the lazy Camel, the Djinn investigates the matter personally. It is the Djinn who ultimately uses his immense magical power to punish the Camel's idleness by giving him a hump, ensuring the Camel can finally work and make up for the three days he missed. Therefore, according to the textual context of the story, the Djinn is unequivocally the one who held the supervisory and magical responsibility for all the deserts and the creatures within them.

The incorrect option is 1:
The Camel is the subject of the Djinn's intervention, not the person in charge of the desert. The Camel represents idleness and resistance to work in the story, and his failure to take on responsibilities is what necessitates the intervention of the desert authority. He is merely an inhabitant, albeit a very lazy one, of the Howling Desert.

The incorrect option is 2:
Man is responsible for governing the Horse, Dog, and Ox, and for initiating the work at the beginning of the world. However, Man is shown to have limited power over the desert itself and cannot directly compel the Camel to work or fix the issue. Man's complaint about the Camel's refusal to work is directed *to* the Djinn, confirming that the Djinn is the superior authority over the deserts.

The incorrect option is 4:
The horse and the dog are two of the three working animals (along with the Ox) who are complaining about having to do extra work because of the Camel's laziness. They are workers under Man's direction and are victims of the Camel's lack of contribution, rather than being the overarching authority in charge of the desert.