Question

Which excerpt from the passage encompasses the falling action of the story?

“When the fox felt the first sting, he started so that he lifted one leg, from pain, but he bore it, and still kept his tail high in the air.”
“When the animals saw that, they thought all was lost, and began to flee, each into his hole, and the birds had won the battle.”
“Then the King and Queen flew home to their children and cried: ‘Children, rejoice, eat and drink to your heart's content, we have won the battle!’”
“And now at last the young wrens were satisfied, and sat down together and ate and drank, and made merry till quite late into the night.”

Answer 1

“When the animals saw that, they thought all was lost, and began to flee, each into his hole, and the birds had won the battle.”

This sentence shows the immediate consequences of the climax (the birds’ successful attack) and leads toward the story’s resolution, so it functions as the falling action.