Which excerpt is an example of situational irony in Saki’s "The Storyteller”?

Question

“Most of the aunt’s remarks seemed to begin with ‘Don’t,’ and nearly all of the children’s remarks began with ‘Why?’ The bachelor said nothing out loud. ‘Don’t, Cyril, don’t,’ exclaimed the aunt, as the small boy began smacking the cushions of the seat, producing a cloud of dust at each blow.”
“The frown on the bachelor’s face was deepening to a scowl. He was a hard, unsympathetic man, the aunt decided in her mind.”
“She repeated the line over and over again in a dreamy but resolute and very audible voice; it seemed to the bachelor as though some one had had a bet with her that she could not repeat the line aloud two thousand times without stopping.”
“‘It’s the stupidest story I’ve ever heard,’ said the bigger of the small girls, with immense conviction. “‘I didn’t listen after the first bit, it was so stupid,’ said Cyril.”

Answer 1

The excerpt that illustrates situational irony in Saki’s "The Storyteller" is:

“‘It’s the stupidest story I’ve ever heard,’ said the bigger of the small girls, with immense conviction. ‘I didn’t listen after the first bit, it was so stupid,’ said Cyril.”

In this passage, the irony lies in the fact that the children express strong disdain for the story told by the bachelor, yet the actual story that he tells contrasts with their criticism and ends up being more engaging than the aunt's attempts at storytelling. Their vehement disapproval of the "stupid" story makes it ironic that they are dismissing something that ultimately captivates the reader's interest, illustrating the reversal of expectation.